The doubtcasters wrap up their “Myth of Martyrdom” series by discussing the evidence of others (non-apostles) who supposedly witnessed the resurrection, other miracle claims from antiquity and the false dichotomy at the heart of the “die for a lie” argument. Also, the Dr. Professor makes up for lost time by reviewing numerous studies on the …
Category Archive: podcast
May 03 2013
Episode 114: The Myth of Martyrdom (Part 2): Who Would Die for a Lie?
Would anyone knowingly die for a lie? Christian tradition teaches us that many of Jesus’ disciples were persecuted and martyred for their faith. But if Jesus did not really rise from the dead why would the apostles be willing to sacrifice their lives over claims they knew were false? To many Christians, the apostle’s martyrdom …
Apr 19 2013
Episode 113: The Myth of Martyrdom (Part 1) with guest Candida Moss
Jesus famously told his disciples “take up your cross and follow me” and the church has proudly circulated stories of Christian martyrs ever since. Stories of believers who refused to renounce their faith in the face of persecution inspire some to great acts of heroism but can also promote a spirit of victimization. In her …
Feb 28 2013
Episode 111: Goodbye Joey Ratz
Celebrate the end of Pope Benedict XVI’s short reign with a look back at the good, the bad and the ugly of the polemical pontiff’s career. We’ll discuss all the big questions you probably don’t care about: will Benedict still be ‘infallible’? What were the real reasons for his resignation? What will he do now? …
Dec 15 2012
Episode 109: The Biology of Religious Patriarchy
Why are religious moralists so preoccupied with sex? Attitudes on sexuality are far more predictive of religiosity than attitudes on charity, social justice or any other measure. Religious scriptures abound with rules and restrictions aimed at controlling women’s sexuality in particular. Is the current religious obsession with sex just an unfortunate result of religion’s male-dominated …
Nov 20 2012
Episode 108: Post-Election Withdrawal
The doubtcasters collectively work through their post-election withdrawal symptoms by examining how demographic shifts are changing the American political landscape with special focus on how religious vs. secular polling locations influence voting. Also for this week’s counterapologetics Justin Schieber presents a presuppositionalist argument for atheism developed by Stephen Maitzen. Download RD108 Or subscribe and listen …
Oct 11 2012
Episode 107: Are We Born Depraved?
The discovery that children have a natural inclination to believe in invisible, immortal, super-knowing agents has some religious apologists boasting that science has found the sensus divinitatis. Despite possessing this inner sense of the divine, John Calvin declared children to be morally corrupt by nature. This doctrine of total depravity has served as a justification …
Sep 18 2012
Episode 106: Moonie Madness
The Unification Church was virtually unknown in America until the 1970′s when concerned parents, anti-cult groups and members of congress raised alarm about the powerful “brainwashing” techniques used by “moonies” to lure new converts into their dangerous cult. Now that the self-proclaimed “messiah” Sun Myung Moon has died a group of sociologists are defending the …
Aug 10 2012
Episode 105: Are We Born to Believe?
Some atheists have argued that children are naturally non-believers. Were it not for indoctrination at the hands of parents and clergy children would never pick up supernatural beliefs on their own and religion would wither and die. But a growing body of research in developmental psychology suggests just the opposite. Children have a natural inclination …
Jul 20 2012
RD Extra: Polyatheism – Modern Lessons From Ancient Myths
This RD Extra features a lecture by David Fletcher, delivered to CFI Michigan on July 11th 2012 Lecture Description: There are many lessons we can learn from the myths of ancient and modern cultures, ranging from the profound to the absurd. In this presentation we will explore the mythologies of various cultures around the world …
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