1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:09,480 Understand the thinking atheist. It's not a person, it's a symbol, an 2 00:00:09,519 --> 00:00:13,640 idea. The population of atheist in this country is going through the rule, 3 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:19,719 rejecting faith, pursuing knowledge, challenging the sacred. If I tell the truth, 4 00:00:19,839 --> 00:00:23,719 it's because I tell the truth, not because I put my hand on 5 00:00:23,760 --> 00:00:28,760 a book and made a wish and working together for a more rational world. 6 00:00:29,000 --> 00:00:32,719 Take the risk of thinking feels much more happiness, truth, beauty, and 7 00:00:32,759 --> 00:00:39,479 wisdom will come to you that way. Assume nothing, question everything, and 8 00:00:39,719 --> 00:00:56,880 start thinking. This is the Thinking Atheist podcast hosted by Seth Andrews Man. 9 00:00:56,920 --> 00:01:00,960 I'm looking forward to speaking in Denver, Colorado. That's coming up May twenty 10 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:07,480 seventh. Later in the summer it's Tulsa, Ronchester, and Sarnia, Ontario, 11 00:01:07,079 --> 00:01:11,159 and others may be coming soon for the rest of twenty twenty three. 12 00:01:11,200 --> 00:01:15,120 If you want to see my entire speaking schedule, times, dates, places, 13 00:01:15,239 --> 00:01:29,040 links Seth andrews dot com slash Events. So my wife Natalie went to 14 00:01:29,120 --> 00:01:34,120 San Diego, California to spend four days with her cousin. Yes, some 15 00:01:34,239 --> 00:01:38,040 time with family, going to go and enjoy the California air and the ocean. 16 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:42,319 You know, water that is not brown, how novel for someone who 17 00:01:42,400 --> 00:01:48,359 lives in Oklahoma. And I stayed back here. I've been traveling a lot, 18 00:01:48,400 --> 00:01:52,439 and somebody needed to watch the dogs, and so she left for the 19 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:55,799 West coast and we were checking in with each other. Hey, baby, 20 00:01:55,840 --> 00:02:00,079 how's your trip going. You having funds? Send me pictures? How's every 21 00:02:00,079 --> 00:02:04,560 body doing? Water some of the fun things that you have been doing. 22 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:09,919 And I think it was the second day, she said Shanna, her cousin. 23 00:02:10,039 --> 00:02:19,639 Shanna has a heated toilet seat and it is the greatest thing in the 24 00:02:19,800 --> 00:02:28,280 universe. I'm sorry she has a heated toilet seat. Yes, yes, 25 00:02:28,719 --> 00:02:39,240 I love sitting on the toilet. It's so warm and comforting. I'm sorry, 26 00:02:40,080 --> 00:02:45,400 you love sitting on the toilet seat? Yes, yes, all right, 27 00:02:45,479 --> 00:02:49,159 we'll describe what you're talking about. And so she goes into it. 28 00:02:49,159 --> 00:02:54,719 It's this electric plug in thing like the seat heats, and I guess it's 29 00:02:54,719 --> 00:03:00,439 got a biday, which is a weird concept for Americans, but apparently not 30 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,479 for most of the other countries of the world, like they have the days 31 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:12,120 and the biday is that water cleaner that I guess to a degree, replaces 32 00:03:12,199 --> 00:03:17,639 toilet tissue. It cleans you from beneath. This device apparently doesn't just have 33 00:03:17,719 --> 00:03:24,919 a bi day, but it's got an ass dryer. So you sit on 34 00:03:24,960 --> 00:03:28,599 the warm seat and you do what you've got to do, and then afterwards 35 00:03:28,639 --> 00:03:32,599 you use a remote there's like a panel and it sprays you to clean you. 36 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:38,280 And then instead of needing toilet paper, apparently you hit the dryer button 37 00:03:40,919 --> 00:03:47,039 and it shoots warm air up and drives you from beneath. So Natalie is 38 00:03:47,080 --> 00:03:55,080 like, this is the best part of my whole trip. I am laughing 39 00:03:55,199 --> 00:04:00,680 so hard on the bottom of what are you talking about? I was, 40 00:04:00,719 --> 00:04:06,479 by the way, informed that the South Park had done an episode on Japanese 41 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:11,280 toilets, because I guess this kind of thing is very common in Japan, 42 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:17,319 like high end luxury heated toilets. With all of these they have toilets that 43 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:24,920 apparently when you walk into the room, they open automatically, the lid goes 44 00:04:25,519 --> 00:04:31,240 automatically, and when you're done, it closes automatically. Some have led lights 45 00:04:31,319 --> 00:04:39,240 that change colors, like little Disco toilets. I did not know these things 46 00:04:39,360 --> 00:04:45,600 existed. So she gets back on a plane. She ends up coming home. 47 00:04:45,680 --> 00:04:48,120 I scoop her up at the airport take her home and we are hanging 48 00:04:48,120 --> 00:04:53,759 out now. I took a one day trip to Dallas, Texas, and 49 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:57,759 while I was on the road, I'm checking in with my wife. Hey, 50 00:04:57,839 --> 00:05:00,639 honey, Yeah, I'm driving south. I'm near Sherman, Texas. 51 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:02,920 You know, I am about an hour and a half or whatever away. 52 00:05:02,959 --> 00:05:10,480 What are you up to? Well, I'm browsing. Yeah, what are 53 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:23,560 you browsing? I am shopping for heated toilet seats for the master bathroom. 54 00:05:23,680 --> 00:05:27,920 I'm sorry, we're gonna get one of those, Like you want one of 55 00:05:27,959 --> 00:05:30,240 those? Yeah? Oh my goodness. It's one of the first things she 56 00:05:30,319 --> 00:05:40,199 did when she got back. So so she has ordered. She has ordered 57 00:05:40,759 --> 00:05:46,519 an ass warming toilet seat with bidet and dryer, and apparently it is supposed 58 00:05:46,519 --> 00:05:51,800 to be delivered in a few days. I mean, she doesn't need my 59 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:59,560 permission to populate her life with the things that make her happy. We have 60 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:04,120 raysed eyebrows at each other, right, We're very different people as equals. 61 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,879 I mean, you know, if it makes you happy, great, But 62 00:06:08,680 --> 00:06:11,720 there are times when you know, you look at the other person and you 63 00:06:11,800 --> 00:06:19,959 raise an eyebrow and go, what what did you buy? What is it 64 00:06:20,000 --> 00:06:25,959 that you want? Then? Why I don't really understand. I mean, 65 00:06:26,000 --> 00:06:30,199 I think all couples can relate to that. You know, I'm guilty. 66 00:06:30,279 --> 00:06:32,519 I've bought plenty of stuff, A lot of it's just crap, but it 67 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:38,160 just makes me happy. I do that. Okay, It's not like I'm 68 00:06:38,199 --> 00:06:43,360 not a total hypocrite, but I give her grief about something. But you 69 00:06:43,399 --> 00:06:46,399 know the truth is it's you know, it's kind of her party. You 70 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:50,160 want this terrific? Okay, great, knock yourself out. Well, we'll 71 00:06:50,240 --> 00:06:56,120 kind of see what happens. Hell, I mean, Natalie's damn superhero. 72 00:06:56,199 --> 00:07:00,519 Anyway, have I told you this story. I'll make it quick if you've 73 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:06,959 heard it already. This was before we got married. We were together and 74 00:07:08,199 --> 00:07:13,040 we had a house in Broken Arrow suburb, another suburb, and I think 75 00:07:13,079 --> 00:07:16,279 she had some unfinished business. She's like, you know, I didn't finish 76 00:07:16,399 --> 00:07:19,639 college when I was eighteen. You know, I went to college, but 77 00:07:19,759 --> 00:07:27,680 I left to pursue my then husband's career to help him build his business. 78 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,800 But now I want to build something for myself. I want to go get 79 00:07:30,360 --> 00:07:35,160 my degree, and she wanted to go into the medical field. The college 80 00:07:35,199 --> 00:07:40,199 to do that a hundred miles away. It's a hundred miles down the turnpike, 81 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:45,399 but she didn't want to be away from her children or displace everyone by 82 00:07:45,439 --> 00:07:50,600 moving. Natalie decided that she was going to drive it a hundred miles each 83 00:07:50,759 --> 00:07:59,879 direction, five days a week for two years. I don't know how she 84 00:08:00,199 --> 00:08:03,720 did it. I mean it was. It's remarkable, I mean every sense 85 00:08:03,720 --> 00:08:07,480 of the word. So, I mean, even if we didn't have this 86 00:08:07,519 --> 00:08:11,480 sort of attitude that hey, whatever, you know, she didn't owe me 87 00:08:11,680 --> 00:08:16,879 anything. She doesn't know me an explanation. She gonna have whatever she wants. 