Atheism does not, by default, mean that we must be "militant"; meaning that we regularly make an effort to combat theistic beliefs. I am a rather "militant" atheist, but that's simply because I enjoy rich debate about significant and relevant matters, and also because I enjoy the pursuit of truth through rationality. For others, their atheism is no different than their sexuality or their musical preference.
Don't worry about not being "aggressive enough". You have no obligation to fight.
As a non-theist, I want to say that Jonathan Weyer impressed the hell out of me. He was respectful, he addressed (without being asked) several complaints I have in regard to the way Christians often approach debating and preaching in general, and he was very relatable.
Also, the video has 6,668 views right now. This amuses me. :-)
@NateKirch I know, even if everyone were able to hear you when quite. They need to be quite to hear him. Oh did you notice that as soon as he started talking people started talking. It's college lectures all over again. With the mics people tend to pay attention. Hell I tuned out and started typing this.
WHAT THE FUCK? Who says origins shouldn't be taught in science classrooms? I think the moderator is dodging what really is the correct question which would be "Why shouldn't religion be taught in classrooms" with the simplified answer being "it isn't science". I've never heard someone say that origins shouldn't be taught in classrooms, if they did it's because of religious reasons and eliminates the scientific explanations of how things could have began. This starts at about 36:08.
I loved this video. After watching so many "debates" on youtube it was nice to see human beings with different ideas speak and exchange ideas in a civilized and respectful setting. Also nice to see that two people (atheist and christian) can actually be friends and co-workers since most atheist/ religious people on Youtube sort of give the impression that every single person in their personal life believes like them, and if they encounter one that doesn't they just lose it and turn into a beast.
After an hour of this, I am satisfied that as an atheist this is the most civilized talk I've ever seen. I think its more exciting when parties are more antagonistic. But, I'm easy going. It's a bit of fresh air in this kind of discussion.
"All humans are made in the image of god". Incorrect. All gods are made in the image of man. This is why Krishna looks Indian, Jesus is a white man with brown hair and green eyes, Zeuss wore a toga, Thor was a viking, and all of the so called "omni" gods have petty human characteristics like jealousy, anger, selfishness, and sadness.
Why would a Christian church allow an atheist to speak on their church platform? I can't imagine the Apostle Paul inviting the Greeks from Mars Hill to come speak to their New Testament congregations. It just brings confusion. We should learn the world views of others but church is a place of worship and edification. Maybe a different platform would make more sense (a more neutral platform.)
@AmericanWayne It doesn't bring confusion, it dispels confusion by allowing the members of the church to hear an idea that they would never hear otherwise. How many members of that church do you think would research atheism on their own? It's a way of allowing people to understand different points of view and it works.
@AmericanWayne "Why would a Christian church allow an atheist to speak on their church platform?" ........."It just brings confusion"
Why not ? Confusion is more easily dispelled by hearing every side, and why not better from "the horses mouth"? Church has been a place of propaganda, rather than truthseeking, since Christianity began, why not open it to open-minded discussion?
I take it you also think that religious ideas such as "Teach the contaversy" and I.D. should stay out of schools?
@Tobytrim "I take it you also think that religious ideas such as "Teach the contaversy" and I.D. should stay out of schools?" Does the tenor of your question mean you think religion should be taught in science class?
Overall a good discussion. But I found Jonathan to be a bit chilling, not because of his personality, but because of his dogma. I find it hideous that people follow dogma that tells them that they're inherently evil and not good. What a terrible and harmful idea that is. If god is so great, why couldn't he have told all of his creations that they're beautiful and good beings capable of accomplishing great things? Why did he have to stoop to calling them terrible and damning them? Horrible.
@43:00 Faith is an educated leap? Really? He has faith that Yahweh started the Big Bang. By what educated knowledge does he make that leap? None. He makes that leap by his own ignorance. Faith is a surrender to ignorance to feel more comfortable by pretending you have the answers when you don't. He's fooling himself (or lying to his audience) when he says that faith is educated.
... Is that minister a Creationist? I wasn't really minding his commentary, but I had to double take when he said that humans were made in god's imagine and that the purpose of humanity is to become stewards of God's creation.
It always scares me when people say things like that. So creepy, self-centered, and narcissistic... *shivers*
Just like a parent must punish their children to teach them right from wrong, God will allow things in our lives, to teach us how to rely on Him, and what is right and wrong for us to do and how we are expected to live our lives based on Biblical principals.
And, God allows sin/evil because rather than having to destroy everything and start over again, He chose to make a plan for redemption; and He did that because He loves us.
Just like a parent must punish their children to teach them right from wrong, God will allow things in our lives, to teach us how to rely on Him, and what is right and wrong for us to do and how we are expected to live our lives based on Biblical principals.
And, God allows sin because rather than having to destroy everything and start over again, He chose to make a plan for redemption; and He did that because He loves us.
Just like a parent must punish their children to teach them right from wrong, God will allow things in our lives, to teach us how to rely on Him, and what is right and wrong for us to do and how we are expected to live our lives based on Biblical principals.
And, God allows sin because rather than having to destroy everything and start over again, He chose to make a plan for redemption; and He did that because He loves us.
@985Riverfox an amazing fairytale.a loving, but invisible and absentee father figure. How he/she/it teaches depends on how religious folk interpret otherwise natural occurrences.. and the biblical principals (like main characters or perhaps principals from a bible church? )or perhaps you meant bible principles as in killing child who curses you.. and the sin (still open to interpretation I assume) depends on interpretation.. cursing your parents aside there must be more, right? Religion is fun.
Johnathen is a bit dishonest here when he says "we can't test for God". Now we can't test for there being "any" God, that's for certain, but we can look at each God claim and then test to see if many of the stories about them are true.
The Christian God for example is not possible in it's literal form as it is impossible to be just and merciful, we know many things in the bible claimed about the character also false, the flood, the age of the earth, etc.
Dang Healthyaddict, I had to disagree with you on one thing around 30:00 ish when you say that unless someones faith is having them commit murder (flying planes into buildings, bombing clinics, etc) that it's not harmful. My disagreement comes from things like:
1. Banning Stim Cell research (largely Christian movement) that could save lives.
2. Encouraging people not to go to doctors and instead to pray for their health.
3. Teaching that evolution is a lie (lack of intellectual advancement)etc
What a bizarre choice by the theist to illustrate his god w/ the prodigal son story (32:00). I don't see where an abritrary deadline for the father's forgiveness & acceptance of the son's repentence is established anywhere in the story. Yet it is one of the core soteriological features of his god as described throughout the NT.
@healthyaddict from an evolutionary perspective, actions taken that can immediately benefit the gene pool (such as the infanticide mentioned by the audience member) have long term negative effects. Specifically it is that the nature of the individual that carries out the infanticide would necessarily have to incorporate many aspects (total lack of empathy for example) that would detriment a society in the long run and thereby being a detriment to the gene pool.
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?? I don't care, I want to live my life by different standards, even if he existed and preached all of that, how do we know that is moral?
@oneuniqueman777 Just for clarification, I didn't mean that literally. My point was it is not very common for religious people to respect atheists, let alone value the opinion of an atheist like that.
It would be so much better if even ten percent of the churches invited some atheist to talk like that.
@gugamilare I don't agree. I have seen non believers come to church and they weren't treated with any disrespect. They were not made to feel unwelcome in any way.
@oneuniqueman777 It makes me very surprising that atheists are not disrespected when they go to your church. That might even be the case with a lot of churches. However, when you are outside of the church, I guess things are a very, very different.
watch?v=XbjIYvXpvLM
watch?v=nZynOGhRDkM
watch?v=GT-roul2AwA
Not saying that is the case with you or your specific church.
I don't think atheist should be disrespected, where in the world did someone get the idea that if u disrespect a non-christian that they would find their way to christ? It doesn't make any sense. Jesus hung around the sinners, I don't think christians should be rude to atheists. I hate it.
@Carbarrawr To be fair God himself didn't say to be rude to them, he said to kill them. In fact one of his many laws was that if you have a non-believer or believer of another God in your family that you should kill them, or that if one was in another town that you should kill the ENTIRE town. Now take in the fact that God (around 30 times) says that he's never changing in the bible and you've run into a conundrum where you're forced to cherry pick to just go with the peace and love teachings.
