Episode 54 In Defense of Blasphemy

On September 30th 2005 a Danish newspaper released cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. Many blamed the cartoonists for the deadly protests that soon spread throughout the Muslim world. Tom Flynn joins us on the show to explain his decision to re-print the cartoons in Free Inquiry Magazine. He also explains the purpose behind International Blasphemy Day 2009 and Center For Inquiry’s Campaign for Free Expression. Also on the show: Ed Brayton, author of the Dispatches From the Culture Wars blog, interviews Ayaan Hirsi Ali about her outspoken criticism of Islam and passionate defense of free speech and women’s rights.

To download this or any previous Reasonable Doubts episodes click here. Find the episode you want and right click the "play now" link and select "save target as..."

Jeremy Beahan and Ed Brayton will be speaking at a Blasphemy Day event at Grand Valley State University on October 1st 2009. The event will feature local comedians and presentations about blasphemy and free expression. The event is free and open to the public. Click here for more details.

Episode 53 The Disunity of the Bible (part 2) with guest Robert Price

Apologist Josh McDowell claims that although the bible was “composed by men, its unity betrays the hand of the almighty…there is complete harmony which cannot be explained by coincidence or collusion.” For a two part Skeptics Sunday School we expose the bible for what it really is: a loosely edited collection of discrepant accounts and contradictory claims—a disunity repudiating all claims of divine inspiration. Part two examines contradictions between the epistles of Paul, the gospels and other New Testament writings. Dr. Robert Price (from the Bible Geek podcast) joins us on the show to discuss his upcoming book The Amazing Colossal Apostle.

To download this or any previous Reasonable Doubts episodes click here. Find the episode you want and right click the "play now" link and select "save target as..."

Episode 52 The Disunity of the Bible (part 1)

Apologist Josh McDowell claims that although the bible was “composed by men, its unity betrays the hand of the almighty…there is complete harmony which cannot be explained by coincidence or collusion.” For a two part Skeptics Sunday School we expose the bible for what it really is: a loosely edited collection of discrepant accounts and contradictory claims—a disunity repudiating all claims of divine inspiration. Part one examines the sources, themes and disharmonies in the Hebrew Bible. But why do so many people perceive unity in the bible? We will tackle that question for this weeks “God Thinks Like You.” Also on this episode: a special back-to-school edition of the shitlist.

To download this or any previous Reasonable Doubts episodes click here. Find the episode you want and right click the "play now" link and select "save target as..."

Announcement: We Have a Forum!

Do you want to get more out of the Reasonable Doubts experience? Want to continue the discussion? Got a topic suggestion? Want to debate vegetarianism/ free will or Scientology with fellow listeners? Or do you just feel like ranting?

Now, we have a place for that. Go to http://doubtcast.forumotion.net and join up for the one and only Reasonable Doubts Forum.

Episode 51 Don't Fear The Reaper

The human beast’s most primal fear is of its own mortality. Religion's function is to deny this reality, through the promise of an afterlife…at least that is what Freud and many others have speculated. But is there any science to back up this claim? Terror Management Theory (TMT) attempts to explain how religion, and ones worldview more generally, can allay fears of death by offering either literal or symbolic forms of immortality. But easing this death anxiety can come at great cost: simplicity in thinking, deference to authority, hostility towards outsiders. For this episode the doubtcasters discuss TMT research and perhaps it’s most controversial finding: fear of death is closely tied with not just religious conservatism, but political conservatism as well. Also on this episode: a Skeptics Sunday School which explores views of the afterlife in the Hebrew Bible and listener T. Robinson offers up this week’s Gospel of Doubt.

Editors Note: Fletch could use a little work on his fact checking. The "All Dogs Go to Heaven" sign wars were indeed fiction, not fact - and may very well have been created using "Chruch Sign Generator" in direct contradiction to his confident assertion that they were not. We apologize for this error. Thank you to listener Josh for the correction. We will be slicing off one of Fletch's nipples (he gets to choose which one) in hopes that it might cause him to be more careful in the future.

To download this or any previous Reasonable Doubts episodes click here. Find the episode you want and right click the "play now" link and select "save target as..."