88 00:08:16,879 --> 00:08:20,839 She's a damn superhero. So anyway, as much as I have been 89 00:08:20,920 --> 00:08:24,800 laughing, not have I been mocking. No, don't know if it's mocking. 90 00:08:24,879 --> 00:08:30,600 I think I'm just amused. She has said, and her cousin, 91 00:08:30,639 --> 00:08:33,559 who has found out that this is going on, they have both said, 92 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:39,039 you are going to owe us an apology, because the first time you use 93 00:08:39,120 --> 00:08:46,519 it, you will also determine that this is the greatest thing in the universe. 94 00:08:48,559 --> 00:08:56,480 So, somewhere between my house and a toilet seat manufacturing distribution center, 95 00:08:56,639 --> 00:09:05,039 somewhere some intransit at this moment, there is a heated toilet seats and washer 96 00:09:05,120 --> 00:09:13,919 dryer mechanism thing, and I will have a report for you. I'm gonna 97 00:09:13,960 --> 00:09:18,200 I guess is it a beta test? I guess it wouldn't be a beta 98 00:09:18,279 --> 00:09:22,480 test because it's already a released product. But this would be a home demonstration. 99 00:09:24,519 --> 00:09:28,000 I can't believe I haven't already done this. Hang on just a second. 100 00:09:28,240 --> 00:09:35,799 I'm gonna google search Japan luxury. It comes right up, Japan Luxury 101 00:09:35,879 --> 00:09:43,799 toilet. CNN has an article about this from a few years ago, about 102 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:52,879 walking into a Tokyo bathroom and the smart toilet greeted the reporter. You could 103 00:09:52,919 --> 00:09:56,480 set the temperature of the water heater, you could set the water pressure level. 104 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:03,799 It had lights, and it played music music to poop. Bye, 105 00:10:05,159 --> 00:10:07,960 Okay, all right, this is the thing. Where have I been? 106 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:16,240 Okay? What else have I been doing? Oh? Oklahoma, I swear 107 00:10:16,879 --> 00:10:24,799 so we made national news again for not good reasons again. This time. 108 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:31,279 I've been following the recent passage of Senate Bill four oh four, otherwise known 109 00:10:31,320 --> 00:10:37,919 as the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Acts, And isn't that a punchline. It was 110 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:46,600 co authored by Republican Representative John Eccles, and he was saying it's discriminatory against 111 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:52,559 religions if we don't allow taxpayer money to give them government funds, benefits, 112 00:10:52,600 --> 00:10:58,720 programs, and exemptions. Oh, no, religious institutions are essentially being discriminated 113 00:10:58,759 --> 00:11:07,600 against if Oklahoma's of all faiths and none aren't funneling tax benefit to them and 114 00:11:07,879 --> 00:11:16,720 guests which religion John Ecoles belongs to? And then several Democrats stood up and 115 00:11:16,759 --> 00:11:22,840 stated the obvious. In fact, it was Representative Monroe Nichols who said this 116 00:11:22,399 --> 00:11:30,120 discrimination against religious institutions does not happen in Oklahoma, And of course he's absolutely 117 00:11:30,240 --> 00:11:31,720 right. Now. One of my favorite lines, this is actually from a 118 00:11:31,799 --> 00:11:39,799 news report from kfor News in Oklahoma City. Channel four was profiling the approval 119 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:45,639 of this bill, and the report featured this line. eCos admits he doesn't 120 00:11:45,639 --> 00:11:50,759 have current examples of religious discrimination in Oklahoma, but says this proposed law provides 121 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:56,240 future protection against ideas like removing tax exempt status for churches. Oh, it's 122 00:11:56,320 --> 00:12:01,960 priceless. There are no examples that this shit has actually been going off, 123 00:12:03,759 --> 00:12:05,519 But one day, you mean you never, now, I mean, if 124 00:12:05,519 --> 00:12:11,600 it happens, look out right, they've invented a crisis so that they can 125 00:12:11,759 --> 00:12:18,799 solve the crisis that does not exist. Refreshingly on the debate floor. It 126 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:24,360 was Mickey Dollins, representative for Oklahoma's ninety third district. In fact, let 127 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:30,159 me play you a few minutes of his statement. It is refreshingly reasonable. 128 00:12:30,440 --> 00:12:33,799 Throughout my years here at the Capitol, it seems we've gone beyond bluring the 129 00:12:33,919 --> 00:12:39,200 lines of separation of church and state to just a church and state. But 130 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:43,799 today I stand and advocate for that wall of separation. And I'm going to 131 00:12:43,799 --> 00:12:48,559 give you three reasons why I believe our taxpayer dollars, everyone's taxpayer dollars, 132 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:54,960 should not subsidize religious institutions. In twenty sixteen, I took my first oath 133 00:12:56,039 --> 00:12:58,919 of office, and I've taken it every two years since, the same one 134 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,039 you took, Madam Speaker, and the rest of the people in this chamber. 135 00:13:03,759 --> 00:13:09,799 And in that under Article two, Section five, it says no public 136 00:13:09,840 --> 00:13:15,000 money or property shall ever be appropriated, applied, donated, or used directly 137 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:18,679 or indirectly for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, 138 00:13:18,759 --> 00:13:24,559 denomination, or system of religion, or for the use benefit or support 139 00:13:24,639 --> 00:13:28,240 of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher, or dignitary 140 00:13:28,519 --> 00:13:35,120 or secretary institution. As such. When I first took this oath in twenty 141 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:39,639 sixteen. There is a state question that very same year, and that state 142 00:13:39,679 --> 00:13:48,399 question had to deal with using tax dollars to fund religious activities and programs, 143 00:13:48,440 --> 00:13:52,840 specifically the Ten Commandments at the state capitol. I think we all remember how 144 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:58,320 that turned out. The people of Oklahoma overwhelmingly said they do not want their 145 00:13:58,399 --> 00:14:03,399 tax dollars to fund religious institutions and programs on government property, and that includes 146 00:14:03,480 --> 00:14:11,320 in our schools as well. The Attorney General recently reversed an opinion that speaks 147 00:14:11,320 --> 00:14:16,480 to this very issue. Madam Speaker, a good representative earlier brought up the 148 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:22,159 fact that this bill will result in lawsuits. This bill will end up costing 149 00:14:22,519 --> 00:14:28,679 taxpayer money. I heard the suggestion that representatives should have to foot that bill 150 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:33,320 if they pass unconstitutional laws and ends up in a losing lawsuit, which this 151 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:41,159 one most certainly will. It was also stated publicly by the Senate author that 152 00:14:41,399 --> 00:14:46,639 the Catholic Archdiocese is behind this bill. I wish someone would explain to me 153 00:14:46,279 --> 00:14:52,120 why one of the most wealthiest religious institutions in the history of the world feel 154 00:14:52,159 --> 00:14:58,679 that it's appropriate to use taxpayer dollars, or how it's Burdensen on them to 155 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:03,559 not receive taxpayer dollars in order to fulfill their religious mission. And then Mickey 156 00:15:03,559 --> 00:15:07,919 Dollins goes on to educate the other Christians or Christian nationalist in the room that 157 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:11,639 all right, fine, you're going to open that door. Prepare yourself because 158 00:15:11,679 --> 00:15:15,600 here come the Hindus and the Jews, and the Sikhs and the Muslims and 159 00:15:15,639 --> 00:15:20,519 the Satanists and the Church of the Jedi Order. I think he even invoked 160 00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:24,279 Dudaism, which is an actual religion, by the way, the Church of 161 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:28,320 the Latter Day Dude, which is based on the movie of the Big Lebowski. 