Greetings Heathens! In today’s episode of the Talk Heathen, we have a special “Dependence Day” Special with Lloyd Evans and Katy Montgomerie.
First up we have Brian in Illinois who is comparing court testimony to the Bible’s testimony, and this is the only reliable testimony for belief. Maybe someone else’s religion is more reliable. How do we decide which religion offers reliable testimony? Simply calling something testimony does not mean we have to listen to it.
Gerald from Europe is being bullied by an internet online preacher that sounded nice and convincing at first, and used the Bible to back his arguments up, but turned out to be a bully. Some countries have harassment laws that cover online harassment. Sometimes if these types of people have a big enough platform, you will be able to call them out every time they say something ridiculous. Follow due process and see what options are available to record and report to authorities.
Christopher in AZ has experimental evidence showing that religious people are better off and do less of things like steal and use drugs. Confirmation bias may be the explanation for these studies. Looking at different data sets will show just the opposite of what the caller is stating. If the caller is correct, there is no need to use a pre-existing religion. We can just make up a new one with a whole new set of lies, and it can increase well being. How many lies do we need to accept to be happy?
Gregory in TN wants to look at the human brain when a person is convinced of something. Why would one person accept risk and another not? It may come down to brain chemistry. Different people will have different thresholds to acceptable propositions. Brain development and age will also be a factor in how a person is convinced.
Ryan in MN has a sister who is struggling with miscarriages. Due to the beliefs of life starting at conception, each of these is viewed as a death in the family and causing her to become more indoctrinated. Now she is getting into Q-conspiracy theories. Try and help your sister find a support group or professional health care and remember she is not to blame for this. Street epistemology could be one avenue to use but keep in mind you can only do what you can in situations that you have little control over.
Mike in OH is a Germanic Polytheist who states that the human body is too complex for random chance. Once you understand to a reasonable degree evolution, it is apparent how natural selection really works. The scale of time is so big that it can make a person think that design seems right. Chemicals can do so much more than what we may remember from science labs such as remembering information. Consult some of the science books on evolution to be better informed on how life can arise naturally.
Thank you essential workers for saving lives! Heathens and believers have a safe week!