Truth Wanted

In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted! P*ck is hosting alongside Martin Robert, an ACA Volunteer.Kelley in Michigan attempted to test the devil to prove God’s existence. Did it work? The devil’s in the details and the details aren’t there.Next is James in Texas to discuss the misinformation surrounding vaccines. The unfortunate reality is that the facts are available but refusal to accept them is a symptom of a much larger problem. Spicoli in Florida continues the conversation on vaccines, feeling frustrated by his colleagues who are hesitant to get the jab. We just have to keep having these conversations and fighting the good fight.Deborah in Oregon is a former theist who realizes she never needed religion to find community. While we agree that churches can provide a good place to find friends, you shouldn’t have to hold religious values to develop genuine relationships.John in Virginia feels the frustration of having anti-vax parents. These situations can be sticky and the best you can do is vaccinate yourself and keep having productive conversations about the facts surrounding vaccines.Tapia in Minnesota has a loaded question: does Christianity have roots in racism? We have reason to believe that it does. This is one of the many problems surrounding America’s favorite religion.And last we’ve got Jordan in California who’s curious about the difference between religious and non-religious beliefs. If it relates to a deity, it’s religious!That wraps up tonight’s show. Thank you so much to our co-host and remember to always keep wanting the truth!

In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted! Objectively Dan is joined by Nate Smith from our sister show, Secular Sexuality. We’re so happy to have you here this week, Nate!Mark from Oregon is first up to discuss growing up gay and Pentecostal in the 70s. As an atheist, he realizes how sheltered his Christian faith kept him. He now lives his life free from religion and we’re happy to hear that. Thanks for sharing your story, Mark!Brandon in Texas recently lost his Christian faith and now feels the frustrations of unpacking childhood indoctrination. Is it any different than brainwashing? We tend to think it’s just a distinction without a difference and promote freedom of thought for all.Why do Christians often deny scientific facts? Vincent in England can’t wrap his head around the cognitive dissonance within religious communities- and we get it! Unfortunately, many scientific topics have become so politicized and threaten the core of most religious beliefs. Keep supporting scientific research.Tymm in Washington is a long-time caller who also grew up in the Pentecostal church and had an interesting realization about his experiences being “slain in the spirit”. Is speaking in tongues just a theater exercise? It may be, and those speaking gibberish in church might not even realize it.Another Mark In Oregon? What are the chances? Even wilder, Mark claims to have had telepathic experiences with UFOs! Unfortunately he’s never managed to capture any of these alien encounters on camera. Keep searching for answers and let us know when you gather some data.That wraps up tonight’s show. Thank you so much to our co-host, Nate. Remember to always keep wanting the truth. See you next week!

Bzzzt. Krrrrzztztz. *static*False start! Five yard penalty! On today’s exciting episode of Truth Wanted, Objectively Dan is joined by Derek Lambert, creator and host of the MythVision Podcast! Derek is a former Calvanist who used to upload sermons on YouTube. He shares his story with Dan to open up the show. Welcome, Derek! We can’t wait to see how you handle these truth claims.First up in the calls is Mauricio, who is also the first person to call Truth Wanted from Venezuela! Thanks for calling! Mauricio is wondering whether acupuncture is actually affecting a person’s medical health, or if it maybe just makes them feel better. Dan shares his views on acupuncture and they are quite similar to his views on chiropractors as well. DerekNext up is Alex in NY, who is calling to pitch his ghost hunting show idea! Instead of the normal format (where people already believe in ghosts and set out to prove their own conclusions), Alex thinks they should set out to prove whatever is true without assuming anything. We think that’s quite a concept, but unfortunately, discovering the cause of a supernatural claim is actually mundane is rather… mundane. Thanks for the idea, Alex! We’ll see what we can do.Matt in Maryland calls in next to talk about UAPs/UFOs! He is curious if Dan and Derek think that UAPs demonstrate advanced technology! This subject certainly needs more research, let us know what you think in the comments!Our next caller, Erik, wants to talk about how to prevent people from using fake medicine. Acupuncture, chiropractic adjustments, chakra manipulation, and tarot readings for medical advice… all of it is harmful! We think this is a very important topic, thank you for calling, Erik.Next up, Tony calls in from Mexico to discuss COVID conspiracy theories. This is a very tough topic, especially when it hits close to home. Hang in there, folks!Lastly, Oliver calls in from England to, well, make Dan’s day! This call is a must-listen.Well that wraps up tonight’s show. Thank you so much to our guest, Derek Lambert from the MythVision podcast. Remember to always keep wanting the truth. See you next week!