162 00:15:28,799 --> 00:15:33,440 I am a dudist priest. I am not kidding. I went to 163 00:15:33,480 --> 00:15:37,960 the church to the Latter Day Dude and I filled out the form and I 164 00:15:37,840 --> 00:15:46,519 am I'm an ordained Dudist priest. And so these Oklahoma Christian zealots are I 165 00:15:46,559 --> 00:15:52,720 think, totally unprepared for the implications of what they are doing, because here 166 00:15:52,759 --> 00:15:58,399 comes everybody else, and they are going to act shocked and dismayed and chagrined. 167 00:15:58,639 --> 00:16:02,799 Oh goodness, church is that, aren't Jesus Jakes? You're going to 168 00:16:02,960 --> 00:16:10,279 benefit from the tax dollars of Christians. That's an attack on my religious freedom 169 00:16:10,679 --> 00:16:21,039 hashtag irony. Oh please let it happen. Please let the Satanic Temple show 170 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:25,720 up and say, hey, we heard there was a party and their seats 171 00:16:25,759 --> 00:16:33,559 for religions were a non theistic religion based around Satan. Looking forward to receiving 172 00:16:33,600 --> 00:16:38,559 those checks. Thank you so much for being so inclusive to our religion. 173 00:16:38,720 --> 00:16:45,600 Oh please let it happen. Please please let me read that headline. Let 174 00:16:45,600 --> 00:16:52,080 it happen. Oh, I'm watching, I'm watching closely. I've also been 175 00:16:52,120 --> 00:17:00,240 spending time on Twitter teaching Christians their own Bible. The guy named Ben Zeislot, 176 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,720 and he writes for the Daily Wire. By the way, the editor 177 00:17:04,839 --> 00:17:11,519 in chief of the Daily Wire is Ben Shapiro. So I'm just letting you 178 00:17:11,559 --> 00:17:15,160 know kind of what to expect. Okay, So ben Zeysloft tweets this out. 179 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:23,759 He says, examples of Christian laws murderers and rapists executed innocence until proven 180 00:17:23,839 --> 00:17:33,240 guilty, equal protection punishment fits the crime. Examples of Pagan laws, child 181 00:17:33,400 --> 00:17:41,000 sacrifice, widow burning, people are chattel, castration of young boys. And 182 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:45,799 I looked at the tweet and I thought, you're just going to waste your 183 00:17:45,799 --> 00:17:48,920 time. You've got so much to do. Look at your inbox. You've 184 00:17:48,920 --> 00:17:52,960 got show prep and you're going to be traveling. You're going here, You're 185 00:17:52,000 --> 00:17:56,000 going you gotta speech to work on, and you're gonna no. No, 186 00:17:56,359 --> 00:18:03,359 I'm gonna respond. I am going to teach another Christian about their Bible. 187 00:18:03,640 --> 00:18:08,400 Sunday school is in session, folks, you are welcome. Click, I 188 00:18:08,440 --> 00:18:15,799 said, Rape victims forced to marry their rapists after the father is paid off 189 00:18:17,200 --> 00:18:26,319 Deuteronomy twenty two. Slavery and slave beating is condoned Exodus twenty one, Human 190 00:18:26,519 --> 00:18:37,799 sacrifice judges twelve, Genocide and kidnapping numbers thirty one. Executing disobedient children Deuteronomy 191 00:18:37,000 --> 00:18:45,119 twenty one. You're not even trying now. Did I expect to change his 192 00:18:45,240 --> 00:18:48,920 mind? Absolutely not. I just felt like he needed to be publicly educated 193 00:18:49,279 --> 00:18:56,119 while other people are watching the exchange play out well, Ben responded, would 194 00:18:56,119 --> 00:19:00,000 you like to hear some of what happened next? I'll spurious some of it 195 00:19:00,039 --> 00:19:03,799 because it went on for a while before I finally got smart and decided to 196 00:19:03,839 --> 00:19:10,359 do something productive. Ben said, you're a professing atheist. On what basis 197 00:19:10,799 --> 00:19:17,119 do you consider whether a given law is moral? Or immoral. Now, 198 00:19:17,119 --> 00:19:22,079 this is a play on the objective moral standard argument. A lot of apologists 199 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:25,519 pinball back to this one. How do you know rape is wrong and murder 200 00:19:25,559 --> 00:19:29,039 is wrong, and theft is wrong, etc. If there isn't a God 201 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:33,119 that told you so, if there's not an objective moral standard that was put 202 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,319 in place by a standard bearer or standard maker, And of course then they 203 00:19:37,359 --> 00:19:41,640 make the chasm size leap to their specific pet deity with a proper name. 204 00:19:41,680 --> 00:19:45,279 In this case, it's going to be yahweh Jesus. How do you know 205 00:19:45,559 --> 00:19:52,519 that a given law is moral or immoral? So I responded that understanding evolved 206 00:19:52,759 --> 00:20:03,119 ethical systems isn't difficult for those who are actually interested pro social species survive and 207 00:20:03,400 --> 00:20:10,200 thrive. More interesting, here is your redirect away from the chapters and verses 208 00:20:10,240 --> 00:20:17,000 I cited. Ben jumps back in why are murder and rape wrong? How 209 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:22,599 do you decide this? I said, you need to be informed by a 210 00:20:22,759 --> 00:20:30,200 third party that rape and murder are destructive behaviors. That's scary, But back 211 00:20:30,240 --> 00:20:37,680 to your Bible where rape is allowed and rape victims are punished. He still 212 00:20:37,720 --> 00:20:42,279 doesn't want to talk about it. He says, you're borrowing capital from the 213 00:20:42,400 --> 00:20:48,440 Christian worldview, you have a god given conscience by opposing rape and murder, 214 00:20:48,559 --> 00:20:52,680 but you have no basis to account for this beyond saying most people agree with 215 00:20:52,759 --> 00:21:00,759 you. This is the same basis of morality which enabled the whole cost And 216 00:21:00,960 --> 00:21:11,079 we just knew he was going to invoke the Nazis, and it went on 217 00:21:11,079 --> 00:21:14,599 and on. He essentially said that, you know, an Islamist, a 218 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:19,319 Muslim can come in and say that you were borrowing your moral capital from Allah 219 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:23,000 and the Islamic God, and you would both have an equal amount of evidence 220 00:21:23,039 --> 00:21:30,279 to prove this zero. I'm also interested in how ben Zeisloft called me a 221 00:21:30,440 --> 00:21:33,519 professing atheist, and I have to wonder if he's one of those guys who 222 00:21:33,559 --> 00:21:37,119 says, well, everybody believes in God, some people just don't want to 223 00:21:37,160 --> 00:21:41,559 admit it. Did I hear that quite a bit? You know, Well, 224 00:21:41,599 --> 00:21:47,720 everybody knows that God is real, some people just profess otherwise, you 225 00:21:47,799 --> 00:21:52,799 know, And then we just prepare ourselves for the barrage of all the familiar 226 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:57,559 stuff that's going to come next. Right, Evolutionists just a theory. It 227 00:21:57,680 --> 00:22:03,799 takes more faith to be an atheist. Atheism is just another religion. The 228 00:22:03,920 --> 00:22:07,640 God of the gaps. You were never a true Christian because a true Christian 229 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,240 would never have walked away from the love of Jesus. You're taking the Old 230 00:22:12,279 --> 00:22:18,000 Testament out of context. I had a personal experience with Jesus and that proves 231 00:22:18,119 --> 00:22:23,319 Jesus better safe than sorry. I'd rather believe and go to Heaven even if 232 00:22:23,319 --> 00:22:29,720 I'm wrong. I haven't wasted anything. How did something come from nothing? 233 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:37,160 The eye is too complex to have evolved. Here's scientist X like Stephen Meyer, 234 00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:41,480 and he believes in God. It's true because the Bible says it's true. 235 00:22:41,680 --> 00:22:47,279 We are a Christian nation. The Lord is mysterious, He moves in 236 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:51,359 mysterious ways. Of course, he is also not the author of confusion, 237 00:22:51,559 --> 00:22:56,359 so he is really undeniable. If you look around, atheists reject God because 238 00:22:56,359 --> 00:23:03,400 they wish to be God. There are no transitional fossils. You know what 239 00:23:03,799 --> 00:23:08,839 prove God doesn't exist. Well, for somebody who doesn't believe in God, 240 00:23:10,039 --> 00:23:14,200 you sure talk about him an awful lot. This seems suspicious to me. 241 00:23:14,559 --> 00:23:19,039 And of course my favorite you may not believe in God, but he believes 242 00:23:19,119 --> 00:23:33,039 in you. These people, it's like somebody decided to write out theology on 243 00:23:33,279 --> 00:23:38,240 bumper stickers, and then they use those bumper stickers to train a parrot how 244 00:23:38,279 --> 00:23:42,920 to speak. And then when you engage them, it's like these little Christian 245 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,119 ease fortune cookies. MAP. It's not a religion, it's a relationship, 246 00:23:48,240 --> 00:23:55,839 man. I mean, Christians have no idea how offensive the question actually is. 247 00:23:56,759 --> 00:24:00,480 If you don't believe in God, how would you even know not to 248 00:24:00,799 --> 00:24:06,440 rape people? This is what religion does to the brain. This, to 249 00:24:06,599 --> 00:24:11,599 them seems like a reasonable and unoffensive question. Why aren't you a rapist? 