The podcast discusses how religion is an almost universal instinct of humankind, an evolved instinct of human beings, and how it's evident through history that religion is a commitment to action with insight to follow through the actions that are practised, crafted and instinctual in the way our brains function.
The speaker recalls a cringe-worthy conversation with a Catholic priest who asked about his plans for having children.
The podcast covered a range of topics, including a weed co-op for getting closer to God, staring at a hot wife, cultural misunderstandings, and ethnic changes as one travels further from home.
Despite the push towards secularism, religion plays a vital role in providing the foundation for humans to create their own meaning and set of morals. While pleasure can motivate actions, it is not enough to consistently drive individuals to do the right thing.
The Church of the SubGenius is an absurdist religion created in the late 1970s as a joke about consumer culture by two like-minded guys. Bob Dobbs, the world's greatest salesman, is the prophet of this religion that pokes fun at mainstream religion and consumer culture.
The speaker reminisces about his desire to fight and his religious curiosity.
Filmmaker Werner Herzog and journalist Paul Holdengräber discuss the evolving nature of religiosity, its use in propaganda by dictators, and its complement to empirical pursuits.
A group is being accused of making members sign lifetime vows of obedience and giving collateral to join. One young woman was excitedly told by her master that she had to give collateral to join.
This essay recounts the history of the Unification Church's (aka the Moonies) business ventures, including the founding of the American Tuna fishing company, and reflects on the author's personal experience with the church's influence in his family's life.
The fragmentation of religion has caused some to turn to Berkshire Hathaway with a religious-like fervor and trust in Warren Buffet and Charlie Munger, as they speak about their experiences with the company at an annual meeting.
The belief that people cannot be saved without choice and that they cannot choose to accept God without knowing about it drives groups to keep a database of uncontacted peoples so they can try to share the Christian faith with them, often with disastrous consequences.
A discussion about the mental gymnastics involved in using God as a justification for extreme actions, including murder and child marriage, as well as claims of divine revelation about game show appearances.
In this podcast, the speaker discusses the idea of whether getting rid of religion would result in the loss of moral virtue, his experience with religious people studying theology and their personal benefits, and the concept of grounding morality without God.
Tracy, a woman charged with prostitution, has been barred from using a religious freedom defense in her trial. The judge ruled that her beliefs cannot be used as a justification for breaking the law, even though she's still allowed to bring up her beliefs on a case-by-case basis.
The human concept of an all-powerful, omnipotent being is limited by our own physical form and perspective, making it impossible for us to truly comprehend what it means to be God-like.
The guest speaker shares his thoughts on the importance of maintaining objectivity in spiritual and religious practices and how formalized religion can act as a middleman in connecting with a higher power.
Punishing children with religion may give them a negative image and cause spiritual trauma, defeating the purpose of the religion.
This episode discusses how rejecting grace in this life can lead to the belief of being culpable for inculpable reasons and potentially condemning oneself for eternity.
The podcast discusses the financial perks of religious institutions and how mega churches sell merchandise and programs, offering a millionaire mindset, instead of focusing on charitable services. The speaker reflects on four years of research on religious financial privileges in their thesis.
The podcast discusses the difficulty of reconciling religious beliefs with scientific evidence and how this affects people's views of the world.
Native peoples took on some religious beliefs of the Christian settlers. A woman who lost her partner to death due to frigid weather was afraid of becoming a windigo if she ate his flesh, and she left him in her shelter due to her beliefs.
A man recalls a conversation with Father Williams, who made fun of his height and commented on his friend's mother in a derogatory manner, while also referencing inappropriate comments made by Father Dub towards his friend.
A woman shares her custody battle experience and how her husband didn't want their sons to attend any religious services, which led to a court allowing supervised visitation for a certain timeframe while she was at church.
The speaker reflects on their experience as a church leader, likening it to handing out pizza, singing, and looking after people. They also express uncertainty about whether they will be admitted into heaven.
Despite financial challenges and personal obstacles, Jim, a pastor in a low-income community, puts his heart and soul into his church with the help of his dedicated partner.
