Counter Apologetics podcast

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Last summer, something monumental happened. One of Uncuffed's founding producers, Greg Eskridge, came home after more than 30 years in prison. In this episode we’ll bring you back to that emotional day last summer when he walked out of the San Quentin gates, free at last. Our work in prisons is supported by the California Arts Council, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, independent foundations, and donations from listeners like you. Learn more, sign up for Uncuffed news, and support the program at www.weareuncuffed.org Follow us @WeAreUncuffed on Instagram and Facebook Transcripts are available within a week of the episode coming out at www.kalw.org/podcast/uncuffed…

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with Emerson Green

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Counter Apologetics

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1
CA135 Why are theodicies so unconvincing? 1:07:18

πριν 13 hours1:07:18

1:07:18

Do apologists actually believe what they’re saying? I’m joined by Counter Apologist to discuss his “Paradise Hell” thought experiment and to try to explain why theistic attempts to account for evil are so unpersuasive. What decision would you make if eternity were on the line? Linktree

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CA134 Philip Goff’s Conversion to Christianity 54:32

πριν 22 weeks54:32

54:32

We discuss Philip Goff’s conversion, the online reaction to it, and what his “heretical Christianity” involves. Is he a real Christian? What does he think about the resurrection, the ascension, the miracles of Christ, the virgin birth, the trinity, inerrantism, the atonement, and God’s nature? Amos Wollen – Conversion Review: Christianity gains a new smart person Randal Rauser on Goff’s Conversion Nathan Ormond (DigitalGnosis)- Philosopher CONVERTS to Christianity Linktree…

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CA133 The Moral Argument for God – Have I Been Debunked? 3:35:47

πριν 36 weeks3:35:47

3:35:47

Two Christian apologists reviewed my series on the moral argument for God on their channel, Democracy of the Dead. I recorded my own counter-response shortly thereafter, but thought it was too profanity-laden and impolite to release. Generally speaking, it’s good to remain dispassionate in these online spaces, but I let my frustration get the better of me. However, I changed my mind. I trust that you in the audience can discern why I’m reacting as I do in the episode. My exasperation was entirely the product of their errors, oversights, and misunderstandings — all of which were completely avoidable, had they put one-tenth of the effort into their video that I put into mine. Their mistakes are not exclusively philosophical. In many instances, they simply misunderstand what is being said, for what purpose it’s being said, and even who is saying it. All in all, it was an extremely tedious video to review, but I hope that my commentary makes it interesting, or at least entertaining. Linktree…

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CA132 From Atheism to Agnosticism (w/ Adherent Apologetics) 45:36

πριν 36 weeks45:36

45:36

Zac (Adherent Apologetics) and I explore a few of the things that drew me to agnosticism. Religious ambiguity, disagreement among epistemic peers, the diversity of the theistic tradition (as well as the varieties of non-theism), the seeming inscrutability of the prior probability of theism, and my acceptance of the value-selection hypothesis have all played a part in pushing me (somewhat reluctantly) to agnosticism. Linktree…

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Losing My Religion – with Fuad Abdullah Harahap (@fubilosophy) 56:42

πριν 49 weeks56:42

56:42

I’m interviewed by Fuad Abdullah Harahap (@fubilosophy) about my deconversion, the sad state of Christian apologetics, my issues with the skeptic community, free will, the afterlife, agnosticism, and a few other topics. Fubilosophy Linktree

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CA131 What would convince you? 16:37

πριν 1 year16:37

16:37

What would convince you of God’s existence? Specifically, the Christian God. What would change your mind and cause you to convert? I name three things: Christian aliens, miracles, and religious experience. That’s not an exhaustive list, but those things would dramatically raise my credence in Christian theism. I spend the most time talking about religious experiences, mainly for two reasons. First, their epistemic significance is not always appreciated by nonbelievers. Second, I’ve noticed that some Christian apologists really hate it when nonbelievers say the experience of God would convince them of theism and thought that was worth examining. / Videos referenced in the episode / Jimmy Akin & Emerson Green – Debunking the Skeptics on UFOs The Argument from Miracles (Panel) Countering the Argument for the Resurrection of Jesus What would make atheists accept a miracle claim? | C.M. Lorkowski & Real Atheology 5 Mistakes Atheists Make About Epistemology 4 Things I Learned About Epistemology Phenomenal Conservatism with Michael Huemer Linktree…

