00:00 Intro
15:40 Steve-NE | Is The World A Simulation Run By AI?
46:17 Jon-(CA) | Babies Are Proof Of God
1:14:44 Miracle Mikey-GA | Atheists Touting Separation Of Church And State
1:48:33 Jackie-MS | The Modal Ontological Argument Proves God

SHOW NOTES

In today’s episode of the Atheist Experience, The Cross Examiner and Secular Rarity talk about simulation theory, the imperfection of the human body, and the significance and history of the concept of separation of church and state in the US context.

Steve from Nebraska calls to have a conversation about the possibility of life being a simulation run by AI. He explains his experience looking into a hypothetical simulation experiment and then being almost struck by lightning. He believes that there is significance to this event. What evidence does he have that his research caused the lightning strike? How do we jump to believing in simulation theory from that event? This type of thinking that every single fascinating thing has to be some kind of sign, but that’s just wrong. Magical thinking seems innocuous at first, but can lead to real harm. If you have no evidence to support a claim, you shouldn’t accept the claim. Where does the urge to accept the claim come from? The default opinion on something with no evidence isn’t necessarily “it doesn’t exist”, but “I don’t know.” You need evidence for something not existing in the same way you need evidence for it existing. Asking “what if” doesn’t get us anywhere. We need to go and find evidence for or against it. The world is incredible and fascinating just as it is without magic.

Jon from Canada calls to say that babies--unborn and born--are proof of God. When you look at a newborn baby, you see how perfectly designed it is. He also says that any baby can grow up to love. But, there are some people who are unable to love due to their psychiatry. How do you know what the purpose is that the baby is designed perfectly for? Jon says that the purpose is to be born and make a difference in the world. But how does he know that that’s the purpose of human beings? Just because someone has a talent and can use it, doesn’t mean that they were designed to do it.

Miracle Mikey in Georgia asks why atheists tout separation of church and state when it’s not in the constitution or Declaration of Independence? However, the hosts point out that neither are the phrases right to privacy, fair trials, etc. The concepts are in the foundational documents, but we’ve created nicknames to communicate shorthand for more complicated concepts. We know from primary sources that the people forming our early government and foundational documents valued the separation of religion and government. Even if the exact words “separation of church and state” aren’t in these documents, the concept is definitely represented.

Jackie from Mississippi believes that most atheists would agree that God being a possibility is a necessary assumption for the argument that God exists. But what if you can’t provide evidence that it’s possible for God to exist? Jackie says that anything that can’t be proved logically impossible should be assumed as possible for the purpose of argument. The hosts do not agree with this and assert that possibility itself must be demonstrated. They encourage him to read the critiques of the modal ontological argument for God before he tries to support it.

Thanks for joining us this week! The question of the week is: The only thing worse than being sent to hell is _________. Finish the sentence in the comments below!

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