No, you read that correctly. This is the last live show of 2022, and we will be going on hiatus after that to figure out what's next for us and for SkepGen. This episode is a 2.5-hour long extravaganza, with many familiar voices calling in to say hi. We also lifted all previous bans on topics and callers, which makes for some interesting (and heated) conversations before we say goodbye. If you would like to provide $1/month to support the show as we are on hiatus, please make sure to become a Lifelong Skeptic on our Patreon: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Check out our official “SG Hosts DESTROY Callers!” playlist by visiting our YouTube home page or following this link: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLgAFtcRCck1woYD2zC8z4DePc7m6Q4aH6 ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish! 11:07 - Should You Sacrifice Yourself for the Greater Good? - Javier (he/him) - SC 20:45 - Thanks For All You’ve Done! - Steven (he/him) - AZ 26:22 - Should We Be Skeptical of Whiteness? - Steve (N/A) - NY 41:25 - This Vegan Caller Says He’d Eat People! - Chase (he/him) - ID 1:04:54 - Merriam-Webster Is LYING About Christmas?? - Sunny (she/they) - IN 1:12:41 - Would You Ever Eat Engineered Meat? - Chris (he/him) - CA 1:22:19 - Repeat Theist Caller Tries ONE MORE TIME… - Connor (he/him) - TX 1:31:26 - “God Is The Answer!” - Xeno (he/him) - SK 1:54:30 - Secular De-Colonization and Spirituality - Rosy (she/they/it) - CAN 2:05:06 - Another Thank You for the Show - Jim (he/him) - OH 2:09:12 - Should We Start a Santa Claus Religion? - Chris (he/him) - SCT 2:13:11 - What Would Convince You of Miracles? - Dean (he/him) - VA 00:00 Eric and Vi discuss the hiatus, address concerns, and talk through what happens next. 11:07 Repeat caller Javier returns to discuss altruism and self-sacrifice. Are they overrated? Are they actually selfish? Why would someone ever sacrifice themselves for the greater good if we only have one life to live? 20:45 Steven calls in to wish us well and tell the hosts how much the show meant to him. We appreciate it, Steven! 26:22 Repeat atheopagan caller Steve asks about how to approach the social construct of whiteness, especially if you enjoy discovering your own cultural heritage as a white person. Vi points out the validity of the concerns around neo-Pagan use of ancient cultures to promote white supremacy, but insists there is a healthy way to learn about yourself while using that knowledge to help others. 41:25 We lifted the subject ban, and we have our first vegan caller! This conversation gets heated and contains a lot of loaded language and appeals to emotion. The hosts call this out, attempting to steer clear of strawmen while getting to the heart of the issue: are honeybees people too? 1:04:54 A dictionary has a really shocking entry and this caller wants to talk about it! Vi says this call both made and ruined their day at the same time. 1:12:41 Another vegan caller appears, and this time the hosts are asked what their thoughts are on lab-grown meat. Eric and Vi are both down with some test tube chicken, and offer their understanding of why some vegans might still be against it. 1:22:19 Repeat theist caller Connor tries one more time to talk about how he came to his Baha’i faith. Eric points out the difference between “faith” and “trust,” and Vi says that a testimony might be riveting but doesn’t hold the evidence they’re looking for. 1:31:26 Yes, we let him back on. Xeno wants to make sure the hosts have the correct takeaway from their multiple calls with him: “God is the Answer!” To what? Everything, of course! The question remains: will we miss Xeno? Well, if we’re being totally honest… God? 1:54:30 Why do so many people use religion and spirituality as a way to “connect to their culture”? Are there other ways of reaching into the past that are more secular? This caller discusses their own experiences trying to reconnect with their Indigenous culture as a secular person. 2:05:06 Jim calls in to thank the hosts for their time on the show and to offer some suggestions about where they might go next. Thanks, Jim! 2:09:12 Repeat caller Chris from Scotland is wondering if we should ditch Christianity and make a Santa Claus religion instead. He seems nicer than God, anyway. Eric advocates for a non-omniscient deity instead. Vi suggests Hermey the Dentist Elf. Hail Hermey? 2:13:11 Finally, we end on a classic: the argument for God from the existence of miracles. Repeat apologist caller Dean is wondering what would make us believe in miracles, and if those hypothetical miracles would then be good evidence for God? Vi points out that if miracles were proven, they’d no longer be called miracles. Eric gets Dean to admit he hates babies. ___________________ Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