In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted! Objectively Dan is joined by Kelley Laughlin, one of our discord volunteers. Welcome to the show, Kelley! We’re eager to talk about crystal woo with you.First up in the calls is Kevin in Arizona, who wonders why psychedelic experiences tend to make people adopt theism. Although hallucinogenic encounters may feel powerful in the moment, it doesn’t make what happens in them rooted in reality. But this is a fascinating topic, indeed.Another Arizona caller, Sarah, spent a long time dabbling in crystal woo and blames her Christian upbringing for making her susceptible to blind belief. We’re so happy you’ve decided to start examining your beliefs with more skepticism!Does the devil’s lettuce make us stupid? Stephen in Michigan thinks the stoner stereotype isn’t an accurate representation of people who smoke and marijuana should just be legalized. We might have to agree with you there, Stephen!Robert in South Carolina called to talk about the two things you’re never supposed to discuss in public: religion and politics. These two things are inherently intertwined, but we do hope to find more political representation in the future.Karlyn is moving to her dream town, but there’s one problem- it’s highly religious. How do we navigate these difficult encounters with believers? It is important to know when to keep your thoughts to yourself, but you also have the right to assert yourself and answer honestly when questioned about what you believe.Well that wraps up tonight’s show. Thank you so much to our co-host Kelley. Remember to always keep wanting the truth. And don’t use amethyst for migraines. See you next week!

In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted, ExXtian Erin is back as host and joined by a very special guest, Dave Warnock, who is currently working on a memoir. We’re happy to have you on the show and excited to read your story!Brian from Michigan is a lifelong atheist that can’t fathom laughing at anyone else’s belief. While we do believe that bad beliefs should be scrutinized, we would never laugh at the people who hold those beliefs.James in Washington is trying to heal a relationship with his religious grandma after a Holiday dinner went awry. Now he’s left wondering how to navigate the resentment. Maintain boundaries and set aside conversations that ignite bitter feelings in the future.Kennita in California thinks atheists shouldn’t use god as an expression because it might give off the impression that they are believers. Flippant expression is a normal part of human language. Let’s pick our battles and leave this one alone.Marcus in Texas met a Christian this past week who believes in miracles and wants to plant seeds of doubt. Although you should never expect to change anyone else’s beliefs, you can utilize tools like street evangelism to encourage them to examine their ideas with skepticism.Autumn in California called to talk about a social media storm over the definition of atheism. According to some, atheism is the assertion that no god exists. Let’s keep working to de-stigmatize the term atheist so we can have more honest conversations.Sterling In SC wonders what it would convince us that aliens exist. We’ve got one word for you: Evidence. Show us the proof and we’ll start to believe.Jamie called all the way from Australia to play around with some street evangelism. How would Christians respond if god commanded them to murder? We’re not sure, but we hope it never happens.Great show tonight! Remember to always keep wanting the truth.

In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted! Objectivity Dan is joined by ExXtian Erin, glad to have you back!First up! Joshua from LA is struggling with the need to “appease” a higher power and pray. That’s a pretty common struggle atheists have, remnants of religious rituals. It takes a bit to relearn some habits, try reminding yourself it’s nothing when they pop up.Stair in Canada asks advice on addressing superstitions or irrational beliefs. It’s common for people to find patterns like this, just remember correlation doesn't equal causation. Glad you are thinking rationally about it!Ulf in Norway found that chiropracty isn’t recognized as medical science in Norway. Yeah, it’s much bigger in the US and some can make some pretty dangerous claims. Some people find a little help but maybe stick to physical/massage therapists.Jared in IN argues that we are moving to transhumanism. For sure, we have been modifying ourselves since a pirate donned a pegleg. Medical science and technology has been advancing in leaps and bounds. It’s exciting to look to the future!Allison in Canada experienced white washing of her indigenous roots growing up. It’s such a heartbreaking story that is coming to light. White washing history is a travesty. Look into finding a community and learn more about your indigenous heritage. It seems lots have found healing in that. Thanks for sharing your story with us.Congratulations Erin, welcome to Truth Wanted!! Remember to always keep wanting the truth.