250 00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:17,119 If you don't believe in God, specifically my God named Jesus or whoever, 251 00:24:17,720 --> 00:24:22,079 why aren't you a rapist? Well, you either stole morality from my God 252 00:24:22,519 --> 00:24:30,000 or you might actually be capable of rape you. And I look them in 253 00:24:30,039 --> 00:24:34,079 the eye and say, is the Bible the good book? Absolutely? Would 254 00:24:34,079 --> 00:24:38,839 you do me a favor? Open it up to Judges twenty one, Numbers 255 00:24:38,920 --> 00:24:45,839 thirty one, Deuteronomy twenty and twenty two, Second Samuel twelve, Judges, 256 00:24:47,000 --> 00:24:52,119 Chapter five, Exodus twenty one, Zachariah fourteen. Just open up the Bible 257 00:24:52,519 --> 00:24:59,319 and read these segments, among others, and then call me, okay, 258 00:24:59,359 --> 00:25:07,759 call me and we'll talk. Okay. Rondis Santis is being sued by Disney. 259 00:25:08,039 --> 00:25:14,160 Oh, I'm so happy. I'm so happy. We're going to talk 260 00:25:14,200 --> 00:25:26,759 about that next. I have been struggling lately. I try not to hate 261 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:30,920 people. I can't think of a time I've said I hate this person, 262 00:25:32,039 --> 00:25:37,559 because I feel like the world already has too much hates. We're opponents of 263 00:25:37,680 --> 00:25:42,279 hate. Hate has driven so much destructive behavior against our fellow human beings. 264 00:25:42,640 --> 00:25:48,519 I don't want to hate, but I struggle with some people on the planet. 265 00:25:49,160 --> 00:25:53,039 There is a famous quote that's attributed to Mark Twain. I don't think 266 00:25:53,039 --> 00:25:59,039 Twain actually said it, but the quote is I've never wished a man debt, 267 00:25:59,680 --> 00:26:06,559 but I have read some obituaries with great pleasure. Oh, I feel 268 00:26:06,920 --> 00:26:12,680 the statements. I mean, I don't need Tucker Carlson to die. But 269 00:26:12,799 --> 00:26:19,279 let's say aliens came and abducted him, and they took him away somewhere and 270 00:26:19,440 --> 00:26:26,279 he was just gone, never to return. I would read that headline with 271 00:26:26,440 --> 00:26:33,880 great pleasure, because what did we lose and what did we gain? Marjorie 272 00:26:33,920 --> 00:26:41,480 Taylor Green, Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, etc. They accidentally say the 273 00:26:41,640 --> 00:26:47,440 magic words open a porthole to a paralleled dimension, stepped through they are never 274 00:26:47,480 --> 00:26:52,519 seen or heard from again. What have we lost and what have we gained? 275 00:26:52,799 --> 00:26:59,319 The net goodness of humanity would go up. The stock price of our 276 00:26:59,440 --> 00:27:07,240 species would increase, would it not, Governor Rond Santis of Florida. By 277 00:27:07,279 --> 00:27:08,960 the way, and this is just in his side. This is the same 278 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:14,599 guy who ran for the midterms twenty twenty two. And let me display you 279 00:27:14,759 --> 00:27:21,480 some of the audio from round Santis's political television commercial. And on the eighth 280 00:27:21,799 --> 00:27:27,039 day, God looked down on his planned paradise and said, I need a 281 00:27:27,119 --> 00:27:33,839 protector. So God made a fighter. God said, I need somebody willing 282 00:27:33,839 --> 00:27:38,599 to get up before dawn, kiss his family goodbye, travel thousands of miles 283 00:27:38,640 --> 00:27:44,200 for no other reason than to serve the people, to save their jobs, 284 00:27:44,240 --> 00:27:49,359 their livelihoods, their liberty, their happiness. So God made a fighter. 285 00:27:51,559 --> 00:27:56,119 God said, I need someone to be strong, advocate truth in the midst 286 00:27:56,160 --> 00:28:02,359 of hysteria, someone who challenges conventional wizm and isn't afraid to defend what he 287 00:28:02,440 --> 00:28:07,240 knows to be right and just. So God made a fighter. By the 288 00:28:07,240 --> 00:28:11,720 way, that's a play on an old nineteen seventy eight speech that was given 289 00:28:11,759 --> 00:28:15,599 by Paul Harvey called so God made a farmer. It was a tribute to 290 00:28:15,680 --> 00:28:19,920 the American farmer. Ron de Santists just sort of retooled it to tell the 291 00:28:19,960 --> 00:28:26,519 world God has anointed him, the great Crusader, to come and save the 292 00:28:26,559 --> 00:28:30,960 state of Florida. I look at this man, and I'm seeking I'm desperate 293 00:28:32,000 --> 00:28:40,559 to find a single redeeming quality. I can't find anything. Nothing, zero, 294 00:28:40,880 --> 00:28:47,920 zip, nil, nothing. Florida Governor Ron de Santist this is the 295 00:28:47,960 --> 00:28:52,240 guy elected back in twenty eighteen, took office in January of twenty nineteen. 296 00:28:52,319 --> 00:28:59,200 The same guy who not only sort of brushed off COVID mask requirements and made 297 00:28:59,240 --> 00:29:07,319 it illegal for businesses and government offices to require vaccination cards and saw COVID cases 298 00:29:07,480 --> 00:29:11,720 spike and COVID deaths spike in the state of Florida. This the same guy 299 00:29:11,920 --> 00:29:15,920 who had a data scientist. Her name is Rebecca Jones, and she worked 300 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:21,000 for the State of Florida, for the government of Florida, and she was 301 00:29:21,200 --> 00:29:30,440 ordered to manipulate data on COVID nineteen cases and deaths. Being a scientist, 302 00:29:30,759 --> 00:29:37,640 she refused. What happened to her, Governor Ruanda Santis fired her. He 303 00:29:37,839 --> 00:29:45,960 fired her for not falsifying records, and he's been accused of falsifying or shielding 304 00:29:47,079 --> 00:29:52,319 other public records, anything that makes him look bad. Bloggers were writing about 305 00:29:52,400 --> 00:29:56,880 ran das Santis. They were heavily criticizing the stuff he was saying and doing 306 00:29:56,880 --> 00:30:03,880 in the state of Florida. And oh look who suggested that bloggers in Florida 307 00:30:03,079 --> 00:30:11,200 who write about the governments and representatives, congresspeople, and the governor, they 308 00:30:11,240 --> 00:30:15,480 would all have to register with the state. They would have to send in 309 00:30:15,640 --> 00:30:22,000 reports on everything they write and document how much money they make as bloggers. 310 00:30:23,000 --> 00:30:30,000 And if that sounds suspiciously North Korea, you would be absolutely right. Ron 311 00:30:30,079 --> 00:30:37,400 de Santis doesn't want discussion about race or sexual orientation in school. He thinks 312 00:30:37,440 --> 00:30:41,359 teaching people that our past isn't all harps and roses, and that the United 313 00:30:41,440 --> 00:30:48,359 States has a history of discrimination against minorities, whether it's women or LGBTQ people 314 00:30:48,640 --> 00:30:53,240 or people of color, etc. By acknowledging and teaching about things like I 315 00:30:53,279 --> 00:30:59,000 don't know, the Civil Rights movement, the Civil War or whatever, we 316 00:30:59,039 --> 00:31:07,119 are teaching children to hate America. He has waged war on the actual teaching 317 00:31:07,759 --> 00:31:14,720 of our history. He's behind a ton of book bannings going on throughout the 318 00:31:14,759 --> 00:31:18,400 state. Who would have thunk we would live in the time of book bannings, 319 00:31:18,519 --> 00:31:26,519 But here we are, and there is Governor Rondssantis. This was last 320 00:31:26,599 --> 00:31:34,680 year. Round Santiss chartered two private planes and then he lured migrants to board 321 00:31:34,720 --> 00:31:41,599 the airplanes under false pretenses. Fifty of these people got onto the plane. 