We are talking about New Year's resolutions this week, since it's officially December! Call toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG. ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com

Vi leads this show solo and reads from their old Christian journal from nine years ago. What was their deconversion process like? Is it similar to yours? Call toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG to share your story or just vent about the holiday season. ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - Vi Is Solo This Week 02:23 - Can People Choose Their Beliefs? - Javier (he/him) - SC 18:13 - Vi Reads from An Old Deconversion Journal 25:44 - My Family Doesn’t Believe I’m An Atheist - Cameron (he/him) - MN 38:16 - What Kind of Culture Should Atheists Build? - Mark (he/him) - CA 55:53 - Why Is It So Easy to Believe In God? - Steven (he/him) - AZ 1:07:04 - My Friend Thinks God Is Punishing Her… HELP? - Caleb (he/him) - MD 1:15:30 - Jesus Wants Us To Be Mean to Atheists - Jim (he/him) - OH 1:22:16 - How Do I Deal with Street Preachers? - Chris (he/him) - SCT 02:23 Can people choose their beliefs? Vi says that answering “Yes” or “No” are both wrong: this is a “yes, and” situation. People both have the ability to choose what beliefs they strengthen, and are ultimately not in charge of the moment one belief wins out against others. That’s why it’s always dangerous to hold harmful beliefs, even if you don’t act on them. 18:13 Vi has brought an old journal that they wrote almost a decade ago. “The Quest for God” laid out how 20-year-old Vi was struggling with belief, parsing apart what was true and untrue about what they’d been told, and trying to figure out what next steps were. A raw, real moment that hopefully resonated with others. 25:44 This caller is having trouble with his family after coming out as an atheist. They are telling him he’s broken, they are unfollowing him on social media, and generally making him feel unwelcome. They also happen to be in an MLM, which makes things even worse! Vi gives this caller permission to kick these folks out on their ear: “Jesus said to avoid you.” 38:16 Now that atheists are growing as a demographic in the US, what should we be focusing on to make sure we aren’t repeating the problems we are seeing with a Christian majority? Repeat caller Mark is wondering what next steps are, and Vi says something shocking: We need to stop talking about religion. 55:53 This caller points out that God is easy to believe in because the idea of God is so baked into our culture. Vi agrees: this is why apologetics work. You have to believe in God already in order to be convinced by any of the major arguments for God. We need to eradicate the idea of a maximally great God before we can truly be free. 1:07:04 What do you say to someone who is convinced that God is punishing them? Vi points out that it’s actually scarier to imagine that things happen for no reason than to imagine a god is punishing you. At least you’re still kind of the main character, and not just an incidental casualty of the universe. Also, landlords suck. 1:15:30 We talked about some atheists having trouble with their families this episode, but isn’t that exactly what Jesus said to do? Didn’t he tell Christians to desert their families, even end things violently, in order to follow him? Vi once again says “Yes” and “No.” If we’re looking at the historical context of Jesus’s words, he’s actually talking about a political rebellion! 1:22:16 Repeat caller Chris asks how to deal with the street preachers that he’s seeing everywhere. He’s tried reasoning with them and he never makes any progress! Vi says it’s a lost cause to try and debate with them, but what this caller CAN do is make them seem utterly ridiculous. ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

That's right! Vi has endured, healed up, and is ready to take your calls! We'd love to talk about what you believe and why, you can call us toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG. We're ready to listen. ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - Technical Difficulties! 09:48 - Is Voting Skeptical? - Mark (he/him) - OH 16:58 - Can Atheists Experience Wonder & Awe? - Mark (he/him) - CA 32:03 - Is Humanism Logical? - Jason (he/him) - TX 49:18 - Did God Defeat My Depression? - Sour Fruit (she/her) - CAN 56:10 - How Should I Weaponize My Atheism? - Mozzie (he/they) - GA 1:17:30 - superchats 09:51 Can you be a skeptic and think that voting works? What is the role of skepticism when it comes to how our country is run and our ability to change things at the ballot box? This caller asks huge (and important) questions but the hosts might be a bit out of their depth… 17:02 Repeat atheopagan caller Mark dials in to ask whether atheists can experience wonder and awe, and why so many atheists seem to be averse to pursuing those feelings intentionally? This conversation touches on the definition of spirituality, the importance of ritual, and whether or not all the tools used by the Church are inherently bad. 32:09 Is it logical to be a humanist in a world full of terrible humans? How do you reconcile with all the bad structural things you’re forced to take part in, if your goal is to be a good person? Can someone who hunts, drives a big truck, and owns an iphone be considered moral by harm reduction standards? Vi provides some practical advice: the four circles of activism. 