In today’s episode of the Truth Wanted, Objectivity Dan is joined by a special guest who might be recognized by some. It is P*ck who is coming up on a year with the ACA now! Congress released the UFO report and there are NO new revelations. As we may have guessed, the conspiracy theorists are going to have fun with this! Stay tuned for the new species of human that of course people think are nephilim that proves the Bible to be true. First up we have Matt in AR who has seen a UFO while stationed in Iraq. This looked like the Phoenix Lights soaring across the sky. The lights did not descend like a meteor; they moved across the sky. This is the first time we ever had a caller that described seeing a UFO while on military duty. We tend to have a bad sense of distance and scope, especially at night. It was probably something experimental. A healthy sense of skepticism is appreciated! Okun in NV, a former radar tech in the Navy, reveals that the screen footage from the jet that was tracking the oblong thing is probably mostly BS. The little grain of truth can grow to a conspiracy theory quickly. We just don’t have enough information about this yet to conclude anything. Kennita in CA states there are probably aliens here because we have only had radio for a little over 100 years and it would have taken them longer than that to get here, even with the closest stars. They were probably AI because of their advanced technology and the entire civilization may have already disappeared. Check out the Magic Flute Opera for a related idea!Traditional Catholic in LA claims that crafts have no mass and do not behave the way they should if they were physical because they accelerate and vanish. They are really demonic illusions. How do we pick them up with physical apparatuses then? How do you know the source of this? A guy that drew a picture is not going to cut it. We can’t say that something is fake or real without doing research. We would love to know if we can summon demons as long as we don’t have to pay for it. Andrew in OH wants to talk about the absurdity of 911 conspiracies. These theories are not even rooted in physics. There is just enough light for the believers and just enough dark for people to doubt. An act of terror is still the most likely explanation. This was a wild episode! We went from UFOs to demons to 911! Thank you everyone and continue the conversation with us in a number of different ways. Remember to always keep wanting the truth.

Hello everyone! Thank you for tuning into another fantastic episode of Truth Wanted. This week, ObjectivelyDan is joined by Jessica Bluemke Greiff!First caller tonight is Levi in CA who asks advice on helping his mother care more about the truth. Dan was where you are now. These kinds of things come after a long time to deconstruct your beliefs, be patient with her. Usually it’s more important that they approach the world with kindness, rather than what they believe.Uh oh. Otangelo in Brazil is trying to challenge Dan on his well known talking points. You know anti-evolution, intelligent design..the works. Otangelo tries to shift the burden of proof, apparently promoting atheism means we deny god or some crap. Otangelo, you need to come up with an argument rather than trying to call in with “gotchas”. We are happy to say “I don't know” because that gives us room to figure it out, rather than posit “god did it”.Jason in ID asks what we know about the “third bucket”, referencing Otangelo’s 2 bucket comment. What the bleep is the third bucket? Oh it’s scientology crap. Jason says it’s a level to achieve AND a porthole to travel back in time. Yeah, uhhh. That was weird.Uros in Siberia really believes we can’t be the only life in this universe, arguing the statistics are overwhelming. Yes, we want to talk about aliens!! If you want to believe in aliens, go for it. We are more comfortable saying it’s highly likely. It’s fun to think about possible alien life. Call back if you discover aliens.Thank you all so much for watching. We hope you enjoyed today’s episode so go check out some of the other great shows that the ACA produces! Until next week, keep wanting the truth and watch out for the third bucket.

Hello all you Truth Seekers and welcome to the first episode of Truth Wanted for this June! This week, P*ck is joined by the one, the only creepy crawly lover, BrainBug!Our first caller tonight is Matt from Maryland who wants to talk about the recent reports of UFO/UAPs. They want to know if our hosts have a possible explanation for what we are seeing in the leaked footage. As we cannot explain what is in the various pieces of footage, it would be irresponsible to then apply an unfounded explanation.Up next is Jason from Rhode Island. They want to talk about the use of possibility and impossibility in debates. To help address the caller’s question, our hosts differentiate between physical and logical possibility/impossibility, and explain the specifics of each.Up next is P*ck’s new rival, Paul from England. The caller believes that they can present the kalam in a non-problematic way. Needless to say, they do not.Our last call for the night is Duane from Florida who has a cousin who is a Young Earth Creationist. BrainBug provides excellent examples to show evolution (Do Not Attempt At Home!), from one species to another in “real-time.” However, family members may not be as openly receptive to direct mentions of the “confrontational” topic, but finding ways of dropping little seeds throughout conversations of shared interests can be very helpful overtime.That was such an amazing episode wasn’t it! We hope you enjoyed it. Until we see you next week, stay safe out there! Goodnight!