322 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:48,000 They were flown to Martha's Vineyard. On September fourteenth, they were dumped off. 323 00:31:48,200 --> 00:31:55,119 Neither they nor Martha's Vineyard were informed about what the hell was going on. 324 00:31:56,160 --> 00:32:00,839 DeSantis just had him dumped off. Did you watch the residence of Martha's 325 00:32:00,920 --> 00:32:06,960 Vineyard after that happened, They all joined together. They provided temporary shelter, 326 00:32:07,160 --> 00:32:12,440 and they gave them food and blankets and clothing and everything that they might need 327 00:32:12,599 --> 00:32:17,359 urgently, even though they were overwhelmed. This was an island community unprepared for 328 00:32:17,519 --> 00:32:23,000 this influx of people on two jet planes. They were humanity and they did 329 00:32:23,359 --> 00:32:30,559 the humanist thing. All the while. Ron de Santis is back in Florida 330 00:32:30,640 --> 00:32:42,000 congratulating himself for displacing human beings after lying to them. And now we've got 331 00:32:42,079 --> 00:32:47,720 round Santis's feud with Mickey Mouse, and you're just not going to win a 332 00:32:47,799 --> 00:32:53,720 war with Mickey Mouse. She can't beat Mickey Mouse. Short version of a 333 00:32:53,839 --> 00:32:58,200 very long and messy story. I'm going to miss some of the details here, 334 00:32:59,039 --> 00:33:05,119 but Disney has been in charge of its own municipal services and zoning and 335 00:33:05,519 --> 00:33:09,400 acting almost like a mini state within the state of Florida. They're able to 336 00:33:09,400 --> 00:33:15,319 do what they do because they bring so much benefit to the state of Florida. 337 00:33:15,319 --> 00:33:17,480 It's a symbiotic relationship. Disney says, Look, we know how to 338 00:33:17,559 --> 00:33:22,440 run our own show, and Florida gets a ton of tourism dollars. We 339 00:33:22,559 --> 00:33:25,680 help put Florida on the map. In this way, everybody wins. Okay, 340 00:33:25,720 --> 00:33:32,240 great, But Ronda Santis has become concerned that Disney has gone woke. 341 00:33:34,559 --> 00:33:38,279 Disney fires back and says, hey, we're a private entity and we can 342 00:33:38,319 --> 00:33:44,000 decide to accept all people, no matter who they are, and celebrate the 343 00:33:44,079 --> 00:33:50,720 diversity, the wide, wild spectrum of humanity on our terms. Get over 344 00:33:50,799 --> 00:33:55,000 it. Ronda Santis says, oh yeah, I'm going to sign a bill 345 00:33:55,599 --> 00:34:01,839 that strips away your ability to operate with autonomy. The government's now going to 346 00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:07,920 take control of many of your critical services. So what you've been doing for 347 00:34:07,920 --> 00:34:13,519 the last fifty years. It's pretty much over. We are going to tell 348 00:34:13,559 --> 00:34:19,519 you how to do what you do. Disney responded, oh yeah, here's 349 00:34:19,559 --> 00:34:24,840 a lawsuit. Have a nice day. By the way, Governor DeSantis and 350 00:34:25,159 --> 00:34:30,000 the state of Florida was actually asked or required in court to define what it 351 00:34:30,039 --> 00:34:35,320 means to be woke. This was a separate lawsuit that was going on. 352 00:34:35,400 --> 00:34:40,320 There was a Democratic state attorney, a guy named Andrew Warren, and he 353 00:34:40,360 --> 00:34:46,719 said that he would not prosecute abortion seekers or providers. He simply refused to 354 00:34:46,719 --> 00:34:51,000 do it, and he signed a pledge I am not going to wage a 355 00:34:51,039 --> 00:34:57,039 war on reproductive rights or punish people who want an abortion. Ron de Santis 356 00:34:57,159 --> 00:35:01,079 says, you are in dereliction of your duty. I'm going to sue you. 357 00:35:01,159 --> 00:35:04,679 So they take the whole thing in front of a judge and they start 358 00:35:04,760 --> 00:35:09,840 talking about how Attorney Warren is being woke. The judge said, what do 359 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,039 you mean by woke? How do you define woke? And listen to the 360 00:35:15,280 --> 00:35:25,480 definition woke is quote the belief that there are systemic injustices in American society and 361 00:35:25,639 --> 00:35:35,639 the need to address them. Wait a minute, there are systemic injustices in 362 00:35:35,719 --> 00:35:42,039 American society and there is a need to address them. How is that controversial? 363 00:35:43,639 --> 00:35:47,199 How would any moral person look at structures in place, many which have 364 00:35:47,239 --> 00:35:53,559 been grandfathered in by hugely racist foundations, and not acknowledge that, Yeah, 365 00:35:53,679 --> 00:36:00,400 yes, there are some systems that are unjust and we need to work against 366 00:36:00,440 --> 00:36:06,559 it to benefit all in promote equality. Wokesm. How is this controversial? 367 00:36:06,840 --> 00:36:09,960 But welcome to the tiny, tiny, tiny world of Ron DeSantis, where 368 00:36:09,960 --> 00:36:15,519 apparently this is a problem. Anyway, Disney decides they're not having any of 369 00:36:15,519 --> 00:36:20,480 this, and they're not going to let the government come in and jack with 370 00:36:20,599 --> 00:36:24,360 them in this way. So on the twenty sixth of April, they filed 371 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:29,159 their lawsuit. Let me just read a little bit from the front of the 372 00:36:29,239 --> 00:36:31,559 lawsuit. Usually it's a bunch of legal speak that's hard to get through. 373 00:36:31,920 --> 00:36:38,159 This is actually really, really well worded. Let me read just a few 374 00:36:38,199 --> 00:36:44,920 paragraphs from the introduction. For more than half a century, Disney has made 375 00:36:44,920 --> 00:36:51,320 an immeasurable impact on Florida and its economy, establishing Central Florida as a top 376 00:36:51,519 --> 00:36:58,360 global tourist destination and attracting tens of millions of visitors to the state each year. 377 00:36:59,199 --> 00:37:02,719 People in Emily's from every corner of the globe of travel to Walt Disney 378 00:37:02,719 --> 00:37:10,039 World because of the unrivaled guest experience it provides and the deep emotional connection that 379 00:37:10,199 --> 00:37:19,360 generations of fans have with Disney's timeless stories and characters. A targeted campaign of 380 00:37:19,480 --> 00:37:28,880 government retaliation, orchestrated at every step by Governor Dissantis as punishment for Disney's protected 381 00:37:29,000 --> 00:37:36,559 speech, now threatens Disney's business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, 382 00:37:36,960 --> 00:37:44,239 and violates its constitutional rights. Today's action is the latest strike at the 383 00:37:44,320 --> 00:37:51,360 governor's bidding. The state's oversight Board has purported to void publicly noted and duly 384 00:37:51,400 --> 00:37:59,039 agreed development contracts which had laid the foundation for billions of Disney's investment dollars and 385 00:37:59,280 --> 00:38:07,239 thousands of jobs. This government action was patently retaliatory, patently anti business, 386 00:38:07,440 --> 00:38:14,199 and patently unconstitutional, but the governor and his allies have made clear they do 387 00:38:14,280 --> 00:38:20,360 not care and will not stop. Declared that his team would not only avoid 388 00:38:20,440 --> 00:38:24,960 the development agreement just as they did today, but also planned to look at 389 00:38:25,000 --> 00:38:31,480 things like taxes on the hotel's tolls on the roads developing some of the property 390 00:38:31,559 --> 00:38:39,400 that the district owns with more amusement parks and even putting a state prison next 391 00:38:39,400 --> 00:38:46,159 to Walt Disney World. Who knows. I just think the possibilities are endless, 392 00:38:46,199 --> 00:38:52,880 he said, skipping down to the last paragraph of the introduction. Disney 393 00:38:52,920 --> 00:38:59,199 finds itself in this regrettable position because it expressed a viewpoint the governor and his 394 00:38:59,320 --> 00:39:04,760 allies did not like. Disney wishes that things could have been resolved a different 395 00:39:04,800 --> 00:39:09,119 way. But Disney also knows that it's fortunate to have the resources to take 396 00:39:09,119 --> 00:39:16,519 a stand against the state's retaliation, a stand smaller businesses and individuals might not 397 00:39:16,679 --> 00:39:22,480 be able to take when the state comes after them for expressing their own views. 398 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:31,599 In America, the government cannot punish you for speaking your mind. And 399 00:39:31,679 --> 00:39:42,320 so Governor Rondis Santis has poked the bear, or poked the mouse. He 400 00:39:42,480 --> 00:39:46,320 has unleashed the whirlwind. This isn't some mom and pop shop on the corner 401 00:39:46,840 --> 00:39:52,480 where the lawyers can just bleed him dry, so they can't retaliate. Disney's 402 00:39:52,519 --> 00:39:55,679 going okay, fine, If anybody can afford a legal battle, I guess 403 00:39:55,679 --> 00:40:05,519 it's us here we go. Government counter suits have already been filed. There 404 00:40:05,599 --> 00:40:08,800 was an article in Esquire from a few months ago that was commenting on the 405 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:14,800 cruelty, the celebrated cruelty of round Santis, which you and I, I 406 00:40:14,800 --> 00:40:15,960 mean, we see all around us, right, some people are like, 407 00:40:16,000 --> 00:40:20,880 well, they're strong, they're not afraid to speak their mind, they're beholden 408 00:40:21,000 --> 00:40:25,800 to no one. That's strength. Well is that really strength? Or I 409 00:40:25,800 --> 00:40:29,559 mean, are you strong? You're just a bully? Or you just cruel 410 00:40:30,239 --> 00:40:36,760 Esquire magazine from February. The article is titled round Santis is a man of 411 00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,840 no qualities, and the article covers much of what you and I have covered 412 00:40:39,880 --> 00:40:44,920 here and a lot more. But I really like the way this is phrased. 