49:27 This repeat atheist caller is coming out of depression and realizing that, if she had been a less skeptical person, she’d attribute all her progress to God. Why is she thinking more about God now that she’s feeling more hopeful? And what causes people to gravitate towards narratives of supernatural salvation so consistently? 56:09 A great way to end out Vi’s first episode back, this caller is a conversion therapy survivor and ex-Christian who is looking for ways to help the LGBTQ+ folks stuck in abusive religious environments. How should they go to war for their community while prioritizing their own mental health and optimizing impact? The hosts have some ideas! ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

Reading the comments last week, it sounds like people have had a LOT to say! What is a ritual? Does a ritual need to have a supernatural component? If it doesn't, does the word become meaningless? And then there's the topic of violence. When is violence called for when facing oppression? This call last week sparked a hot debate about whether or not it can EVER be the correct answer. What do you think? If you disagree with the host or callers, we want to hear about it. You can call us toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG . We're ready to listen. ________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

With Halloween just around the corner, let's talk about what it means to celebrate a holiday. As Christians Vi and Eric were told that celebrating Halloween was tantamount to pagan idolatry. As atheists, they still hear many nonbelievers spouting the same lines! Does celebrating a holiday require one to believe in the supernatural? If you think so, or have an argument against holidays like Christmas and Halloween, we want to hear why! You can call us toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG . We're ready to listen. ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - Are atheists still harboring religious prejudices? 05:24 - Well that was anticlimactic - Kendall (he/him) GA 07:59 - What is EVIL anyway? Sajid (he/him) CAN 19:15 - “I’ve change my mind” - Jim (he/him) OH 25:16 - God ‘s got some ‘splaining to do! Sajid (he/him) CAN - Part 2 48:43 - When is violence justified? - Austin (he/him/they/them) MD 01:01:10 - It’s too many holidays! - Steven (he/him) AZ 01:15:54 - You should be a sexy cat - Sakura (she/they) NY 01:23:44 - The supernatural solution - John (he/him) PA 00:00 With Halloween a day away, Eric wants to hear what objections non believers have to celebrating holidays. 5:24 It isn’t every day we get such an eager troll! Unlike most other trolls, Kendall shot off just a little too prematurely and got dropped before introductions could even be finished… How embarrassing for him! We at Skepgen have often found enlightening discussions with even dishonest interlocutors, but callers like Kendall can’t help but leave their conversation partners … disappointed. 07:59 Frequent caller Sajid shares with us how he as a Muslim enjoys Halloween too! Eric and Sajid quickly find their way down a rabbit hole when Sajid mentions that he believes in evil, but what is evil? If we should believe that evil comes from a place or person, we should first seek to understand if that concept even makes sense! Unfortunately due to a poor connection, they need to cut their conversation short. 19:15 Jim has watched his last call and realized that he doesn’t want to be the kind of person to wish others suffering, no matter how bad they are. Eric shares that he’s also on a similar journey of self discovery, and that it’s admirable for someone like Jim to change their mind after re-watching the show. To see Jim’s first call, here’s a link! https://youtu.be/6B5aeAyAuf4?t=1805 25:16 Sajid is back with a good connection! This time we’re facing the problem of evil directly! Sajid recognizes that abuse isn’t undone by reward afterward, and that a loving god still needs to answer for the suffering in the world. He also concedes just how scary it is if there’s no divine purpose, and that is seriously admirable. Even though these conversations are uncomfortable, we seriously respect the mental and emotional labor Sajid is putting