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CA130 Am I Agnostic? 25:10

πριν 1 year25:10

25:10

The world is religiously ambiguous: It can be interpreted in various incompatible ways, and the interpreters are not necessarily violating any standards of rationality in doing so. As for me, I don’t feel any position being forced on me by the evidence. My best efforts to judge the total balance of evidence weighing for and against theism leave me thinking that no one has a decisive case; and the main way to give the impression of having a decisive case is to ignore the total evidence, focusing solely or primarily on the facts that support your position. Put a spotlight on the things that favor your view, and minimize or cast aside the things that don’t fit. Over time, I’ve come to appreciate the force of some of the evidence against the hypothesis of indifference and in favor of a “ value selection hypothesis “, e.g. psychophysical harmony , fine-tuning , and the axiological trajectory of the universe. These, along with a few other considerations that favor theism more directly, have gradually moved me to more of a middle position on theism vs. atheism. (Today, I don’t dive into a full-fledged defense of those arguments.) There are plenty of sources of epistemic uncertainty that have increasingly led me to hold on to my beliefs more loosely. How am I supposed to alter my confidence in light of peer disagreement? How should I set my priors? How am I supposed to reckon with the inescapable contingency of my beliefs? Richard Rorty often spoke about a certain kind of philosopher with “radical and continuing doubts about the final vocabulary she currently uses, because she has been impressed by other vocabularies, vocabularies taken as final by people or books she has encountered” (1989). Rorty goes much further, in ways that I can’t get behind. But what can I say? I’m impressed by many of you. The problem is that you have mutually exclusive, incommensurable worldviews. At least for me, at this point, agnosticism seems like the most honest reaction to my epistemic situation. (Of course, God can settle this whenever he likes .) Linktree…

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CA129 Universalism Debate: John Buck vs. Emerson Green 1:47:46

πριν 1 year1:47:46

1:47:46

Returning guest John Buck joins me to debate universalism, eternal conscious torment, and other topics related to hell and the afterlife. My Playlist on Hell Linktree

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CA128 No, math does not prove God 35:06

πριν 1 year35:06

35:06

I respond to the wildly popular Redeemed Zoomer video about proving God’s existence with math. To see the open hangout that took place afterwards, you can watch the original livestream (unedited with no postscript) on YouTube Linktree

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CA127 What’s wrong with the moral argument? 22:16

πριν 1 year22:16

22:16

We wrap up our series on the moral argument for theism, summarize several problems with the argument famously associated with William Lane Craig, and discuss two other moral arguments for God that are not abysmal failures like the standard moral argument. Linktree

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CA126 Euthyphro’s Revenge 57:38

πριν 1 year57:38

57:38

Today, we continue our series on the moral argument for theism. We discuss the Euthyphro dilemma, Hume’s Law, and explore a back-and-forth between William Lane Craig and Michael Huemer on the question, “Why obey God?” Common Mistakes about the Moral Argument | Majesty of Reason Majesty of Reason – Moral Arguments for God: An Analysis Michael Huemer – Groundless Morals (this chapter is within the volume of Erik Wielenberg vs. William Lane Craig on the moral argument) Metaethics w/ Michael Huemer | Emerson Green Is God Necessary for Morality? | William Lane Craig & Shelly Kagan Moral Objectivity Without God | Russ Shafer-Landau Post-Debate Interview with Justin Schieber of Real Atheology L i n k t r e e…

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CA125 The Moral Argument for God 40:23

πριν 1 year40:23

40:23

In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. And morality. The standard moral argument popularized by William Lane Craig and others goes as follows: (1) If God does not exist, objective moral values do not exist. (2) Objective moral values do exist. (3) Therefore, God exists. Today, we cast some doubt on the idea that morality is objective only if God exists. We also define some crucial terms, refute a few apologetic canards, and discuss a few ways in which apologists have misrepresented the field of metaethics and failed the audiences that rely on them. Here’s the overview of the whole moral argument series. Today, in part one, we’ll be covering sections (1)-(5). (1) Introduction (2) Defining Terms (3) Apologetics vs. Metaethics (4) “Humans are just animals” (Moral agents vs. patients) (5) The Moral Law Giver (6) Euthyphro & Intrinsic Value (7) Hume’s Law (8) Why Obey God? (9) Groundless Morals (10) Two Classes of Moral Realism (11) God Cannot Provide the Basis for Objective Morality (12) Good Moral Arguments (13) What’s wrong with the moral argument? A few resources mentioned in this episode: Majesty of Reason – Moral Realism | Dr. Michael Huemer & Dr. Don Loeb Is God Necessary for Morality? | William Lane Craig & Shelly Kagan Moral Objectivity Without God | Russ Shafer-Landau Support the Show Linktree…