Hello everyone! Thank you for tuning into another fantastic episode of Truth Wanted. This week, ObjectivelyDan is joined by Ro!Our first caller tonight is Nathan from Australia. They are concerned that the “far left” is devaluing the goal of equality with its focus on social justice and identity politics.Next up is Dude from the USA who wants to share a ghost experience they had while working in a lighthouse, where the doors appeared to close on their own. The caller admits that they are skeptical about the feasibility of the supernatural being the cause of these experiences, but would like to believe that the causes are special even though they’re unconvinced.Our next call comes from James in New York. The caller is a deist/theist who believes because they are having trouble dealing with the concept of death. Believing in a god out of fear of death isn’t a good reason for believing in something because it doesn’t correlate to whether that god is real or not.Next is “Alien Noises” from Germany who is curious to know if the media (films, books, news etc) representation of the separation of racial and cultural in the US is true. Segregation is a thing, and the legacy of segregation, and its scars are definitely still present.Thank you all so much for watching. We hope you enjoyed today’s episode. If you did, why not check out some of the other great shows that the ACA produces! Just me, they’re worth a watch! Until next week, keep wanting the truth.

Hello everyone! It's Friday which means another episode of Truth Wanted is going to get sent to your eyeballs from the illuminated pixels on your screen. This week, ObjectivelyDan is joined by Rudy Bee.Our first caller of the evening is Shaun from the UK who wants our host’s take on the extent to which math correlates to reality and truth, or whether the subject falls under sophistry.Up next is Rahul from MD who claims to have precognitions of events. How do we separate precognition from a person unconsciously reading external stimuli and environmental changes?Next is Autumn from CA. The caller wants to talk about cult psychology and to better understand the differences between cults and religions.Our next caller is Omniskeptic from Canada. The caller proposes that if a person’s morality is based upon what will get themselves and others to heaven or utopia (with regards to a divinely established objective morality), then how does one account for a constantly changing morality without reaching an unstable version of heaven or utopia.Thank you all so much for watching this week's episode of Truth Wanted! We hope you enjoyed the show! Until we see you again, stay safe out there and keep wanting the truth.

Hello all and welcome to Truth Wanted. On today’s episode, P*ck is joined by Arden of Eden!The first caller of tonight is Lucas from Texas recognizes that they have prejudices towards trans people that stem from their upbringing and is wondering if Arden can help logic him out of these prejudices. Thank you for your call Lucas and for taking the time to learn more!Next up is Paul from the UK who believes that atheists have a burden of proof when they reject arguments for the existence of a God or Gods. This is shifting the burden of proof away from the person making the claim. If you are making a claim, it is up to you to provide the sufficient evidence necessary to support the claim.Third up is Stephanie from Maine who wants to share their experiences as a trans person pushing back against the stereotypes plaguing popular media. The caller also addresses the discomfort that a previous caller, Lucas felt, and indicated that from their own experience that the visibly trans person he saw in the grocery store probably felt just as or more uncomfortable than he did.Last up for the night is Jesse- from New Jersey who is wondering what Arden’s position is about a trans person disclosing their trans status to a potential romantic partner. Arden believes that disclosure is morally virtuous, but not morally obligatory.Thank you all for tuning in this Friday! As requirements regarding masks are changing, please check with your state governments for the exact rules in your area. See you all next week!

