Explore with us how theists describe what they believe and why with Jmike and special guest ExXtian Erin!

First caller is James in Canada who wants to talk about the utility of using philosophy as proof for god. If a perfectly syllogistic argument is presented that shows god is true, do we become theists? The hosts explain that sometimes people think that if they are a Christian, it will convince the audience better than scripture or facts will. Syllogistic arguments have just not been presented to us yet. Oftentimes words are used differently or incorrectly.

Amanda in TX would like to talk about Christian forgiveness in cases of child abuse. Erin explains that the idea of being forced to forgive everyone is one way abusers escape accountability. There is no need to forgive everybody and encourage further victim blaming. It does not always help to be forced to move forward with something before you are ready. Anger is a valid emotion and tells us something to stay safe or prevent further harm. There are some things that we need to stay angry about.

Bee in VA who has an acquaintance that does not want to talk about religion but brings up strong opinions on the LGBTQ community. This person has been told about what is in the Bible but has not read it. They are not accepting that sex and gender distinction is based on a text they have not even fully read. It helps to go through the person’s reasonings and discuss ideas. If what they believe is true, there should be nothing to fear with investigations. You will have to break this down granularly. Ask yourself what you want out of this friendship or if you are worried about this person. Avoid getting your friend on the defensive and try to figure out some good boundaries.

Patrick in FL asserts that atheism is a leap of faith exactly the same as theism. He describes atheism as a rejection of any possibility of god. What do you think atheism is? Our distinction is that there is not sufficient evidence for god. We don’t reject the idea that there would ever be any evidence in the future. Which god do you believe in? If we do not believe there is an even number of atoms in the universe, does that mean that we believe there is an odd number of atoms? What is the evidence for the god you believe in?

Michael in AZ asks what a prosperity minister would say if there was a news report of a more advanced extraterrestrial civilization contacting us. There are already teachings that are working these ideas into their doctrines. You can always hide god behind something in every case. He also asks if it is true that god wanted the first born of all the Egyptians to be killed before the mass Exodus. These are just stories and no reason to believe that these things happened.

Thank you everyone for tuning in huge thanks to the essential workers. We appreciate you!