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CA124 Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s Conversion to Christianity 21:34

πριν 1 year21:34

21:34

Ayaan Hirsi Ali recently announced her conversion to Christianity. But has she only adopted a form of cultural Christianity? I examine her reasons for becoming a Christian and draw some parallels between Ayaan and another political convert: Andrew Tate. I think her reasons for adopting Christianity are quite clearly explicated, even though some Christians have been trying very hard to ignore them. She argues that Christianity can sustain the liberal values of the Enlightenment that she cherishes so deeply. Those values are under attack, she says, from Islam, Russia, China, and woke ideology. Every purely secular strategy tried in response has been insufficient. Christianity, on the other hand, could function as a far more effective weapon against her political enemies in this existential clash. But why does it matter that the west prevails over its cultural and geopolitical foes? Christianity can help with that, too – not just on a civilizational level, but individually as well. It’s the antidote to nihilism, the heart of liberalism, a panacea for wokeness and illiberalism. These considerations together lead her to adopt Christianity, even if she doesn’t think it’s actually true. Maybe in the future, she’ll affirm something more than cultural Christianity. Until then, I’m honestly inclined to see Ayaan’s “conversion” as further vindication of the death of God: even the converts don’t really believe anymore. A good deal of true believers are apparently so desperate for a morale boost, they’re willing to look past that. Ayaan’s guiding light is liberalism, the Enlightenment, and western civilization. She is a positively zealous believer in what the west represents to her, and this is absolutely crucial to understanding her conversion to Christianity. She may not believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus, but she believes in western civilization. She believes this is the best way – perhaps the only way – to save it from withering. Watch this episode on YouTube Linktree…

1
AMA 3:22:30

πριν 1 year3:22:30

3:22:30

I recently asked for your questions , and I posted my responses on YouTube here . We touch on compatibilism, NDEs, aliens, euthanasia, abortion, death anxiety as an atheist, idealism, incest, Islam, Mormonism, subjectivism, psychophysical harmony, and more. (For those listening via podcast, I left the introduction in to preserve the timestamps for those who want to skip around to different sections.) 00:00 Intro 00:46 Atheistic platonism? 01:22 Why are you gay? 01:30 Are you still a naturalist? 05:47 What kind of compatibilist are you? 09:41 If I settle your debt with PragerU, will you become a libertarian? 10:12 What’s your biggest gripe with physicalism? 12:42 On the abortion debate, when do you think personhood / full moral status begins? 17:22 Do twinks make better philosophers? 17:56 Are you agnostic about anything in philosophy? 19:37 Why are you such a sucker for spooky stuff? 30:49 Who makes those guitar transitions? 32:34 Favorite music? 34:30 Who are some of your favorite Eastern philosophers? 35:03 Which religion would you choose to be true? 40:54 Who are your favorite theist and atheist philosophers? 42:18 Arguing for dualism from mereological nihilism? 45:48 Euthanasia? 48:43 What are your thoughts on each general era of philosophy? 55:00 Thoughts on Jordan Peterson? 58:55 Have you looked into Islam? 1:03:57 Does your mother know you spend so much time talking to strangers on the internet? 1:04:04 What is your opinion on the resurrection? 1:08:23 The best argument against veganism? 1:21:18 What is the primary goal of adopting panpsychism? 1:23:20 Best defenses of objective morality? 1:24:34 How would aliens affect theism and atheism? 1:30:53 Are you a dualist or a physicalist? 1:31:31 Isn’t solipsism simpler than panpsychism? 1:33:37 Thoughts on idealism? 1:35:41 Which political system do you think is right? 1:39:34 Thoughts on metaethical naturalism? 1:41:52 Is incest wrong? 1:45:27 When will you have some Mormons back on your show? 1:46:34 Why atheist and not agnostic? Where can I find good philrel content? 1:49:54 Would necessitarianism defeat fine-tuning and psychophysical harmony? 1:57:38 Do you accept physical causal closure? 2:00:00 How do you explain psychophysical harmony? 2:02:34 Kant’s transcendental idealism and free will? 2:07:56 Are we obligated to refute false beliefs even if they’re meaningful? 2:13:01 Is there any profound nugget of wisdom that Christianity has first or exclusive ownership of? 2:15:17 Analytic/Continental divide? 2:18:05 “Emmerson” 2:19:03 Does the phenomenal powers view weaken psychophysical harmony? 2:22:04 Is time necessary for consciousness? 2:28:49 If you did reconvert, would you be a Christian or a generic theist? 2:32:20 Finite theism? 2:36:22 Top three philosophers who are wrong about everything? 2:37:57 Moral subjectivism with normally functioning humans as the (collective) observer(s) morality is stance-dependent upon? 2:48:52 Are you afraid of death? How do you cope with death anxiety as an atheist? Linktree https://linktr.ee/emersongreen…