@Carbarrawr To be fair God himself didn't say to be rude to them, he said to kill them. In fact one of his many laws was that if you have a non-believer or believer of another God in your family that you should kill them, or that if one was in another town that you should kill the ENTIRE town. Now take in the fact that God (around 30 times) says that he's never changing in the bible and you've run into a conundrum where you're forced to cherry pick to just go with the peace and love teachings.
@Carbarrawr To be fair God himself didn't say to be rude to them, he said to kill them. In fact one of his many laws was that if you have a non-believer or believer of another God in your family that you should kill them, or that if one was in another town that you should kill the ENTIRE town. Now take in the fact that God (around 30 times) says that he's never changing in the bible and you've run into a conundrum where you're forced to cherry pick to just go with the peace and love teachings.
Just a general observation. Johnathan never really clearly says he believes in evolution. I think he says Adam and Eve were "selected" by god to be the first humans... from a tribe of chimps maybe? He is not clear about this. Evolution is devastating to Xians, it unravels the whole "god's image" thing.
..... I did appreciate your live and let live "hippie" atheism, but I am not sure the audience is going to walk away with anything compelling to challenge their beliefs. Can you help me understand what your ultimate goal was? Perhaps because you are friends with Johnathan you are reluctant to "take it to him"?
Ashley - just watched your Talk_at_Fairhaven_Church, all 2 hours of it. I say this in good faith. If your goal was to humanize atheists to a relgiious audience you did a masterful job. If your goal was to defend atheism as a more correct interpretation of reality.... well then, you were overly gentle with that Johnathan guy, and he was a little demeaning to you, in the smug way that Xians can do without being fully aware of it. (continued)
@TaylorThaHick I agree. I would have liked to see more of a defence of atheism and some arguments againist the existence of god. She let them get away with way way to much with little resistance. It was also really disapointing not see a case made for the importance of morality in human society.
He's a very new age Christian with his "restoration" viewpoint. Haha, they're both "hippies." It's good to see a conservative christian who knows the value of our pale blue dot.
First of all, I think i'm in love with you. But you know... whatever. This the most reasonable and honest i've seen Christians being... ever. It's crazy. One year ago, i used to be just like this guy. Thank you for doing this. Maybe we won't destroy each other.
Oh dear - I think America's 2-year government cycle is the reason the WHOLE WORLD is in a mess.
Because it shows the short attention span, and short-termism of America.
This led to the worst form of capitalism there is - where gambling for short term gain far, FAR, outweighs long-term investment for the future.
Meanwhile, dictatorship China has been planning its rise for decades. They have been able to carry out their plan to fruition due to always expecting to be in power.
Ashley, as a fellow atheist I applaud what you're doing here. For Christians to have face time with a kind compassionate atheist woman is great -- but you could make make your presentation more effective -- e.g. yes god could exist despite evolution and the big bang but this is not the Christian god / problem of evil is incompatible with a good god / Adam and Eve could not have existed so what is the point of Jesus' death / religion causes all kinds of harm beyond just blowing up buildings, etc
When people talk about how amazing it is that we are here etc and how slim the chances are I simply laugh. A look at the chemical elements and how abundant they are shows this simply not to be true.
Riviting. Mostly because I was anticipating the moderator undergoing an extraterrestrial transformation. Kinda like the aliens in V. All kidding aside, this is a spectacular forum.
And before someone comes back with how they didn't think he sounded intelligent, at all, let me ask you this. When is the last time you heard a creationist on YouTube make a statement that started with, "I read recently, in the New York Times . . ."?
I've been watching Christians and Atheists over the last few months, as they sniped at each other, here on YouTube. As I watched this, I thought, "What an excellent start." I must say, it was a real pleasure to have an intelligent, educated, and sensible Christian in the spotlight, for a change. Even being basically agnostic, I can't help but cringe at some of the stuff some creationists spout, in front of the world.
Ashley- the reason for suffering which you didn't seem to come up with an answer for- I think here's one that you might be able to throw in: If we start to see ourselves as part of the world then it is clear that suffering is not personal. The deer that dies of malnutrition, penguins that are tortured by orcas till their death, on and on. Evolution is not personal. It's a human manifestation that the world owes it to us (a biological creature) to not ever have pain like every other bio. creature
In Arabic countries, it is very rude and insulting to put your leg on the other with the bottom of the foot facing other(s), exactly how that Christian was doing with you Ashley, I hope he didn't mean it.
@Xmuslim2010 In society here in Australia, it's not considered rude or insulting to my knowledge, and I *think* it's the same in the area of the US where they're talking. Honestly I'd be surprised if I were wrong on that, but it's certainly possible. At any rate, I'm pretty sure he didn't mean any insult by it, which is good.
@healthyaddict I'm looking for information on how I can also do outreach as an atheist. I feel comfortable explaining most of the questions and arguments commonly posed by theists. I want to dispel some of the common misconceptions about atheism. Do you know any resources that I can use to become active in my own community?
I know the book is written for laymen, sorry to underestimated you there, but on average you don't see many physisist on youtube, so this is the only book that can explain someone that is not well read into the matter why it is not a usefull question to ask because it goes beyond any understanding what the construction of time is like "before" the beginning of time. and I will have to admit I have not read the every writer you have mentioned there but I see how much of it I can follow thanks.
@enigmusII - Understanding is gained by asking what other people deem to be non-useful questions ... As far as usefulness, one need not look past our own galaxy ...
It's not a thing of no events before the singularity.. there simply was no "Time" itself.. so if there is no time there are no events. since there is no such thing as before it. Like I said before it's like asking what is there south of the south pole. try and read up on Hawking's Brief history of time.
@enigmusII - Why do assume there was no time prior to the singularity expanding ??? I read Hawking ... While compotent, he's hardly the cutting edge ... The book you mentioned was meant for layman not physicists ... You make the mistake of assuming this universe is only "thing" that exists ... Your only basis for this is that you can't see out of it & have no knowledge outside of it ... Try reading up on Hawking's latest ... Then try L. Susskind,R. Penrose, Neil Turok, & Paul J. Steinhardt .
one little remark at the big bang part, asking about what happened "before" the big bang is like asking what is south of the south pole, space time didn't exist before it, you cannot point out a point on a line before the line starts.
@enigmusII - Why would you think there were no events prior to the singularity expanding ??? The only impediment to discovery & detection is current knowledge, thinking & technology ...
@enigmusII - The singularity wasn't an arbitray point . Anything marking the south pole is indeed arbitrary . Pondering what events came prior to the expansion isn't that difficult to get your head around . You're biased in thinking ours is the only universe . Just as there was a bias in thinking ours was the only galaxy .Once science discovered we weren't looking at other stars (fairly recent) our universe got a Hell of a lot bigger . Discovery comes from thinking maybe not from "no way, no how
one little remark at the big bang part, asking about what happened "before" the big bang is like asking what is south of the south pole, space time didn't exist before it
Also atheist don't have a weak response to the morality question. It's just not as obvious to some people because their own morality is different.
"Why should an Atheist be moral, without a god to make him to do so? Morality is a built-in condition of humanity; the moral tendency [empathy] exists in just about everyone, barring psychopaths" (Martin Willett).
Thank you for sharing. I actually agree with some of the things Jonathan said. We will never prove that "God" exists. Other things he said, not so much. Life is not suffering.
I think the problem of evil has a trivial response, freedom. It's the only rational response I know of for the existence of a moral god. However the problem of evil is not the biggest obstacle to religion. The biggest obstacle to religion, besides itself, is also freedom. "Freedom is my religion" (Robert Ingersoll).
The Christian apologist who states that the "problem of evil" is somehow less potent because it is tied to emotional content is rather interesting because many people are in a particular religion because of emotional ties to their family, friends, and spouse. The emotional death of loved ones makes many people join a faith community. Apologists may have what they call answers to the problem of evil but are they good answers or just theological tricks to get their God off trial.
Well, I watched the entire thing and I haven't met a single atheist on YouTube as nice as the atheists on this video. It was nice to see the mutual respect that you CANNOT see from the "thumbs up" comments above, or from any atheist on YouTube.
The pretense of politeness that I've seen on a couple of occasions that served simply as a facade to hide mockery and scorn is even worse than the open hostility that has come from the 99% of atheists.