413 00:40:45,599 --> 00:40:53,599 Normalization of cruelty matters. Normalization of authoritarianism matters, normalization of Orwellian approaches 414 00:40:53,679 --> 00:41:00,920 to governance anti democratic to their core matter. It is dangerous to let fascism 415 00:41:01,039 --> 00:41:07,800 become a concept that lazily yawns and breathes in the morning air, whistles a 416 00:41:07,920 --> 00:41:14,800 cheerful tune on the way to a cafe coffee and a breakfast sandwich before getting 417 00:41:14,840 --> 00:41:20,519 down to the serious work. Thankful that once more it has not had to 418 00:41:20,599 --> 00:41:25,880 explain itself. The santist may be less flamboyant than Trump, but he supports 419 00:41:25,880 --> 00:41:34,599 his style and substance of governance just as inflammatory. He weaponizes others emotions to 420 00:41:34,719 --> 00:41:39,960 create an image of himself as imbued with the qualities of some quasi religious savior 421 00:41:40,079 --> 00:41:47,679 of Florida, while actually making people's lives worse. Florida and its people don't 422 00:41:47,760 --> 00:41:54,159 deserve this desecration. No place does, even as de Santists and his Republican 423 00:41:54,280 --> 00:42:00,960 predecessors have managed to turn an absolute paradise into a play that is close to 424 00:42:00,039 --> 00:42:07,880 a failed state. Because what Roun Dyssantis does at base, including too his 425 00:42:07,039 --> 00:42:15,440 base, is simple. He inflicts damage in pursuit of political gain, on 426 00:42:15,599 --> 00:42:22,679 purpose and with abandon with no regard for collateral harm. This is the Roundissantis 427 00:42:22,840 --> 00:42:30,199 of Florida who wants to become the Roundissantis of America, to tell us to 428 00:42:30,280 --> 00:42:35,800 our dying day that we are not communities of loving grace and communion, that 429 00:42:35,840 --> 00:42:40,320 we are not all connected, that acts of loving kindness are for fools and 430 00:42:40,440 --> 00:42:46,039 traitors, To tell us that only some of us matter, not all of 431 00:42:46,119 --> 00:42:51,400 us. Maybe, in the end, if we do not heed the warnings, 432 00:42:51,719 --> 00:42:58,119 Dyssantis will tell us in a thousand lacerating ways, direct and indirect, 433 00:42:59,039 --> 00:43:05,280 that none of us matter. Again. That's from an article from February and 434 00:43:05,480 --> 00:43:15,239 Esquire by Jeff Vandermere. Our listeners have opinions about much of this short break. 435 00:43:15,239 --> 00:43:23,199 We'll talk to them next. I've been curious how the whole Ron DeSantis 436 00:43:23,920 --> 00:43:29,079 Disney lawsuit is going to play out. I think many of our listeners are 437 00:43:29,159 --> 00:43:37,159 curious as well. We go to the switchboard, three oh one, I've 438 00:43:37,199 --> 00:43:42,000 got Ray, Ray, Are you with me? Yes? Disney de Santis. 439 00:43:42,400 --> 00:43:47,639 You know, two men enter, one man leaves. I guess you 440 00:43:47,719 --> 00:43:52,079 have I don't know. Do you have any respect it? Yeah? I 441 00:43:52,159 --> 00:43:54,280 turned it around a little bit. I think no matter what DeSantis loses, 442 00:43:55,039 --> 00:44:00,840 even sixty ms against Disney, with the BS word that you put in, 443 00:44:00,559 --> 00:44:07,000 I think that win is like another case of dog catches car. Ultimately, 444 00:44:07,039 --> 00:44:09,920 we have a layer of voters that will say, even the ones that are 445 00:44:10,360 --> 00:44:14,800 are so called conservative, they'll see that and I'll go, oh shit, 446 00:44:14,920 --> 00:44:19,480 this is not what I wanted when they see what happens next. And I'm 447 00:44:19,480 --> 00:44:23,320 thinking. My basis for this thought is that I listened to the Rachel Meadow 448 00:44:23,639 --> 00:44:31,079 podcast called Ultra when America went through a period where Nazis were infiltrating Congress or 449 00:44:31,199 --> 00:44:38,639 Nazi simitizers and state level of governments, and we had basically bosses in these 450 00:44:38,679 --> 00:44:45,239 power positions. When prosecutors were going after politicians, the prosecures would get fired. 451 00:44:45,920 --> 00:44:50,400 Or when trials are going on judges with these people who blew up or 452 00:44:51,039 --> 00:44:57,280 attacked institutions, then the judge dies in the middle of the trial. All 453 00:44:57,280 --> 00:45:00,760 these things happen. Ultimately, what happens is the vote in this case has 454 00:45:00,800 --> 00:45:06,119 happened with forties saw what was going on. They said, okay, enough 455 00:45:06,719 --> 00:45:10,559 and they voted all of those Nazi sympathizers out, even though they were winning, 456 00:45:12,400 --> 00:45:15,400 and not everybay saw justice, and some people that were fine for justice 457 00:45:15,519 --> 00:45:22,239 never saw success. But there's something built into our culture on a very fundamental 458 00:45:22,320 --> 00:45:25,000 level, very basic level, that might in the end, when things get 459 00:45:25,039 --> 00:45:31,199 worse and worse and worse, protect us. That's my thought. When Trump 460 00:45:31,360 --> 00:45:38,039 was running in twenty sixteen, I remember seeing one awful revelation after another, 461 00:45:38,199 --> 00:45:45,159 enough thought, well that'll be it. That's unsurvivable. And throughout twenty sixteen, 462 00:45:45,239 --> 00:45:49,400 seventeen, eighteen ninety right, I kept thinking, well, you know, 463 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:53,960 at some point people are going to say we've had enough and they're just 464 00:45:54,000 --> 00:46:00,119 going to cast the guy aside. And I'm still waiting for that day. 465 00:46:00,719 --> 00:46:04,440 I struggle with that. I don't know if I have your level of what 466 00:46:04,519 --> 00:46:08,840 I call it optimism. Have you noticed that the layers of support for Trumps 467 00:46:08,920 --> 00:46:14,719 peeled away, Not enough where you can just breathe a sigh of relief, 468 00:46:15,320 --> 00:46:17,480 but the number, the overall numbers, even though the percentages go up, 469 00:46:17,599 --> 00:46:23,559 the overall numbers go down. I am seeing more dissent and dissatisfaction sometimes. 470 00:46:23,599 --> 00:46:28,360 For there are some people, I think who have woken up and said, 471 00:46:28,400 --> 00:46:30,400 holy shit. Right then they've come forward and they're like, you know, 472 00:46:30,480 --> 00:46:35,079 I was that person and I was wrong. And I think that's fair and 473 00:46:35,440 --> 00:46:39,119 it's good. I think we have to allow throughout humanity the opportunity for people 474 00:46:39,159 --> 00:46:44,920 to grow through failure. We've all been wrong about something something critical. I 475 00:46:44,960 --> 00:46:47,519 also think there are other people who are pissed off at Trump because he wasn't 476 00:46:47,519 --> 00:46:52,360 as awful as they wanted, like where's the damn wall? And how come 477 00:46:52,480 --> 00:46:57,400 Muslims are here? And shit like that and so. But it is interesting 478 00:46:57,400 --> 00:47:01,199 to watch the division and discent, and I do wonder if it's going to 479 00:47:01,360 --> 00:47:05,800 cost him at some point. You know, Well, they end up attacking 480 00:47:05,840 --> 00:47:07,400 each other. Right, they'll go to war with each other while the rest 481 00:47:07,400 --> 00:47:13,400 of its watch from the grand stand kind of thing. Right, And do 482 00:47:13,480 --> 00:47:16,880 you know there is that conundrum regarding Trump. If he wins the primary, 483 00:47:17,719 --> 00:47:22,559 he might increase the odds of losing the general election. I've been watching him 484 00:47:23,280 --> 00:47:28,800 more and more invoked the name of God recently as he is doing his thing. 