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CA123 Christian Universalism w/ Andrew Hronich

πριν 1 year

—

I’m joined by Andrew Hronich, author of Once Loved, Always Loved: The Logic of Apokatastasis . We discuss universal reconciliation, eternal conscious torment, annihilationism, and much else! Watch the interview here Linktree

Counter Apologetics

1
Where New Atheist Epistemology Goes (Very) Wrong – Interview on Adherent Apologetics 1:09:45

πριν 2 years1:09:45

1:09:45

Here’s my appearance on Adherent Apologetics to talk about the recent series of Counter Apologetics episodes on epistemology. Where New Atheist Epistemology Goes (Very) Wrong | @EmersonGreen | Ep. #259 5 Mistakes Atheists Make About Epistemology 4 Things I Learned About Epistemology Epistemology playlist on YouTube Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

1
Debate: Is God Finite? 2:19:33

πριν 2 years2:19:33

2:19:33

Alex Strasser (Protestant) and John Buck (Catholic) debate the merits of finite theism, the view that God is limited in power. Theistic finitism is less vulnerable to the problem of evil than perfect being theism, but are there other trade-offs that make the notion of a finite God less defensible overall? John is defending the view that strong versions of omnipotence avoid problems of vagueness, arbitrariness, ad hocness, lack of predictive power, and complexity that limited models of God suffer from. John also thinks that a new problem of evil arises that is particular only to limited views of God. Alex will give a cosmological argument and fine-tuning argument for finite theism, and further argue that omni-theism is not a fruitful research program due to serious issues with coherence and the analysis of omni-properties. Theistic finitism is rarely discussed in the philosophy of religion, and Alex wants to invite us to take finite theism more seriously and to investigate it carefully. Debate: Is God Finite? Previous limited god debate Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

1
CA122 Substance Dualism w/ Michael Huemer 1:37:27

πριν 2 years1:37:27

1:37:27

Dr. Michael Huemer joins me to defend interactionist substance dualism, the view that the mind and body are composed of different substances and can exert causal influence over each other. Knowledge, Reality, and Value: A Mostly Common Sense Guide to Philosophy Linktree

Counter Apologetics

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CA121 Encountering Mystery w/ Dale Allison 1:08:53

πριν 2 years1:08:53

1:08:53

Today I’m speaking with Dr. Dale Allison, historian and author of many books, including The Resurrection of Jesus , The Historical Christ and the Theological Jesus, and our subject today, Encountering Mystery: Religious Experience in a Secular Age . The subtitle of the book notwithstanding, the unusual experiences we discuss are not explicitly religious. They’re usually interpreted through a religious lens (often without any reflection), but almost all of them needn’t be, which is something we return to quite a bit. Flatly disputing the phenomenon is not the only option available to atheists. We talk about paranormal and parapsychological phenomena, and two major sources of skepticism towards things that fall into those categories. On the one hand, of course, there’s materialism, conservative naturalism, skepticism (as in, the skeptic community), etc. But Protestant Christianity, I was surprised to learn, has also been a skeptical force in history due to their drive to debunk Catholic miracle stories, or even just extraordinary events documented by the Catholic Church that explicitly or implicitly were used as evidence for Catholicism. Since we’re exploring new terrain that involves some quite unusual topics (e.g., clairvoyance, levitation, visions of dead loved ones, etc.) there’s a lot more I want to say, even in this little description box, but I’ll save it for the interview. One thing I forgot to mention during the interview: In addition to Dr. Allison’s book , there are a couple podcasts that regularly discuss cases like the ones that came up today in greater depth. “Otherworld” and “Jimmy Akin’s Mysterious World” come highly recommended from me. Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

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Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence 6:06

πριν 2 years6:06

6:06

Today, I defend the controversial idea that ordinary and extraordinary claims don’t require the same evidence. Linktree