Extend that puzzle analogy a bit and we can see that jamming in pieces and saying they fit even though they don't is not as honest as leaving holes open and acknowledging that we do not know everything, and do not have everything sorted out. The step from there to atheism is miniscule.
I love how when the subject of evil comes up, the Christian appeals to emotion. Of course he does, because according to the Bible it is completely illogical and to approach the subject from a logical perspective would make his head explode. Sadly another missed opportunity to point out the flaws in theism.
Going into a discussion like this unprepared does more harm than good, IMHO.
It's funny how the Christian argues that his god is outside the realm of science. That's true, because science only deals with reality. Not really helpful to his position and it would've been beautiful to point that out.
The video was annoying to watch as john (?) was practically preaching, and seems to be open minded yet still believes these things. maybe his brain fell out when he opened his mind too much.
His 4-year-old was mad at God? That's almost like the kid in Jesus Camp who wanted more in his life when he was five; they're just too young to realize that shit happens and you don't have to feel how people tell you you feel respectively.
As much as i like ashley,she should have really gone for it with some of her answers,like she said she's like a laid back hippy atheist,that wont get you nowhere when you really want to open minds in the crowd that might have just gone there for exactly that reason.SORRY but disappointed. = (
Jonathan seemed nice, intellegent and open minded. The audience questions were absolutely ridiculous. "Ashley...please explain big bang cosmology, abiogenesis, evolution and the sourse of human morality".
I've noticed how religious people seem to think that, in an atheistic/naturalistic world view, the principles of evolution and natural selection should directly translate into morality. Why not gravity instead? Why not say that anything that moves downward is morally correct?
Why can't we just recognize that everyone is human and that as humans we share common goals like avoiding pain, living long lives, wanting an infrastructure that lets us get food and shelter, etc?
"Why can't we just recognize that everyone is human and that as humans we share common goals like avoiding pain, living long lives, wanting an infrastructure that lets us get food and shelter, etc?"
Whoa what country are you living in, I wanna come there???? You forgot the desire for power, hunger for money, addiction to sex, Love for drama, partying and drinking....you know the fun stuff..
@coolst0rybro - Well that's how we determine to have laws like "don't kill each other" for example. The things that you mention are why we have police and checks and balances in positions of power.
@swisscheesepotatochi "this is insane, i mean, going straight into enemy territory...'
Yes we are the enemy!!!! How could she? I'm surprised she didn't kick that guys ass next to her when his guard was down.....LOL please
LOL@calling us your enemies, you really make a good case for your cult... Good way to be more part of the problem rather than be a part of the solution.
IMO if more atheists "went into enemy terrority" there wouldn't be as much hate and drama between both sides...
Ashley, this is great! I think that the audience stood a very good chance of getting a great deal from both of you. In particular the areas where the two of you were agreeing, for example on the big bang.
BTW it was the Belgian Catholic priest Monsignor Georges Lemaître who is credited with being the 1st person to propose the Big Bang theory (1927).
Here is my stab at translating the "adding information to the gnome" for those of us who are not biologists.
Natural Selection can turn a section of junk DNA (DNA which does not code for proteins) or redundant DNA into a section which does code for a protein provided that protein increases the chances of the organism surviving and reproducing.
healthyaddict, how do you do this without busting up in laughter. I would loose my shit laughing with some of the questions I've heard. Good on you though, keep up the good work, peace.
In a better debate,Ashley would argue All the relevant points and show collaborative,supporting evidence.Mr Weyer would also be held to the same standard of evidence...instead of simply giving his opinion,and self interpretation of christian dogmatic doctrine. This type of "Twilight Zone" debate holds Ashley to a higher standard of evidence and is inherently bias.
it is very embarrassing having a self proclaimed atheist, in front of a congregation of christians representing the atheist community, but lacking the knowledge to answer basic science and historical questions. it seems more like a bunch of buddies pretending to have a real dabate or whatever this is supposed to mean.
I like to use the word Naturalist and Humanist!!! I study natural sciences and I believe that the natural world is all there is. I also dont believe it's right to reject science or to let religious athority to take procedince over science. thats what my dad dose, he is a mechanical engineer and knows physics and thermodinamics but he rejects evolution because he lets his religious faith take over his scientific reasoning!
@shaedies I am well aware of what been an atheist consist of, being one myself, but that does not qualifies me to stand on a public debate or any sort of discussion for that matter without knowing first how to answer basic questions that by not having the proper answers can harm people perception towards the atheist community. "if i cannot debate i rather leave it to hitches or other well educated non-santa believer who can back up their statements pretty well. thank you.
This is the most respectful atheist vs christianity debate / discussion I've ever seen. Usually the atheist is condescending and a little insulting and the theist doesn't listen to a word the atheist is saying. Great stuff =)
Perhaps the biggest reason Christians don't question their beliefs is because they see belief in the universe poofing into existence being just as faith-based as what they do, so they assume that faith with moral codes (ie, bible-based) must be superior.
Not being able to address that is a weakness in this presentation, but you can't expect Ashley to have knowledge in every field. That said, any atheist should research this issue enought to be able to debunk the theistic biases in the question.
@themsfightinwoids That's the "Achilles Heel" for Atheist.All she had to do was expand on the idea that all morality in instinct-modified/instinct based. If you think about it,not only is "hurting" your own species the opposite of the main biological goal of our species,but try thinking of one intellectual thought that cannot be traced back to a basic instinctual drive.This also implies that humans are objectively good by nature,and that "Faith" and (social)moral relativism are unfounded lies.
I love how it's assumed we've read Dawkins books, I've never read any of his books. Also I'm a biologist and yes I do see what he means about being more hard core Atheist, however I'm also a Taoist which feeds more even into my Atheism. Also like why is it even ok for something that people claim is all good to let bad things happen? To me that makes no sense at all. Also with the last question it seems like it's all based on fear. Also I'm more critical of myself then any deity will ever be. :P
I can't help but notice that Ashley seemed more concerned about criticizing other atheists in attempt to make the audience like her more? Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I got out of it.
Also, my head would have exploded when that guy in the Q&A mentioned DNA and information in the same sentence. Overall this video was slightly painful to watch. Only because there were so many missed opportunities to pounce...but I guess that was the point. Oh well. :)
@Michigan1985 That's how I felt watching this as well. I felt she was more concerned with throwing other atheists under the bus in hopes of gaining favor with the audience. Once again, this is just how I felt watching it. I felt somewhat insulted...and bored in all honesty. Yeah, "missed opportunities" seems to be a common critique in these comments.
@Michigan1985 I had a "head exploding" moment when Ashley said that religion didnt harm society in general. WTF? Whenever a theist says that they are a peaceful,christ-like individual that harms no one,they need to be reminded of the historical damage Organized Superstition(that they support)has done to human rights and world peace in general.I call this ignoring of self-responsibility phenomena "Hiding behind Christ",and everyone that supports Organized Superstition should see the connection.
@Michigan1985 I think you're just so shocked to see an atheist actually talk to Christians without insulting them, that you didn't know how to respond. Atheists on YouTube seem to think insulting Christians is their main "job" and greatest pleasure on YouTube. Treat Christians with the respect with which you want to receive? Absurd! You don't believe in the Golden Rule.
@911dispatcher Religion is an insult to humanity. So there's the problem with the discussion. And while some atheists may insult you, I suspect most of them are more laughing at illogical and misguided beliefs.
How would you deal with someone who insisted that 0+0 = 1? You'd probably try to educate them, but after awhile of banging your head against a wall, you'd get a bit exasperated.
@AirplaneRider The tens of thousands of supernatural testimonies that are available for you to examine mean your empty words will not give you an "out of ignorance" with God at YOUR Judgment because you've been told plainly and clearly and YOU HAVE THE INTERNET and can investigate.
Play the fool all you want. My hands are clean of your blood.
@911dispatcher I never said anything about insulting Christians. She missed opportunities to correct a few statements though. I'm still friends with people at my church and still go every Christmas. Yes, some atheists do insult christians on youtube just as some theists insult atheists. In some cases both sides deserve to be "insulted". I don't believe in the golden rule? Who is insulting who now?