485 00:47:28,840 --> 00:47:30,760 He's talking more and more about the Bible and God. He's doing these 486 00:47:30,760 --> 00:47:36,320 sit down interviews on religious networks. And I keep saying, and I will 487 00:47:36,400 --> 00:47:39,000 stand by this, I would pay a thousand dollars out of my savings, 488 00:47:39,000 --> 00:47:44,280 out of my life's I would take a thousand dollars for the opportunity to give 489 00:47:44,360 --> 00:47:49,880 Donald Trump a ten minute basic Bible quiz on live television. Right for all 490 00:47:49,920 --> 00:47:52,639 the Bible waving he does, I would. I'll ask him the basics, 491 00:47:52,679 --> 00:47:57,360 No trick questions, right, no minefield, no potholes. I'm just going 492 00:47:57,400 --> 00:48:00,880 to ask him the basics to see how much he knows about the God that 493 00:48:00,920 --> 00:48:07,880 he continues to invoke. And he will fail beautifully. I'm convinced a great 494 00:48:07,960 --> 00:48:12,199 idea, a great idea. In fact, I would add on to that 495 00:48:12,320 --> 00:48:15,000 naked a game show where you have him verse a five year old him versus 496 00:48:15,039 --> 00:48:19,440 a five year old from Sunday School. Let's try that, yeah, yeah, 497 00:48:19,599 --> 00:48:22,960 and let's penalize him financially for every wrong answer or you know, six 498 00:48:23,000 --> 00:48:28,239 months in prison for every time you get one wrong. And here we go, 499 00:48:30,440 --> 00:48:34,679 right, thanks for calling it, so appreciate you being a part of 500 00:48:34,719 --> 00:48:37,559 today's conversation. Be safe out there, okay, all right, see you 501 00:48:37,639 --> 00:48:43,280 later. They used to have a game show when I was growing up, 502 00:48:43,280 --> 00:48:45,800 and I kind of wanted to be on the game show called the Bible Bowl. 503 00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:52,679 It was like a national televised thing, and so kids would qualify locally 504 00:48:52,719 --> 00:48:57,239 and then they would compete all the way up the chain until they ended up 505 00:48:57,280 --> 00:49:00,639 on this television show and it was like a arena, circular arena, and 506 00:49:00,679 --> 00:49:07,639 then they would bring kids down to answer Bible questions for points. And now 507 00:49:07,679 --> 00:49:12,159 I'm looking and I'm like, I'd like a chance to formulate the questions. 508 00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:15,360 Now. Somebody in the chat made the legitimate point that I don't want to 509 00:49:15,440 --> 00:49:22,199 use the traumatizing stuff on very young children, right, Probably not the slavery 510 00:49:22,320 --> 00:49:25,440 and rape versus on a five year old and I think that's fair. Okay, 511 00:49:25,480 --> 00:49:30,440 so let's call it older kids junior high, high school kind of thing. 512 00:49:30,679 --> 00:49:37,719 Let me formulate the questions. How many for skids did King Saul wants 513 00:49:37,960 --> 00:49:44,239 David to slice off of the penises of philistines as a dowry for his daughters 514 00:49:44,320 --> 00:49:52,400 and in marriage. One hundred ding ding ding ding correct? Actually David brought 515 00:49:52,440 --> 00:49:54,840 two hundred four skins. He was like, oh, you want a hundred, 516 00:49:54,840 --> 00:50:00,400 I'm going to double that. I'll impress you. Who wants a dowry 517 00:50:00,639 --> 00:50:06,480 of four skins? Someone explain this Bible story to me. And these are 518 00:50:06,519 --> 00:50:13,639 God's people, Saul and David, who says I would like fleshy penis tips 519 00:50:14,679 --> 00:50:19,159 so that you can marry my daughter. How are those even delivered? You 520 00:50:19,239 --> 00:50:22,000 bring him in a basket? Is it like a serving bowl? He put 521 00:50:22,039 --> 00:50:24,599 him in a bag? Do you bring him in one by one with a 522 00:50:24,639 --> 00:50:29,719 little jewelry case? I like you would give somebody an engagement ring and you 523 00:50:29,760 --> 00:50:32,639 just take the top off. Oh look, foreskin times two hundred? How 524 00:50:32,639 --> 00:50:38,719 do you deliver for skins to the king? I have questions. Let's call 525 00:50:38,760 --> 00:50:44,440 it a fifteen year old who thinks the Bible is the good book? How 526 00:50:44,480 --> 00:50:50,079 many pieces of silver did God command the rapist to pay the dad of the 527 00:50:50,280 --> 00:50:57,880 rape victim before marrying the young woman he raped? Right, use this as 528 00:50:57,920 --> 00:51:05,360 an exercise to inform of just how jacked up the Bible really is. Okay, 529 00:51:06,920 --> 00:51:09,320 Jennifer from New England? Are you there? Yes? I am. 530 00:51:09,360 --> 00:51:12,880 Can you hear me? Okay? I can? So glad you called? 531 00:51:13,239 --> 00:51:15,960 What's on your mind? So? I know? Political question, not too 532 00:51:16,000 --> 00:51:22,559 much religious. I have recently met a group of that are actually like Marxist 533 00:51:22,679 --> 00:51:28,920 socialists that are actually supporting bringing Primmanism back to the United States, and they're 534 00:51:28,960 --> 00:51:31,719 not quite as scary as you think they would be. It's kind of like 535 00:51:31,719 --> 00:51:36,159 when you meet a church of Satanism people. They're a lot more cuddly than 536 00:51:36,239 --> 00:51:40,840 you would expect. Still as fine as I'm a democratic socialist. We have 537 00:51:40,920 --> 00:51:45,440 some overlaps in terms of the Vinn diagram. But I was just wondering, 538 00:51:45,480 --> 00:51:51,199 what is your experience in terms of meeting some of these people. They're getting 539 00:51:51,239 --> 00:51:54,199 a lot of coverage with like the college crowds. People are a little more 540 00:51:54,239 --> 00:51:59,599 open minded to changing the current system, seeing that capitalism really just has not 541 00:51:59,639 --> 00:52:02,719 worked for them. Did you have an opinion on some of these rising clubs. 542 00:52:04,280 --> 00:52:07,480 Well, you have a point about meeting our opposition, or meeting people 543 00:52:07,519 --> 00:52:12,119 who are different or have what we consider to be an unusual or foreign point 544 00:52:12,119 --> 00:52:15,320 of view. And as somebody raised in Strawberry Red, Oklahoma, you know, 545 00:52:15,960 --> 00:52:20,719 I'm very much that way. Whenever we hear communists, people tend to 546 00:52:20,760 --> 00:52:24,559 blanch and brace their shoulders and flip out, and sometimes here in this state 547 00:52:24,599 --> 00:52:30,119 than they invoke the name of Satan. I'm with you. I think communism 548 00:52:30,199 --> 00:52:35,920 is a utopian fantasy, that will is not the way. And I'm not 549 00:52:36,000 --> 00:52:38,760 an expert, but in my fifty five years of being alive, I think 550 00:52:38,760 --> 00:52:44,159 I align more with you as a democratic socialist. You know, I think 551 00:52:44,199 --> 00:52:46,159 there do need to be guidelines and requirements, and I do think that we 552 00:52:46,280 --> 00:52:52,599 have a societal responsibility for infrastructure, for caring for our poor, for establishing 553 00:52:52,639 --> 00:52:59,039 healthcare, for those types of things. But the larger point about meeting people 554 00:52:59,360 --> 00:53:05,480 of differing viewpoints where they are listening and discovering their humanity, even if we 555 00:53:05,599 --> 00:53:07,639 disagree, I think that's a valid one. Yeah, I got you one 556 00:53:07,719 --> 00:53:13,079 up more with the in terms of being stuck in backwards area. I'm actually 557 00:53:13,159 --> 00:53:17,599 originally from southern Louisiana. Oh. I moved up here when I was twenty 558 00:53:17,599 --> 00:53:22,159 four, so it was a bit of a culture shock there, big fun 559 00:53:22,320 --> 00:53:29,159 in Louisiana, especially during the election season. So you escaped to New England. 560 00:53:29,519 --> 00:53:32,039 What's the political climate there? To give my ignorance about New England, 561 00:53:32,760 --> 00:53:37,960 what's it like? Wonderfully liberal? Wonderfully liberal I am. I'm driving around 562 00:53:38,000 --> 00:53:42,840 with an atheist sticker on the back glass of my car and nobody messes with 563 00:53:42,880 --> 00:53:46,119 me. I don't get keyed, I don't get threatened. It is wonderfully 564 00:53:46,119 --> 00:53:51,400 liberal, especially they all it's all lealized pot around here. So everybody's just 565 00:53:51,559 --> 00:53:57,440 baked and happy, and you know, lots of lots of colleges, and 566 00:53:57,559 --> 00:54:01,440 it is truly just like the Wonderland, coming here after being stuck in the 567 00:54:01,440 --> 00:54:06,760 Deep South. Okay, I'm gonna that's a potential show title, Baked and 568 00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:10,079 Happy. By the way, if you have a guest couch, Natalie and 569 00:54:10,119 --> 00:54:14,480 I may need to come up there, just because things are insane here in 570 00:54:14,559 --> 00:54:24,239 Oklahoma. But I agree. I tend to resist this tribalistic binary bumper sticker 571 00:54:24,400 --> 00:54:30,559 vilification of everybody even those who do have a bad idea, you know, 572 00:54:30,719 --> 00:54:37,920 rather than scream evil or Nazi or whatever or garbage. I think sometimes it 573 00:54:37,960 --> 00:54:42,559 really does behooves to be able to sit down and have a human to human 574 00:54:42,639 --> 00:54:46,679 conversation, which is an opportunity for minds to be expanded, perceptions to be 575 00:54:46,800 --> 00:54:52,239 expanded, and sometimes opinions to be changed. That's a great point, Jennifer. 