Counter Apologetics

1
CA120 Debate: Limited vs. Unlimited God 1:39:16

πριν 2 years1:39:16

1:39:16

LDS Philosophy and Dry Apologist join me for a debate on the nature of God. We compare the virtues of a limited model of God versus a model on which God is unlimited in power, as well as simple, impassible, etc. Are the classical models of God too impersonal and abstract, incapable of sustaining a commitment to a personal God who loves us? Or are the limited models of God not divine enough? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both views with respect to the problem of evil? Watch the debate on YouTube: Catholic vs. Mormon on the Nature of God Linktree https://linktr.ee/emersongreen…

Counter Apologetics

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CA119 Intuition, Lacktheism, & Charity 16:24

πριν 2 years16:24

16:24

We close out our series on atheism and epistemology with the epistemic value of intuition, the issue of lacktheism, and whether or not I’ve been charitable to my fellow atheists throughout these episodes. Linktree

Counter Apologetics

1
CA118 Testimonial Evidence 16:02

πριν 2 years16:02

16:02

Can we really trust the testimony of others? Does testimony provide any evidence or justification for a claim? I defend the idea that we should trust testimony, and that the epistemic value of testimonial evidence is supported by induction, the principle of charity in interpretation, and coherence. Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

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CA117 Is Theism Unfalsifiable? 13:51

πριν 2 years13:51

13:51

This is part two of a five-part series. For even more on epistemology, check out Walden Pod for a completely different epistemology series. Understanding Knowledge – Michael Huemer Linktree

Counter Apologetics

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CA116 Mistakes Atheists Make About Epistemology: “There is no evidence for God.” 16:52

πριν 2 years16:52

16:52

There are a number of slogans one hears in the online atheist community, some of them purporting to be epistemic principles or rules of thumb. Unfortunately, many of them are only correct if we interpret them very narrowly and often not in the way they were intended, while others are just plain wrong. Today, we’ll be tackling the idea that there is no evidence for theism. What exactly is evidence? And is it reasonable to think there is literally zero evidence for theism? This is part one of a five-part series. For even more on epistemology, check out Walden Pod for a completely different epistemology series. Understanding Knowledge – Michael Huemer Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

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CA115 Post-Debate Interview w/ Justin Schieber of Real Atheology 1:16:47

πριν 2 years1:16:47

1:16:47

Justin Schieber joins me for a lighthearted breakdown of his debate with Eric Hernandez on the existence of God. We critique the arguments put forward by Eric, discuss the evidence presented by Justin, and talk about a few of our favorite moments from the debate. Huge shoutout to Capturing Christianity for organizing the debate, and to the beautiful Lanier Theological Library for hosting the event. Does God Exist? Justin Schieber vs. Eric Hernandez (CC Exchange 2023) Real Atheology’s channel Patreon | Counter Apologetics Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

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CA114 Animal Suffering is Evidence Against God 11:10

πριν 2 years11:10

11:10

Is the kind, degree, and distribution of animal suffering evidence against theism? We discuss why teleological evil, the scale of suffering in evolutionary history, and the moral randomness of animal pain is strong evidence against the existence of God. Transcript YouTube Tip Jar Linktree

Counter Apologetics

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Debate: Is Animal Suffering Evidence That God Does Not Exist? w/ Perspective Philosophy 1:47:27

πριν 2 years1:47:27

1:47:27

Perspective Philosophy and I recently had a friendly debate about the problem of evil, metaethics, the contingency argument, and how he maintains his worldview as a catholic and vegan. The Conversation Post-debate debrief – Patreon Linktree

Counter Apologetics

1
Unknown Arguments For & Against God 1:44:15

πριν 2 years1:44:15

1:44:15

Two Catholics (Dry Apologist & John Buck ) and two atheists ( Emerson Green & Chris Rhodes ) talk about lesser-known arguments for theism and against theism. Chris joins us a little later, but he makes it in time to rack up several casualties on the battlefield of ideas. Originally hosted on Dry Apologist’s channel . 00:00 Introduction 04:00 Evidential Complementarity 08:20 Common Consent Argument 27:00 Argument from Desire 35:35 Argument from Unjust Distribution of Propensities to Sin 1:12:30 Meager Moral Fruits Argument Animal Suffering is Evidence Against Theism (Patron-only bonus episode) Linktree…

Counter Apologetics

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CA113 God’s Personality Change?

πριν 2 years