@Michigan1985 You need to remember my experience on YouTube. I've said that I haven't met ONE honest atheist or for that matter one that isn't rude and hateful. Out of hundreds of examples, it's hard to pretend that 100% consistency is going to be broken by someone blaming the atheist for "criticizing other atheists" when I watched the video and that's not the picture I got from her words.
IF you're honest, then you know I'm telling the truth. Just read to comments to me and about me here.
@911dispatcher I'll be honest, anyone who says they haven't met one honest or kind atheist that isn't rude or hateful is either in denial or spending too much time trolling youtube video comment sections.
@Michigan1985 Why should I allow you to dictate what I do with my time?
May I suggest that you search my user name and go read and see what you find. If I erred, point it out to me. Like you, I make mistakes. One thing I don't do is start sentences with "I'll be honest." It seems silly since I'm going to be honest anyway.
@911dispatcher I don't care what you do with your time, I was just making an observation. "I'll be honest" was my way of saying I'll be blunt. So don't try and hint that I'd be a liar on any other occasion. I've been nothing but polite yet you still do these subtle attacks on my character. You're only proving the stereotype that Christians are hypocrites.
@Michigan1985 I've had disagreements with guys for hours at a time and we continually disagreed yet the conversation was always pleasant. The difference between that and YouTube? That man treated me the way he wanted to be treated. He listened (something you can see your compadres on here DO NOT DO) and actually gave consideration to what I said, as I did him and do here (whenever the request isn't ludicrous) because I do believe in the Golden Rule, until fools show my consideration is wasted.
@thesumerkidz Do a title search in YouTube for "AC360 - Anderson Cooper Entertains Bonobo Apes In Bunny Suit " The title is ridiculous and the expose not so good either but it's a good starting point to learn some names associated with this particular study and you can just follow the knowledge trail from there =)
did they let you keep that giant nametag? if so.. make a video of you walking around a populated public park or something.. recording people's reactions.. i'm drunk..
It's not about submitting to the authority of God, there is no God to submit to. It's about not submitting to the authority of dangerous and delusional idiots who think they speak for God.
On killing gays, has this guy not read his Bible? In Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."
On the question "where does the information in DNA come from" I'll tell you what not to tell them first: Don't tell them to google that question as is. What you get is intelligent design and creationist sites - Dembski and Behe made that a question.
Tell them to google "Evolutionary algorithms." Computer code can evolve according to the same principles as DNA.
I always challenge a christian when they ask me about "militant atheism". I ask them to describe "militant atheism". I then describe the militant christian or muslim. We compare. Has a "militant atheist" bombed a church, killed a pastor, etc? Yet we see what a militant believer will do. So often, these christians call a militant atheist anything that will unapologetically challenge theism openly. They dislike difficult questions.
Yeah at 3:13 when he starts talking about parts that don't fit has got me worried. And then when he starts talking about helping you put it together, sounds like brain washing to me
1:31:39 event horizon... doesn't that refer to the area around a black hole where spacetime curvature reaches the critical value that photons can't escape (are infinitely redshifted)?
Atheism does not, by default, mean that we must be "militant"; meaning that we regularly make an effort to combat theistic beliefs. I am a rather "militant" atheist, but that's simply because I enjoy rich debate about significant and relevant matters, and also because I enjoy the pursuit of truth through rationality. For others, their atheism is no different than their sexuality or their musical preference.
Don't worry about not being "aggressive enough". You have no obligation to fight.
SeedsOfHatred 4 days ago
1:22:30 no true scottsman fallacy
hangtime9873 2 weeks ago
As a non-theist, I want to say that Jonathan Weyer impressed the hell out of me. He was respectful, he addressed (without being asked) several complaints I have in regard to the way Christians often approach debating and preaching in general, and he was very relatable.
Also, the video has 6,668 views right now. This amuses me. :-)
regalarius 2 weeks ago in playlist Uploaded videos
Sorry, couldn't last this out.
lease2coach1 1 month ago
did i hear her say ' O God" LOL!
Caliente29zn 1 month ago
Zzzzz...
choochtrain 1 month ago
From 10:16 to roughly 10:50 that's the absolute truth...
ultimus1998 1 month ago
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xtimrs 1 month ago
"I'm not going to use a mic; I'm just going to talk really loud." Fail.
NateKirch 2 months ago 2
@NateKirch I know, even if everyone were able to hear you when quite. They need to be quite to hear him. Oh did you notice that as soon as he started talking people started talking. It's college lectures all over again. With the mics people tend to pay attention. Hell I tuned out and started typing this.
irishgandalf757 1 month ago
WHAT THE FUCK? Who says origins shouldn't be taught in science classrooms? I think the moderator is dodging what really is the correct question which would be "Why shouldn't religion be taught in classrooms" with the simplified answer being "it isn't science". I've never heard someone say that origins shouldn't be taught in classrooms, if they did it's because of religious reasons and eliminates the scientific explanations of how things could have began. This starts at about 36:08.
hendrix5045 4 months ago
I loved this video. After watching so many "debates" on youtube it was nice to see human beings with different ideas speak and exchange ideas in a civilized and respectful setting. Also nice to see that two people (atheist and christian) can actually be friends and co-workers since most atheist/ religious people on Youtube sort of give the impression that every single person in their personal life believes like them, and if they encounter one that doesn't they just lose it and turn into a beast.
HPGWellscraft 4 months ago 2
After an hour of this, I am satisfied that as an atheist this is the most civilized talk I've ever seen. I think its more exciting when parties are more antagonistic. But, I'm easy going. It's a bit of fresh air in this kind of discussion.
granddad2002 4 months ago
"All humans are made in the image of god". Incorrect. All gods are made in the image of man. This is why Krishna looks Indian, Jesus is a white man with brown hair and green eyes, Zeuss wore a toga, Thor was a viking, and all of the so called "omni" gods have petty human characteristics like jealousy, anger, selfishness, and sadness.
jordaniac89 4 months ago
Why would a Christian church allow an atheist to speak on their church platform? I can't imagine the Apostle Paul inviting the Greeks from Mars Hill to come speak to their New Testament congregations. It just brings confusion. We should learn the world views of others but church is a place of worship and edification. Maybe a different platform would make more sense (a more neutral platform.)
AmericanWayne 5 months ago
@AmericanWayne It doesn't bring confusion, it dispels confusion by allowing the members of the church to hear an idea that they would never hear otherwise. How many members of that church do you think would research atheism on their own? It's a way of allowing people to understand different points of view and it works.
Ceenymeeny 5 months ago
@AmericanWayne "Why would a Christian church allow an atheist to speak on their church platform?" ........."It just brings confusion"
Why not ? Confusion is more easily dispelled by hearing every side, and why not better from "the horses mouth"? Church has been a place of propaganda, rather than truthseeking, since Christianity began, why not open it to open-minded discussion?
I take it you also think that religious ideas such as "Teach the contaversy" and I.D. should stay out of schools?
Tobytrim 5 months ago 3
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@Tobytrim "I take it you also think that religious ideas such as "Teach the contaversy" and I.D. should stay out of schools?" Does the tenor of your question mean you think religion should be taught in science class?
davidsfriend01 1 month ago
Overall a good discussion. But I found Jonathan to be a bit chilling, not because of his personality, but because of his dogma. I find it hideous that people follow dogma that tells them that they're inherently evil and not good. What a terrible and harmful idea that is. If god is so great, why couldn't he have told all of his creations that they're beautiful and good beings capable of accomplishing great things? Why did he have to stoop to calling them terrible and damning them? Horrible.
Ceenymeeny 5 months ago
@1:26:11 "The moral order of the universe speaks to His moral character."
What the fuck does that even mean? There is no "moral order" to the universe.
Weyer is so vacuous it's driving me insane. He was okay at first, and he got progressively worse, delving into inane, meaningless crap. *headdesk*
Klazzt 5 months ago
@43:00 Faith is an educated leap? Really? He has faith that Yahweh started the Big Bang. By what educated knowledge does he make that leap? None. He makes that leap by his own ignorance. Faith is a surrender to ignorance to feel more comfortable by pretending you have the answers when you don't. He's fooling himself (or lying to his audience) when he says that faith is educated.
Klazzt 5 months ago
... Is that minister a Creationist? I wasn't really minding his commentary, but I had to double take when he said that humans were made in god's imagine and that the purpose of humanity is to become stewards of God's creation.