Hello everyone. It’s Friday which means it’s time to welcome you all back to another episode of Truth Wanted. This week ObjectivelyDan is joined by the ACA’s very own Matt Dillahunty!The first caller of the evening is Justin from AL. They want to talk about the light topic of coming out as an atheist to grieving and ill family members. The decision that the caller has to make is if making sure that their father knows who they are is more important than maintaining peace in the relationship.Next up is Johnny from TX who is looking for advice on how to move forward with a frustrating debate about God. The definition of God, that God begins where our understanding ends,” is fallacious. If God is beyond our understanding, how can the one making the claim even begin to define it.Next is Glenn from PA who believes that Matt does not promote the positive Atheism that he and the ACA claims it does. The term positive Atheism has multiple definitions: either promoting atheism in a positive light, or stating that a specific God doesn’t exist or a specific belief system is wrong. The issue with the latter definition is that if the goal is to put the burden of proof where it belongs, then you want to argue against the points that are actually being presented, and not make unsubstantiated generalized claims about god’s existence.Up next is Rudy from OH who is curious to know what our host’s favorite cryptid story is. If anyone has proof of the “Deer Man,” please call in!Next is Evan from CO who is wondering what our host’s think about Jungian Psychology. Jungian Psychology seems to be able to provide answers for unexplained psychological phenomena. It appears to presuppose (deeper) meaning in phenomena that may not actually be there.Our last call for the night is Joao from TX and is wondering if the platypus’ weird combination of traits are an argument for evolution. Definitely, if you look back at its lineage, you can trace the changes over time that have led to its current, seemingly bizarre form.What a fantastic show that was! Thank you so much for joining us tonight. Please, please, please get vaccinated, and continue to do your part to keep yourself and everyone around you safe until we finally overcome this virus.

Hello all you truth seekers and welcome back to Truth Wanted! This week, our favorite vulcanized rubber disk, P*ck, is joined by God is Grey! P*ck us actually the only vulcanized bit of rubber that we own here at the ACA so he is our favorite by default.Our first caller this evening is Justin from AL who is wondering if Brenda believes that the flood really occurred. The caller also wants to understand why his friend believes what is said by Jesus in the Bible without question.Next up is Tralian from AZ who wants to tell us about a supernatural experience. Eyewitness testimony is demonstrably unreliable, especially testimony that is being given after 40 years. No one is suggesting that the caller’s mental faculties are degraded or that he was hallucinating, but we all perceive events differently and our perception may not align with what actually happened.Next is Nate from Canada. The caller wants to ask how Brenda reconciles Jesus’ potentially bad advice. The issue is that you can create any kind of Jesus that you want when you read the Bible, and that the image of Jesus that you create is going to align with the lens that you had going into it.Up next is Keith from FL had concerns with the use of the “God of the Gaps” fallacy and then ending the conversation there. It is good to point out logical fallacies because argument is fallacious and not worth directly responding to. However, rather than just ending the conversation right there, it would be beneficial to then explain why it is fallacious and try to work through the argument so that it's not just a one way shut-down.Our next caller is Barbara from Wisconsin who is wondering if Brenda believes that God is omnipotent, and how she reconciles with problematic parts of the Bible that were never corrected.The show’s final caller is Sven from WA who wants to know what keeps Brenda in her faith. The caller mentions that belief in the afterlife is important to him and his connection to his family, and is curious to know what specifically keeps Brenda attached to her own faith.What a show! I mean what a show! If you agree, please give the episode a big like! As always, we at the ACA hope you continue to stay safe! See you next week!

Hello everyone! It's Friday which means another episode of Truth Wanted is going to get sent to your eyeballs from the illuminated pixels on your screen. This week, ObjectivelyDan is joined by Matthew J. Distefano.First call of the night is Nick from California who is curious to why more Atheists and skeptics aren’t investigating the supernatural such as paranormal activity. Part of the reason is that these phenomena have been instigated by skeptics in the past and the results didn’t point to a supernatural cause. There is also the factor of cultural beliefs impacting a person’s interpretation of events to match their preexisting beliefs.Next up is Mohammad from California who wants to explain what caused them to become more religious, as well as the reason why they are becoming less convinced in their belief in a god.Our next caller is Adrian all the way from Jamaica. They are wondering how they can go about telling others that they are Atheist. Remember when coming out as an Atheist is to make sure that you are able to do so without impacting your physically safe. While it is nice to be able to have these discussions with others who may disagree with you, those conversations are not more important than your own personal well being.Our final caller is Nate from Canada who wants to talk about the haunted house they used to live in. The caller recounts the many experiences where their family heard footsteps leading up to the front door, but whenever they would check, there was no one there. Thanks for sharing your story with us Nate, it was a wild ride!Thank you all so much for watching this week's episode of Truth Wanted! We hope you enjoyed the show! Until we see you again, stay safe out there and keep wanting the truth.