in. 48:43 Austin hits Eric with an impossible question right out the gate: When is violent resistance justified? Given current events in the US, it feels ever more prudent to ask! Eric does his best to summarize his understanding of violent resistance, but concedes that he can’t nor shouldn’t be the arbiter of when it is called for. We must listen to the needs of the marginalized, and recognize the context that surrounds political violence. As an aside, if supporting LGBTQ rights and safety is a problem for you as a viewer, we encourage you to find another channel, because it isn’t changing here. 01:01:10 Do federal holidays tacitly endorse one religion over another? Steven calls in to ask if the government should really be in the business of mandating holidays. This might be a little extreme until we take into account the massive amount of cultural holidays celebrated around the world! Can we as a society walk this tightrope? 01:15:54 Holidays don’t just evolve through generations. Over the course of a lifetime, the same holiday can change exactly what and who we celebrate. Eric and Sakura agree that whether it’s food, presents, or the chance to be a sexy cat, any excuse you can make to live your best life is worth it. 01:23:44 Does AA have a problem with cognitive dissonance? If Alcoholics Anonymous views alcoholism as an illness, should a supernatural solution be the first place we go for a cure? Eric points out that for those who believe in the supernatural, it’s understandable. Even though it can seem rational to a believer, rationality isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. ________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

Vi is back and Eric should be held accountable for his actions... Where is the limit for free speech, civil suits, and how long should we wait to celebrate the downfall of shitty people? From conspiracies and conspiracy mongers to the existence of God and the supernatural, we want to know if you believe any of it is true and why! You can join the conversation toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG and tell us why! ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - Eric Explains Himself 12:52 - Is Less Religion Better? - Sajid (he/him) - CAN 30:02 - Vi Dumbfounds Eric with Logic - Jim (he/him) - OH 37:22 - Can You Have Autonomy and Free Will? - Nick (he/him) - TN 56:09 - Should I Stay a Christian? - John (he/him) - LA 1:08:02 - Is It Better to Be Happy or Right? - David (he/him) - NC 1:21:56 - Will My Halloween Ritual Hurt Me? - Sakura (she/they) - NY 00:00 Is Eric a sadist for enjoying watching Alex Jones and his family suffer? Or worse, is he being illogical? Some of you have said so, but how does he defend himself against these accusations? 12:52 Repeat Muslim caller Sajid wants to draw attention to the violent patriarchal systems being done in the name of Islam. The hosts discuss the Iranian hijab protests and how they got started, and commend Sajid for calling out members of his own religion for doing harm. Watch our last conversation with Sajid here: https://youtu.be/MSo2bia_HCw Book recommendations from Sajid’s conversation: The Trouble with Islam by Irshad Manji: https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781429906937/thetroublewithislam Red, White, and Muslim by Asma Gull Hasan: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/red-white-and-muslim-asma-gull-hasan?variant=32205450084386 30:02 This caller agrees with Eric’s statements about the Alex Jones case, but takes it even farther. If Hell existed, he’d be happy to send Alex Jones there. Eric is uncomfortable with this position. Vi nails a point that leaves Eric reeling for the next several calls. 37:22 Is free will necessary for autonomy to be valuable? Vi defends their position that a deterministic universe would not negate the value of autonomy as a moral good. They also come up with the term “spicy determinism” that you can be sure will make future appearances in this broadcast. 56:09 This theist caller still believes in God and Jesus, but is debating whether or not to keep calling himself a Christian. The term, he says, has been hijacked by political extremists and he doesn’t want to be associated with them. Vi and Eric disagree on what next steps for this caller would look like. 1:08:02 Eric lays down some hard truths when it comes to the question about whether it’s better to be happy or to be right. The answer? Healthy boundaries! Meanwhile Vi comes for Boomer comedy. If you are curious about secular alternatives to Alcoholics Anonymous, please follow the caller’s advice and check out SMART Recovery: ​​https://www.smartrecovery.org/ 1:21:56 Repeat pagan caller Sakura is about to do their first Samhain (Halloween) ritual, and is a little scared. What advice (if any) do the hosts have for them as they start exploring this new process? Vi describes their own approach to rituals and reassures the caller that they are not in any spiritual danger, no matter what happens. You can listen to our last conversation with Sakura here: https://youtu.be/6A0Adt_9qsU ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