It always scares me when people say things like that. So creepy, self-centered, and narcissistic... *shivers*
Klazzt 5 months ago
Just like a parent must punish their children to teach them right from wrong, God will allow things in our lives, to teach us how to rely on Him, and what is right and wrong for us to do and how we are expected to live our lives based on Biblical principals.
And, God allows sin/evil because rather than having to destroy everything and start over again, He chose to make a plan for redemption; and He did that because He loves us.
985Riverfox 5 months ago
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Just like a parent must punish their children to teach them right from wrong, God will allow things in our lives, to teach us how to rely on Him, and what is right and wrong for us to do and how we are expected to live our lives based on Biblical principals.
And, God allows sin because rather than having to destroy everything and start over again, He chose to make a plan for redemption; and He did that because He loves us.
985Riverfox 5 months ago
Just like a parent must punish their children to teach them right from wrong, God will allow things in our lives, to teach us how to rely on Him, and what is right and wrong for us to do and how we are expected to live our lives based on Biblical principals.
And, God allows sin because rather than having to destroy everything and start over again, He chose to make a plan for redemption; and He did that because He loves us.
985Riverfox 5 months ago
@985Riverfox an amazing fairytale.a loving, but invisible and absentee father figure. How he/she/it teaches depends on how religious folk interpret otherwise natural occurrences.. and the biblical principals (like main characters or perhaps principals from a bible church? )or perhaps you meant bible principles as in killing child who curses you.. and the sin (still open to interpretation I assume) depends on interpretation.. cursing your parents aside there must be more, right? Religion is fun.
daNDayati 5 months ago
Johnathen is a bit dishonest here when he says "we can't test for God". Now we can't test for there being "any" God, that's for certain, but we can look at each God claim and then test to see if many of the stories about them are true.
The Christian God for example is not possible in it's literal form as it is impossible to be just and merciful, we know many things in the bible claimed about the character also false, the flood, the age of the earth, etc.
DarkBunnyLord 5 months ago
Dang Healthyaddict, I had to disagree with you on one thing around 30:00 ish when you say that unless someones faith is having them commit murder (flying planes into buildings, bombing clinics, etc) that it's not harmful. My disagreement comes from things like:
1. Banning Stim Cell research (largely Christian movement) that could save lives.
2. Encouraging people not to go to doctors and instead to pray for their health.
3. Teaching that evolution is a lie (lack of intellectual advancement)etc
DarkBunnyLord 5 months ago
Someone went to AWANAS too :D
TheElectricDreamer93 5 months ago
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bigfatbaataed 6 months ago
What a bizarre choice by the theist to illustrate his god w/ the prodigal son story (32:00). I don't see where an abritrary deadline for the father's forgiveness & acceptance of the son's repentence is established anywhere in the story. Yet it is one of the core soteriological features of his god as described throughout the NT.
myerssa7 6 months ago
@healthyaddict from an evolutionary perspective, actions taken that can immediately benefit the gene pool (such as the infanticide mentioned by the audience member) have long term negative effects. Specifically it is that the nature of the individual that carries out the infanticide would necessarily have to incorporate many aspects (total lack of empathy for example) that would detriment a society in the long run and thereby being a detriment to the gene pool.
mathkills 7 months ago
I'm definitely a "hippy" atheist, i can't stand "militant" atheism.
KingTutle 7 months ago
WHAT WOULD JESUS DO?? I don't care, I want to live my life by different standards, even if he existed and preached all of that, how do we know that is moral?
itsquazart 7 months ago
These two should do it. And by "do it" I mean take turns playing those drums behind them.
Phi1618033 7 months ago
I won't even step on holy ground.
LLOYD19851012 9 months ago 2
Ashley, you are amazing.
gugamilare 10 months ago
An atheist speaking in a church without receiving even a 'boo'? WTF?
gugamilare 10 months ago 33
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666Nanoko 6 months ago
@gugamilare Why would you expect anyone to boo her?
oneuniqueman777 6 months ago
@oneuniqueman777 Just for clarification, I didn't mean that literally. My point was it is not very common for religious people to respect atheists, let alone value the opinion of an atheist like that.
It would be so much better if even ten percent of the churches invited some atheist to talk like that.
gugamilare 6 months ago
@gugamilare I don't agree. I have seen non believers come to church and they weren't treated with any disrespect. They were not made to feel unwelcome in any way.
oneuniqueman777 6 months ago
@oneuniqueman777 It makes me very surprising that atheists are not disrespected when they go to your church. That might even be the case with a lot of churches. However, when you are outside of the church, I guess things are a very, very different.
watch?v=XbjIYvXpvLM
watch?v=nZynOGhRDkM
watch?v=GT-roul2AwA
Not saying that is the case with you or your specific church.
gugamilare 6 months ago
@gugamilare
I don't think atheist should be disrespected, where in the world did someone get the idea that if u disrespect a non-christian that they would find their way to christ? It doesn't make any sense. Jesus hung around the sinners, I don't think christians should be rude to atheists. I hate it.
Carbarrawr 5 months ago
@Carbarrawr Actually, I think Christians disrespect atheist because they are afraid of them. They mystify atheists as being cruel and merciless.
My experience says all kinds of discrimination come from fear, not evil.
gugamilare 5 months ago
@Carbarrawr To be fair God himself didn't say to be rude to them, he said to kill them. In fact one of his many laws was that if you have a non-believer or believer of another God in your family that you should kill them, or that if one was in another town that you should kill the ENTIRE town. Now take in the fact that God (around 30 times) says that he's never changing in the bible and you've run into a conundrum where you're forced to cherry pick to just go with the peace and love teachings.
DarkBunnyLord 5 months ago
@Carbarrawr To be fair God himself didn't say to be rude to them, he said to kill them. In fact one of his many laws was that if you have a non-believer or believer of another God in your family that you should kill them, or that if one was in another town that you should kill the ENTIRE town. Now take in the fact that God (around 30 times) says that he's never changing in the bible and you've run into a conundrum where you're forced to cherry pick to just go with the peace and love teachings.
DarkBunnyLord 5 months ago
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@Carbarrawr To be fair God himself didn't say to be rude to them, he said to kill them. In fact one of his many laws was that if you have a non-believer or believer of another God in your family that you should kill them, or that if one was in another town that you should kill the ENTIRE town. Now take in the fact that God (around 30 times) says that he's never changing in the bible and you've run into a conundrum where you're forced to cherry pick to just go with the peace and love teachings.
DarkBunnyLord 5 months ago
Just a general observation. Johnathan never really clearly says he believes in evolution. I think he says Adam and Eve were "selected" by god to be the first humans... from a tribe of chimps maybe? He is not clear about this. Evolution is devastating to Xians, it unravels the whole "god's image" thing.
TaylorThaHick 1 year ago
..... I did appreciate your live and let live "hippie" atheism, but I am not sure the audience is going to walk away with anything compelling to challenge their beliefs. Can you help me understand what your ultimate goal was? Perhaps because you are friends with Johnathan you are reluctant to "take it to him"?
TaylorThaHick 1 year ago
Ashley - just watched your Talk_at_Fairhaven_Church, all 2 hours of it. I say this in good faith. If your goal was to humanize atheists to a relgiious audience you did a masterful job. If your goal was to defend atheism as a more correct interpretation of reality.... well then, you were overly gentle with that Johnathan guy, and he was a little demeaning to you, in the smug way that Xians can do without being fully aware of it. (continued)
TaylorThaHick 1 year ago
@TaylorThaHick I agree. I would have liked to see more of a defence of atheism and some arguments againist the existence of god. She let them get away with way way to much with little resistance. It was also really disapointing not see a case made for the importance of morality in human society.
jrockd36 10 months ago
He's a very new age Christian with his "restoration" viewpoint. Haha, they're both "hippies." It's good to see a conservative christian who knows the value of our pale blue dot.
Zephanus 1 year ago
First of all, I think i'm in love with you. But you know... whatever. This the most reasonable and honest i've seen Christians being... ever. It's crazy. One year ago, i used to be just like this guy. Thank you for doing this. Maybe we won't destroy each other.
MicahtheGreat777 1 year ago
Lucky this only lasted 2 hours - 4 hours and the host would be naked.
He starts with a full suit.
Then just trousers, shirt and tie.
Then the tie comes off ...