576 00:54:52,280 --> 00:54:54,880 Thanks for making it. Thank you so much, and you have a 577 00:54:54,920 --> 00:54:58,880 great day. I do watch you as much as I possibly can. Oh, 578 00:54:58,960 --> 00:55:02,039 you're the one. Thanks so much, Jennifer. You take care all 579 00:55:02,119 --> 00:55:08,679 right, you watch you listen. Thank you so much. By the way, 580 00:55:08,760 --> 00:55:14,159 and shameless plug, thank you again for listening to my second podcast, 581 00:55:14,880 --> 00:55:22,400 True Stories with Seth Andrews, approaching four hundred thousand downloads. People are enjoying 582 00:55:22,400 --> 00:55:27,360 it and they're fun to do and I would love it if you would help 583 00:55:27,360 --> 00:55:30,880 me get the word out True Stories podcast dot com, or you can just 584 00:55:30,960 --> 00:55:36,840 subscribe on all major podcast apps. True Stories with Seth Andrews. Yes, 585 00:55:36,880 --> 00:55:40,760 it's a digression, a self serving one and a shameless one, and I 586 00:55:40,840 --> 00:55:46,800 don't apologize for it. I've got Scotts at two two nine. Are you 587 00:55:46,840 --> 00:55:51,920 there? Yes, I am, let's talk. You want to talk de 588 00:55:52,039 --> 00:55:59,639 Santis? Yeah, I wanted to discuss the possibility I'll voting for Trump and 589 00:56:00,639 --> 00:56:06,480 just to give them Republicans or the Democrats and something to vote against the generalist. 590 00:56:07,000 --> 00:56:10,960 Help me understand what you're saying. You want Trump to receive the nomination 591 00:56:12,679 --> 00:56:19,079 and that would make the right wing evangelical Republican Party easier to defeat in twenty 592 00:56:19,159 --> 00:56:22,039 twenty four. I'm considered it, Yes, Okay, I'm just trying to 593 00:56:22,119 --> 00:56:25,880 understand the strategy. Do you think between I think that Trump has done for 594 00:56:27,119 --> 00:56:31,639 He may be operar into folds, but I don't think he will win another 595 00:56:31,639 --> 00:56:36,760 eliction. He's certainly in the hot seat with all these lawsuits that have been 596 00:56:36,800 --> 00:56:42,159 filed against him, whether it's a business fraud or sexual assault allegations, etc. 597 00:56:43,440 --> 00:56:45,400 I know that things are just going to get worse for him, that 598 00:56:45,519 --> 00:56:49,559 he's going to get turned up, and I think he's going to become increasingly 599 00:56:49,719 --> 00:56:52,360 unhinged. Well, actually I don't know. It's hard to believe he's more 600 00:56:52,440 --> 00:56:57,639 unhinged than he actually is. If have you seen the screenshots from truth Social 601 00:56:57,880 --> 00:57:00,400 He's just lost his freaking mind. Everything from saying we should do away with 602 00:57:00,440 --> 00:57:07,760 the constitution to calling himself clairvoyant, just whack the NFTs. Have you seen 603 00:57:07,800 --> 00:57:13,199 the digital NFTs they've made where he's like some superhero with lasers and ship coming 604 00:57:13,199 --> 00:57:17,239 out of his eyes and it's insane. Absolutely, that's I think it's a 605 00:57:19,079 --> 00:57:22,360 be a viable SAT. He's a vote for him in the primary. What's 606 00:57:22,559 --> 00:57:27,159 what's your take on rhnd de Santis? You watched him from your advantage, 607 00:57:27,280 --> 00:57:31,000 what do you think. I don't like him whenever he pulled the political stunt 608 00:57:31,039 --> 00:57:40,280 of taking all the people up to over to Martha. Yeah, that's basically 609 00:57:40,320 --> 00:57:45,559 all I need to know about him. What's that line when someone shows you 610 00:57:45,599 --> 00:57:50,159 who they are, believed them right right exactly? Yeah, he was done 611 00:57:50,199 --> 00:57:52,400 for whenever he pulled that political stunt. I didn't know much about him before 612 00:57:52,480 --> 00:57:57,119 them. But it's it's kind of a lot of the same fate when Trump 613 00:57:57,119 --> 00:58:00,719 and Trump has passed this many many times. If you only knew one thing 614 00:58:00,800 --> 00:58:07,719 about Trump and now those many things, it would be enough not to vote 615 00:58:07,719 --> 00:58:13,639 boy and the Santist has already cross that line. Think basic human decency for 616 00:58:13,760 --> 00:58:19,360 President twenty twenty four. And you know there are some people who think that 617 00:58:20,119 --> 00:58:23,559 everybody's equal, everybody's equally bad, both parties are equally bad. Or if 618 00:58:23,599 --> 00:58:29,719 I make a choice that I love the Democrats and I'm worshiping at the Church 619 00:58:29,840 --> 00:58:32,679 of the Democrats, you know, or Biden is my savior, and these 620 00:58:32,719 --> 00:58:36,880 people, I think are just straw manning the shit out of what is a 621 00:58:37,000 --> 00:58:40,719 very complex issue. I don't love. I think that's one of the difference 622 00:58:40,760 --> 00:58:45,880 of people who worship Donald Trump or even de Santists. They'd see them as 623 00:58:45,880 --> 00:58:47,400 savior figures, and I'm like, no, no, this is not how 624 00:58:47,440 --> 00:58:52,719 I approach elected officials. They are both leaders and accountable servants. And I'm 625 00:58:52,760 --> 00:58:59,159 doing a cost benefit on which party, which platform, which candidate is more 626 00:58:59,199 --> 00:59:04,880 inclusive or accepting and more aligned with my values. And this is not to 627 00:59:05,119 --> 00:59:07,280 you know, throw the baby out in the bathwater. I think at some 628 00:59:07,320 --> 00:59:10,840 point you have to make a choice. So it's an interesting perspective. If 629 00:59:10,840 --> 00:59:16,039 they nominate Trump, he's easier to defeat in twenty twenty four. That's interesting. 630 00:59:16,199 --> 00:59:20,039 That's my thank you man. I'd like to say that I'm I don't 631 00:59:20,039 --> 00:59:24,519 align myself with Democrats or Republicans. I how voted Democrat and I how voted 632 00:59:24,599 --> 00:59:30,320 Republican in the past. But I will say that when I did vote Republican, 633 00:59:30,400 --> 00:59:32,599 it was a completely different party than it is today. I get that. 634 00:59:34,280 --> 00:59:37,360 I get that. Thanks for sounding off. Are you on the road 635 00:59:37,400 --> 00:59:42,639 today? Yes, I'm a commercial prob. Yes you've seen the highways. 636 00:59:43,039 --> 00:59:46,760 How many miles a week do you think you drive? Probably between twenty eight 637 00:59:46,800 --> 00:59:51,599 three thousand a week. Holy cow. Well be safe on the road, 638 00:59:51,719 --> 00:59:53,960 my friend. I'm glad I'm able to help you kill a few minutes of 639 00:59:53,960 --> 00:59:59,480 the commutes and we'll talk again. Okay, thanks for you, Tom, 640 00:59:59,559 --> 01:00:02,239 all right. Sometimes I wonder if that'd just be a great way. I 641 01:00:02,280 --> 01:00:06,519 mean, just you in the open road, you know, the sound of 642 01:00:06,519 --> 01:00:09,920 the wind against the windshield, and you throw something on like I enjoy. 643 01:00:09,960 --> 01:00:15,760 It's funny. I fly a lot. I'm I feel like i'm some years. 644 01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:17,639 I'm I'm on a plane so much. But it's when I'm in the 645 01:00:17,679 --> 01:00:25,639 car that I stick an audio book on and kick back and get your snacks. 646 01:00:25,760 --> 01:00:30,119 And I don't know why, but I only eat cheddar popcorn and beef 647 01:00:30,199 --> 01:00:34,719 jerky on a road trip. I don't know why. I don't know why 648 01:00:34,760 --> 01:00:37,239 I do that. It's a weird quart. Oh, there's a convenience store. 649 01:00:37,840 --> 01:00:44,679 I'm three hours out from home heading to destination. Why I need to 650 01:00:44,719 --> 01:00:47,559 stop off and get a cheddar, popcorn and beef jerky. I have no 651 01:00:47,599 --> 01:00:51,480 idea why do that, but there's something relaxing about it, and I enjoy 652 01:00:51,559 --> 01:00:54,199 the road trips more and more as I get older. Won't be taking a 653 01:00:54,280 --> 01:00:59,800 road trip to Flora. Well maybe I will not to you know this antis 654 01:01:00,119 --> 01:01:06,039 house, But Florida also has some really, really really encouraging organizations, the 655 01:01:06,119 --> 01:01:12,800 free thought organizations down there that host free thought events. And there are secular 656 01:01:12,840 --> 01:01:17,039 activists and scientists and people who are pounding the drum and ringing the bell and 657 01:01:19,199 --> 01:01:23,079 sounding the alarm down there to try to undo the damage, to promote science, 658 01:01:23,239 --> 01:01:28,079 reason, humanism, humanity. So props to you. So I'm not 659 01:01:28,159 --> 01:01:32,119 discounting the whole state. I do, although look at you much like I 660 01:01:32,199 --> 01:01:37,320 look at Oklahoma, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, etc. And I lament 661 01:01:37,480 --> 01:01:43,000 that there are so very many people that seem to want to set fire to 662 01:01:43,199 --> 01:01:47,639 the rest of us. Anyway, I appreciate your input and participation. I 663 01:01:47,679 --> 01:01:51,719 hope you're safe and well this week, and I'll see you back here in 664 01:01:51,760 --> 01:01:57,239 a bit Follow The Thinking Atheist on Facebook and Twitter for a complete archive of 665 01:01:57,320 --> 01:02:01,079 podcasts and videos, products like mugs and two shirts featuring the Thinking Atheist logo, 666 01:02:01,440 --> 01:02:07,320 links to atheist pages and resources, and details on upcoming freethought events and 667 01:02:07,400 --> 01:02:14,480 conventions. Log onto our website, The Thinking Atheist dot com.