In the modern day, we don't often see punishments so strict that they could be passed down to their children. This week however, we got to see one! Do you have any examples of supernatural curses in your life? Do you believe any group in particular has been singled out divinely for protection or punishment? If so, this is the weekend to tell us! You can call us toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG and tell us why! ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - Eric got a vasectomy and Alex Jones got emasculated! 06:34 - Nick (he/him) - TN - What about Christians who don’t believe in hell? 20:35 - Sphinx (he/him) - TN - This might be uncomfortable to listen to. 29:53 - Steven (he/him) - AZ - Our society is set up for secular curses 37:53 - Kay (he/him) - Nowhere - Is identity politics empowering prejudice? 01:01:00 - Seb (they/them) - CAN - Abusing empathy 01:13:23 - Chris (he/him) - SCT - Does ableism empower treating people as less than human? 01:23:45 - End of show 00:00 - Intro - Eric got a vasectomy and Alex Jones got emasculated! What does it mean for society when a jury finds someone liable for nearly a BILLION dollars? Eric has some opinions! 06:34 - Nick (he/him) - TN - What about Christians who don’t believe in hell? Nick was blindsided during a conversation with a Christian friend who doesn’t believe in hell! Eric takes a moment to point out that not all denominations believe in hell, which makes listening so very important. But now down to brass tacks, could a god me morally palatable if hell is off the table? 20:35 - Sphinx (he/him) - TN - This might be uncomfortable to listen to. Sphinx took the opportunity to talk about a very painful subject for Eric today… literally! In the wake of the supreme court’s decisions, getting a vasectomy is a good option for those who can get them! Eric answers some questions about his experience in the hopes of making it a little less scary for others. 29:53 - Steven (he/him) - AZ - Our society is set up for secular curses Steven points out that a curse doesn’t need to be supernatural. From the legal system to one’s own family, the impact of a person’s decisions can have lasting repercussions even after their death. That said, we shouldn’t view the children as guilty, but the punishments of their parents being carried out. 37:53 - Kay (he/him) - Nowhere - Is identity politics empowering prejudice? Kay wanted to ask some pretty tough questions today about Eric’s ethnicity. What are the costs and benefits of embracing your ethnicity? What about your beliefs? Would abandoning them get the world closer to peace, or would it simply empower bigotry? 01:01:00 - Seb (they/them) - CAN - Abusing empathy Seb hit close to home today with Eric. Churches often depend on other people to be the bigger person, in order to control them. This isn’t just a religious problem though. Those who have endured this kind of abuse often are left with learned trauma responses that need to be unlearned as adults. We need to remember that we deserve our boundaries, and that it isn’t selfish to let people own their own bad behavior. 01:13:23 - Chris (he/him) - SCT - Does ableism empower treating people as less than human? Chris wants to talk about the way ableism is still a big conversation that we as a society have to engage in! They both discuss the importance of education and normalization to break down the “othering” that happens around neurodivergence, mobility, and more. ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

Eric is getting a WHAT?! | Skeptic Generation | Episode 41 Season 2 It's one thing to see fundamentalist religious zealots on the news, it's another to live in the line of fire. Here in Austin Texas, we've realized that we need to take action! Religion has NO place in government, prove us wrong. If there's a good argument for why religion should motivate law, give us a call toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG and tell us why! ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - TMI, Eric! 06:49 - Are the Polys OK? - Steven (N/A) - NY 22:08 - Repeat Muslim Caller Admits He Has Doubts - Sajid (he/him) - CAN 36:52 - Theist Caller Makes Vi Call For a Timeout - Connor (he/him) - TX 55:37 - Can Theists Be Skeptics? - Mike (he/him) - MA 1:09:56 - Balancing Skepticism and Open Mindedness - Nathan (he/him) - AUS 1:20:30 - A Perfect Ending To This Episode - Steven (he/him) - AZ 1:26:01 - Superchats 00:00 Eric is getting snipped this upcoming week and will be sharing all the gorey (or not so gorey) details next Sunday. In the meantime, consider this your motivation to be proactive about protecting the reproductive rights of those around you… whatever that looks like for you! 06:49 Why does a secular society still judge polyamory as being wrong or icky? Even as new legislation makes it safer to pursue poly relationships, it is important that we dig deep and ask ourselves: “What about this is making me uncomfortable, and is there a good reason for it?” Check out the ruling discussed on this call here: https://www.lgbtqnation.com/2022/10/new-york-judge-rules-favor-polyamorous-relationships/ 22:08 Our repeat Muslim caller Sajid calls in with what Christians would call a “crisis of faith.” Some things just aren’t adding up about his religion, and he is finding it harder and harder to ignore these incongruencies. Eric and Vi listen and affirm the discomfort he finds himself in, and encourage him to be gentle with himself and call back as he has questions. If you or a loved one is struggling with leaving a religion, you don’t have to do so by yourself! Contact Recovering from Religion by visiting this link: https://www.recoveringfromreligion.org/ 36:52 Our repeat theist caller Connor is back, this time with a seemingly innocuous conversation starter… that seems to completely contradict his statements on previous calls. Vi calls a timeout and confronts this discrepancy, getting increasingly irritated as Connor fails to sufficiently explain his position. Perhaps next week? Do you think Connor was contradicting himself? Watch his previous calls to determine for yourself: - Theist Contradicts Himself Over and Over: https://youtu.be/k-nPFWve510 - Theist Defends Contradictions in Holy Texts: https://youtu.be/7ZSYLuGNbw8 55:37 What happens when two skeptics reach different conclusions? What if one of them believes that praying for rain will help a drought? This caller is concerned that maybe he is doing skepticism wrong because he has failed to be convinced of God’s existence. Eric and Vi reassure him and give him pointers to talk to skeptical theist friends and family members. 1:09:56 We’re going to be honest, this one baffled us just a bit. This caller wants to discuss the convergence of skepticism and open mindedness: how do the two intersect? Should we be more worried about being one than the other? Eric encourages him to call back with specific examples in order to get to the meat of the problem. If you’re interested in checking out Andrew Newberg and his work in the field of neurotheology, you can find his books here: http://www.andrewnewberg.com/all-books 1:20:30 A warm note to end the episode on, a returning caller thanks Eric and Vi for modeling skepticism and how to have compassionate and effective conversations with others. It was, it turns out, exactly what the hosts needed to hear this week. ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.

Seriously, is there a single situation where faith is preferred over evidence? If you have a case for faith, we want to hear it! You can contact us toll-free at 585-526-8774 or tiny.cc/callSG and tell us why! ___________________ TIME STAMPS & CALL NOTES 00:00 - Intro - What Is Faith Good For? 05:34 - Losing My Trust In God’s Plan - Lisa (she/her) - CO 22:07 - Theist Claims We All Have Faith - JB (he/him) - CO 1:09:33 - Muslim Caller Has Subjective Evidence for God - Sajid (he/him) - CAN 05:34 This caller is trying to figure out what is stopping her from deconverting. Where does her fear lie? At first she thought it was the fear of Hell, but more and more she is realizing: it’s the realization that there may not be a Plan or a Purpose for everything. What advice do the hosts have for someone grappling with this feeling of insecurity? 22:07 We may have a new pre-sup theist caller! At least, that’s where this argument seems to be going. Do we all have faith? Is there such a thing as a truly evidence-based worldview? Are all of Eric’s arguments inescapably circular? Eric gets riled up and calls BS. 1:09:33 Repeat Muslim caller Sajid wants to dive into evidence for unseen beings and miracles. He appeals to both subjective and objective evidence. Vi breaks down the difference between the two. Can subjective experiences become stronger through corroboration? What happens when two people’s subjective experiences contradict each other? How about contradictory experiences of God? ___________________ 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 Love the show? Become a patron: https://tiny.cc/donatetoSG Buy our new Class of ‘22 merch: http://tiny.cc/SG22Merch Help with our studio: https://tiny.cc/SGwishlist Join us after the show on Discord: https://tiny.cc/SGdiscord To find out more, visit https://www.skepticgeneration.com Copyright © 2022 Skeptic Generation. All rights reserved.