.. do the mathematics.
jazzx251 1 year ago 27
@jazzx251 haha, that would make for a awesome debate.
MrJaysChannel 7 months ago
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666Nanoko 6 months ago
@jazzx251 Ashley makes his clothes fall off.
666Nanoko 6 months ago
1:29:00
Prayer -
If someone says "I'm praying for you for your audition"
I won't be offended - it's the same as "I wish you luck" in my mind - and means about as much.
jazzx251 1 year ago
1:00:00
Oh dear - I think America's 2-year government cycle is the reason the WHOLE WORLD is in a mess.
Because it shows the short attention span, and short-termism of America.
This led to the worst form of capitalism there is - where gambling for short term gain far, FAR, outweighs long-term investment for the future.
Meanwhile, dictatorship China has been planning its rise for decades. They have been able to carry out their plan to fruition due to always expecting to be in power.
jazzx251 1 year ago
Ashley, as a fellow atheist I applaud what you're doing here. For Christians to have face time with a kind compassionate atheist woman is great -- but you could make make your presentation more effective -- e.g. yes god could exist despite evolution and the big bang but this is not the Christian god / problem of evil is incompatible with a good god / Adam and Eve could not have existed so what is the point of Jesus' death / religion causes all kinds of harm beyond just blowing up buildings, etc
TheDonuts1234 1 year ago
When people talk about how amazing it is that we are here etc and how slim the chances are I simply laugh. A look at the chemical elements and how abundant they are shows this simply not to be true.
en().wikipedia(.)org/wiki/Abundance_of_the_chemical_elements#Abundance_of_elements_in_the_Universe
LoveAntifa 1 year ago
Riviting. Mostly because I was anticipating the moderator undergoing an extraterrestrial transformation. Kinda like the aliens in V. All kidding aside, this is a spectacular forum.
CapnLoogie 1 year ago
And before someone comes back with how they didn't think he sounded intelligent, at all, let me ask you this. When is the last time you heard a creationist on YouTube make a statement that started with, "I read recently, in the New York Times . . ."?
masonicforge 1 year ago
Jonathon and Ashley,
I've been watching Christians and Atheists over the last few months, as they sniped at each other, here on YouTube. As I watched this, I thought, "What an excellent start." I must say, it was a real pleasure to have an intelligent, educated, and sensible Christian in the spotlight, for a change. Even being basically agnostic, I can't help but cringe at some of the stuff some creationists spout, in front of the world.
Thank you, both.
masonicforge 1 year ago
WoW! I never went to a church that had a slide like that.
connerjd 1 year ago
So....the pastor didn't know shit. I thought the pastor would have more answers.
gefroren20 1 year ago
Ashley- the reason for suffering which you didn't seem to come up with an answer for- I think here's one that you might be able to throw in: If we start to see ourselves as part of the world then it is clear that suffering is not personal. The deer that dies of malnutrition, penguins that are tortured by orcas till their death, on and on. Evolution is not personal. It's a human manifestation that the world owes it to us (a biological creature) to not ever have pain like every other bio. creature
jrwagner7 1 year ago 2
In Arabic countries, it is very rude and insulting to put your leg on the other with the bottom of the foot facing other(s), exactly how that Christian was doing with you Ashley, I hope he didn't mean it.
Xmuslim2010 1 year ago
@Xmuslim2010 In society here in Australia, it's not considered rude or insulting to my knowledge, and I *think* it's the same in the area of the US where they're talking. Honestly I'd be surprised if I were wrong on that, but it's certainly possible. At any rate, I'm pretty sure he didn't mean any insult by it, which is good.
archapmangcmg 1 year ago
@healthyaddict I'm looking for information on how I can also do outreach as an atheist. I feel comfortable explaining most of the questions and arguments commonly posed by theists. I want to dispel some of the common misconceptions about atheism. Do you know any resources that I can use to become active in my own community?
dougdagger 1 year ago
@healthyaddict
dougdagger 1 year ago
wow this was hella long. nice how everyone behaved.
taiming71 1 year ago
@taiming71
That's because an atheist was there - who had already threatened to stab a member of the audience.
jazzx251 1 year ago
I know the book is written for laymen, sorry to underestimated you there, but on average you don't see many physisist on youtube, so this is the only book that can explain someone that is not well read into the matter why it is not a usefull question to ask because it goes beyond any understanding what the construction of time is like "before" the beginning of time. and I will have to admit I have not read the every writer you have mentioned there but I see how much of it I can follow thanks.
enigmusII 1 year ago
@enigmusII - Understanding is gained by asking what other people deem to be non-useful questions ... As far as usefulness, one need not look past our own galaxy ...
MaitreyaRocket 1 year ago
Science can indeed be 100% objective ... Science is falsifiable & involves peer review ...
MaitreyaRocket 1 year ago
It's not a thing of no events before the singularity.. there simply was no "Time" itself.. so if there is no time there are no events. since there is no such thing as before it. Like I said before it's like asking what is there south of the south pole. try and read up on Hawking's Brief history of time.
enigmusII 1 year ago
@enigmusII - Why do assume there was no time prior to the singularity expanding ??? I read Hawking ... While compotent, he's hardly the cutting edge ... The book you mentioned was meant for layman not physicists ... You make the mistake of assuming this universe is only "thing" that exists ... Your only basis for this is that you can't see out of it & have no knowledge outside of it ... Try reading up on Hawking's latest ... Then try L. Susskind,R. Penrose, Neil Turok, & Paul J. Steinhardt .
MaitreyaRocket 1 year ago
one little remark at the big bang part, asking about what happened "before" the big bang is like asking what is south of the south pole, space time didn't exist before it, you cannot point out a point on a line before the line starts.
enigmusII 1 year ago
@enigmusII - Why would you think there were no events prior to the singularity expanding ??? The only impediment to discovery & detection is current knowledge, thinking & technology ...
MaitreyaRocket 1 year ago
@enigmusII - The singularity wasn't an arbitray point . Anything marking the south pole is indeed arbitrary . Pondering what events came prior to the expansion isn't that difficult to get your head around . You're biased in thinking ours is the only universe . Just as there was a bias in thinking ours was the only galaxy .Once science discovered we weren't looking at other stars (fairly recent) our universe got a Hell of a lot bigger . Discovery comes from thinking maybe not from "no way, no how
MaitreyaRocket 1 year ago
one little remark at the big bang part, asking about what happened "before" the big bang is like asking what is south of the south pole, space time didn't exist before it
enigmusII 1 year ago
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gaudery
13 hours ago
Also atheist don't have a weak response to the morality question. It's just not as obvious to some people because their own morality is different.
"Why should an Atheist be moral, without a god to make him to do so? Morality is a built-in condition of humanity; the moral tendency [empathy] exists in just about everyone, barring psychopaths" (Martin Willett).
gaudery 1 year ago
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gaudery 1 year ago
Thank you for sharing. I actually agree with some of the things Jonathan said. We will never prove that "God" exists. Other things he said, not so much. Life is not suffering.
I think the problem of evil has a trivial response, freedom. It's the only rational response I know of for the existence of a moral god. However the problem of evil is not the biggest obstacle to religion. The biggest obstacle to religion, besides itself, is also freedom. "Freedom is my religion" (Robert Ingersoll).
gaudery 1 year ago
unplug your vibrator @ 00:49
humanity6fl9 1 year ago
good video but how do you manage to listen to all that nonsense without falling asleep?
ooglebydoogleby 1 year ago
I want more anger , more of a fight...action.
But this was lame.
But this woman is very cool,as she opens up for debate on "enemy" ground.
One of the future goals for everybody , must be to get people on this earth to worship realism and say goodbye to fiction (religion)
This will happen I´m sure, as we the humans never stop developing to the better -----where reason is what to strive for.
.
ShareTheSphere 1 year ago
This woman is a fumbling moron.
clarkanorak 1 year ago
The Christian apologist who states that the "problem of evil" is somehow less potent because it is tied to emotional content is rather interesting because many people are in a particular religion because of emotional ties to their family, friends, and spouse. The emotional death of loved ones makes many people join a faith community. Apologists may have what they call answers to the problem of evil but are they good answers or just theological tricks to get their God off trial.
pangeaprogress 1 year ago
It really is pointless trying to reason with theists, because if they had any reason in the first place they wouldn't be theists.
AirplaneRider 1 year ago
Well, I watched the entire thing and I haven't met a single atheist on YouTube as nice as the atheists on this video. It was nice to see the mutual respect that you CANNOT see from the "thumbs up" comments above, or from any atheist on YouTube.
The pretense of politeness that I've seen on a couple of occasions that served simply as a facade to hide mockery and scorn is even worse than the open hostility that has come from the 99% of atheists.
911dispatcher 1 year ago
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Ashley ticked off all the YouTube atheists because she isn't as hateful as they are and they're not happy that she wasn't belligerent.
Go watch this video, guys. It should make you feel a lot better, but you'll need to watch it almost to the very end to get the maximum enjoyment,
watch?v=eEuMZOZV4fM
911dispatcher 1 year ago
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911dispatcher 1 year ago
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911dispatcher 1 year ago
Extend that puzzle analogy a bit and we can see that jamming in pieces and saying they fit even though they don't is not as honest as leaving holes open and acknowledging that we do not know everything, and do not have everything sorted out. The step from there to atheism is miniscule.
tanekki 1 year ago
I love how when the subject of evil comes up, the Christian appeals to emotion. Of course he does, because according to the Bible it is completely illogical and to approach the subject from a logical perspective would make his head explode. Sadly another missed opportunity to point out the flaws in theism.
Going into a discussion like this unprepared does more harm than good, IMHO.
AirplaneRider 1 year ago
It's funny how the Christian argues that his god is outside the realm of science. That's true, because science only deals with reality. Not really helpful to his position and it would've been beautiful to point that out.
AirplaneRider 1 year ago
at 1:09:14 my computer froze and it kinda looks like those two guys are making out. Is it a sign from god? LMAO >:P
Leadman1989 1 year ago
The video was annoying to watch as john (?) was practically preaching, and seems to be open minded yet still believes these things. maybe his brain fell out when he opened his mind too much.
daemonowner 1 year ago
His 4-year-old was mad at God? That's almost like the kid in Jesus Camp who wanted more in his life when he was five; they're just too young to realize that shit happens and you don't have to feel how people tell you you feel respectively.
Venaloid 1 year ago
instant "like" for saying "i would still be a christian if i had this as a kid" lmfao
DatSkinnyWhiteGirl 1 year ago
As much as i like ashley,she should have really gone for it with some of her answers,like she said she's like a laid back hippy atheist,that wont get you nowhere when you really want to open minds in the crowd that might have just gone there for exactly that reason.SORRY but disappointed. = (
justgold76 1 year ago
Jonathan seemed nice, intellegent and open minded. The audience questions were absolutely ridiculous. "Ashley...please explain big bang cosmology, abiogenesis, evolution and the sourse of human morality".
These gotcha questions are absolutely juvenile
MrJmm999 1 year ago 2
@MrJmm999 I would like to be in that situation with such a question directed at me, that would be fun.
daemonowner 1 year ago
I've noticed how religious people seem to think that, in an atheistic/naturalistic world view, the principles of evolution and natural selection should directly translate into morality. Why not gravity instead? Why not say that anything that moves downward is morally correct?
Why can't we just recognize that everyone is human and that as humans we share common goals like avoiding pain, living long lives, wanting an infrastructure that lets us get food and shelter, etc?
Venaloid 1 year ago 3
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@Venaloid
"Why can't we just recognize that everyone is human and that as humans we share common goals like avoiding pain, living long lives, wanting an infrastructure that lets us get food and shelter, etc?"
Whoa what country are you living in, I wanna come there???? You forgot the desire for power, hunger for money, addiction to sex, Love for drama, partying and drinking....you know the fun stuff..
coolst0rybro 1 year ago
@coolst0rybro - Well that's how we determine to have laws like "don't kill each other" for example. The things that you mention are why we have police and checks and balances in positions of power.
Venaloid 1 year ago
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coolst0rybro 1 year ago
You edited out the praying? Hah!
But good show, ma'am.
Rocky183 1 year ago
this is insane, i mean, going straight into enemy territory...
swisscheesepotatochi 1 year ago
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coolst0rybro 1 year ago
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coolst0rybro 1 year ago
@swisscheesepotatochi "this is insane, i mean, going straight into enemy territory...'
Yes we are the enemy!!!! How could she? I'm surprised she didn't kick that guys ass next to her when his guard was down.....LOL please
LOL@calling us your enemies, you really make a good case for your cult... Good way to be more part of the problem rather than be a part of the solution.
IMO if more atheists "went into enemy terrority" there wouldn't be as much hate and drama between both sides...
coolst0rybro 1 year ago
@coolst0rybro It was a sarcastic joke...chill man, if we were really enemies i would have my whole family as a an enemy
swisscheesepotatochi 1 year ago
just realized this is two hours, coming back to it,
at 3:30
TheJamesPope 1 year ago
Ashley, this is great! I think that the audience stood a very good chance of getting a great deal from both of you. In particular the areas where the two of you were agreeing, for example on the big bang.
BTW it was the Belgian Catholic priest Monsignor Georges Lemaître who is credited with being the 1st person to propose the Big Bang theory (1927).
kandtell 1 year ago
Here is my stab at translating the "adding information to the gnome" for those of us who are not biologists.
Natural Selection can turn a section of junk DNA (DNA which does not code for proteins) or redundant DNA into a section which does code for a protein provided that protein increases the chances of the organism surviving and reproducing.
kandtell 1 year ago
I miss you @ OSU. Are you ever coming back?
MauricXe 1 year ago
The more I listen to religious arguements the more ridiculous they sound.
CosmicApe2 1 year ago
healthyaddict, how do you do this without busting up in laughter. I would loose my shit laughing with some of the questions I've heard. Good on you though, keep up the good work, peace.
x5vampire5x 1 year ago
i cant believe i watched this thing, its refreshing to not see people hate each other
zer01ife 1 year ago 2
In a better debate,Ashley would argue All the relevant points and show collaborative,supporting evidence.Mr Weyer would also be held to the same standard of evidence...instead of simply giving his opinion,and self interpretation of christian dogmatic doctrine. This type of "Twilight Zone" debate holds Ashley to a higher standard of evidence and is inherently bias.
Thereminator101 1 year ago 2
@Thereminator101 "In a better debate,Ashley would argue All the relevant points and show collaborative,supporting evidence."
But why does everything have to be a debate?
We don't always have to jump on people and try to change their minds. There may be other goals besides that worth pursuing.
zarkoff45 1 year ago
it is very embarrassing having a self proclaimed atheist, in front of a congregation of christians representing the atheist community, but lacking the knowledge to answer basic science and historical questions. it seems more like a bunch of buddies pretending to have a real dabate or whatever this is supposed to mean.
ventura433 1 year ago 4
@ventura433 You are an atheist if you don't believe in god, there are no requirements for knowing anything about science or history.
Though yeah, people like S.E. Cups piss me off.
shaedies 1 year ago 2
@shaedies And where are the requirements for knowing anything about science and history if you're religious?
missdeckchair 1 year ago
@missdeckchair There are none, he was just commenting on "self-proclaimed" atheists. I think you can only be a self-proclaimed atheist.
shaedies 1 year ago
@shaedies
I like to use the word Naturalist and Humanist!!! I study natural sciences and I believe that the natural world is all there is. I also dont believe it's right to reject science or to let religious athority to take procedince over science. thats what my dad dose, he is a mechanical engineer and knows physics and thermodinamics but he rejects evolution because he lets his religious faith take over his scientific reasoning!
pbrskater26 1 year ago
@pbrskater26 My friend Chris refers to that as Cognitive Dissonance.
LabRat4680 1 year ago
@shaedies I am well aware of what been an atheist consist of, being one myself, but that does not qualifies me to stand on a public debate or any sort of discussion for that matter without knowing first how to answer basic questions that by not having the proper answers can harm people perception towards the atheist community. "if i cannot debate i rather leave it to hitches or other well educated non-santa believer who can back up their statements pretty well. thank you.
ventura433 1 year ago
This video is playing super slow...buffering every 10 seconds or so.
blurglide 1 year ago
This is the most respectful atheist vs christianity debate / discussion I've ever seen. Usually the atheist is condescending and a little insulting and the theist doesn't listen to a word the atheist is saying. Great stuff =)
Razorhawk72 1 year ago
Perhaps the biggest reason Christians don't question their beliefs is because they see belief in the universe poofing into existence being just as faith-based as what they do, so they assume that faith with moral codes (ie, bible-based) must be superior.
Not being able to address that is a weakness in this presentation, but you can't expect Ashley to have knowledge in every field. That said, any atheist should research this issue enought to be able to debunk the theistic biases in the question.
themsfightinwoids 1 year ago
@themsfightinwoids That's the "Achilles Heel" for Atheist.All she had to do was expand on the idea that all morality in instinct-modified/instinct based. If you think about it,not only is "hurting" your own species the opposite of the main biological goal of our species,but try thinking of one intellectual thought that cannot be traced back to a basic instinctual drive.This also implies that humans are objectively good by nature,and that "Faith" and (social)moral relativism are unfounded lies.
Thereminator101 1 year ago
Yay healthyaddict! Bravely venturing behind enemy lines!
LazySundayClub 1 year ago 2
I love how it's assumed we've read Dawkins books, I've never read any of his books. Also I'm a biologist and yes I do see what he means about being more hard core Atheist, however I'm also a Taoist which feeds more even into my Atheism. Also like why is it even ok for something that people claim is all good to let bad things happen? To me that makes no sense at all. Also with the last question it seems like it's all based on fear. Also I'm more critical of myself then any deity will ever be. :P
MistressArte 1 year ago
I can't help but notice that Ashley seemed more concerned about criticizing other atheists in attempt to make the audience like her more? Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I got out of it.
Also, my head would have exploded when that guy in the Q&A mentioned DNA and information in the same sentence. Overall this video was slightly painful to watch. Only because there were so many missed opportunities to pounce...but I guess that was the point. Oh well. :)
Michigan1985 1 year ago 6
@Michigan1985 That's how I felt watching this as well. I felt she was more concerned with throwing other atheists under the bus in hopes of gaining favor with the audience. Once again, this is just how I felt watching it. I felt somewhat insulted...and bored in all honesty. Yeah, "missed opportunities" seems to be a common critique in these comments.
rylraven13 1 year ago
@Michigan1985 I had a "head exploding" moment when Ashley said that religion didnt harm society in general. WTF? Whenever a theist says that they are a peaceful,christ-like individual that harms no one,they need to be reminded of the historical damage Organized Superstition(that they support)has done to human rights and world peace in general.I call this ignoring of self-responsibility phenomena "Hiding behind Christ",and everyone that supports Organized Superstition should see the connection.
Thereminator101 1 year ago 2
@Michigan1985 I think you're just so shocked to see an atheist actually talk to Christians without insulting them, that you didn't know how to respond. Atheists on YouTube seem to think insulting Christians is their main "job" and greatest pleasure on YouTube. Treat Christians with the respect with which you want to receive? Absurd! You don't believe in the Golden Rule.
911dispatcher 1 year ago
@911dispatcher Religion is an insult to humanity. So there's the problem with the discussion. And while some atheists may insult you, I suspect most of them are more laughing at illogical and misguided beliefs.
How would you deal with someone who insisted that 0+0 = 1? You'd probably try to educate them, but after awhile of banging your head against a wall, you'd get a bit exasperated.
AirplaneRider 1 year ago
@AirplaneRider The tens of thousands of supernatural testimonies that are available for you to examine mean your empty words will not give you an "out of ignorance" with God at YOUR Judgment because you've been told plainly and clearly and YOU HAVE THE INTERNET and can investigate.
Play the fool all you want. My hands are clean of your blood.
911dispatcher 1 year ago
@911dispatcher Blah blah. More superstitious crap. Seriously, can we have an adult discussion or do you want to keep talking about childhood myths?
Back to reality, how do you explain all the people healed by gods other than Yahweh? I'd love to hear your answer. This should be fun.
BTW, every scientific study done on prayer has shown it not to work. Every single one.
AirplaneRider 1 year ago
@911dispatcher I never said anything about insulting Christians. She missed opportunities to correct a few statements though. I'm still friends with people at my church and still go every Christmas. Yes, some atheists do insult christians on youtube just as some theists insult atheists. In some cases both sides deserve to be "insulted". I don't believe in the golden rule? Who is insulting who now?
Michigan1985 1 year ago
@Michigan1985 You need to remember my experience on YouTube. I've said that I haven't met ONE honest atheist or for that matter one that isn't rude and hateful. Out of hundreds of examples, it's hard to pretend that 100% consistency is going to be broken by someone blaming the atheist for "criticizing other atheists" when I watched the video and that's not the picture I got from her words.
IF you're honest, then you know I'm telling the truth. Just read to comments to me and about me here.
911dispatcher 1 year ago
@911dispatcher I'll be honest, anyone who says they haven't met one honest or kind atheist that isn't rude or hateful is either in denial or spending too much time trolling youtube video comment sections.
Michigan1985 1 year ago
@Michigan1985 Why should I allow you to dictate what I do with my time?
May I suggest that you search my user name and go read and see what you find. If I erred, point it out to me. Like you, I make mistakes. One thing I don't do is start sentences with "I'll be honest." It seems silly since I'm going to be honest anyway.
911dispatcher 1 year ago
@911dispatcher I don't care what you do with your time, I was just making an observation. "I'll be honest" was my way of saying I'll be blunt. So don't try and hint that I'd be a liar on any other occasion. I've been nothing but polite yet you still do these subtle attacks on my character. You're only proving the stereotype that Christians are hypocrites.
Michigan1985 1 year ago
@Michigan1985 the*
911dispatcher 1 year ago
@Michigan1985 I've had disagreements with guys for hours at a time and we continually disagreed yet the conversation was always pleasant. The difference between that and YouTube? That man treated me the way he wanted to be treated. He listened (something you can see your compadres on here DO NOT DO) and actually gave consideration to what I said, as I did him and do here (whenever the request isn't ludicrous) because I do believe in the Golden Rule, until fools show my consideration is wasted.
911dispatcher 1 year ago
@thesumerkidz Do a title search in YouTube for "AC360 - Anderson Cooper Entertains Bonobo Apes In Bunny Suit " The title is ridiculous and the expose not so good either but it's a good starting point to learn some names associated with this particular study and you can just follow the knowledge trail from there =)
rylraven13 1 year ago
did they let you keep that giant nametag? if so.. make a video of you walking around a populated public park or something.. recording people's reactions.. i'm drunk..
Polum824545201 1 year ago
It's not about submitting to the authority of God, there is no God to submit to. It's about not submitting to the authority of dangerous and delusional idiots who think they speak for God.
voidCaptain 1 year ago 3
the problem with this video is healthyaddict doesn't talk enough.
unclexbob 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
On killing gays, has this guy not read his Bible? In Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads."
Some Christians take it seriously:
watch?v=EmWdExg4kic
And then there is the recent UN vote:
watch?v=OxE2esJ3fRk
zarkoff45 1 year ago 3
On the question "where does the information in DNA come from" I'll tell you what not to tell them first: Don't tell them to google that question as is. What you get is intelligent design and creationist sites - Dembski and Behe made that a question.
Tell them to google "Evolutionary algorithms." Computer code can evolve according to the same principles as DNA.
zarkoff45 1 year ago 2
@zarkoff45 "google "Evolutionary algorithms." "
Better make that "Google : Introduction to evolutionary algorithms" because you can get way too much technical stuff without the "introduction" term.
voidCaptain 1 year ago
I always challenge a christian when they ask me about "militant atheism". I ask them to describe "militant atheism". I then describe the militant christian or muslim. We compare. Has a "militant atheist" bombed a church, killed a pastor, etc? Yet we see what a militant believer will do. So often, these christians call a militant atheist anything that will unapologetically challenge theism openly. They dislike difficult questions.
jmind01 1 year ago 2
Yeah at 3:13 when he starts talking about parts that don't fit has got me worried. And then when he starts talking about helping you put it together, sounds like brain washing to me
WBCohorn 1 year ago 2
1:31:39 event horizon... doesn't that refer to the area around a black hole where spacetime curvature reaches the critical value that photons can't escape (are infinitely redshifted)?
roflpl0xnubsauce 1 year ago
@roflpl0xnubsauce Basically...yes.
BabySatch1 1 year ago