So … we’ve had some technical difficulties with the Wakefield podcast. I’m not sure who’s responsible, gremlins, demons, or angels, but the file was corrupted and appears to be unrecoverable. So we’re going to have to record it again, Matt willing. To fill the gap, we have a podcast we recorded a few weeks ago about a recent Christopher Hitchens debate.

I’m a big fan of Hitchens, especially when he’s drunk (which is most of the time). Hitchens has been debating religionists ever since he went on a book tour promoting “God Is Not Great.” One of the more recent debates was against Frank Turek, author of yet another book about “proofs” for the existence of God, and who apparently holds a doctorate in Christian Apologetics (they’ll give out phD’s for just about anything these days). Hitchens, as usual, was pretty hammered and didn’t adequately respond to a few of Turek’s assertions. So we thought we’d help Hitchens out while he sobers up and take on a few of these assertions ourselves.

The podcast is available here, and for context, the debate itself can be viewed here.

During this episode, we briefly discuss my own Senator Chris Buttars’ recent comments about gays being the “greatest threat to America today.” The good senator lost his Judiciary Chairmanship over these comments, which made national headlines, but he stands by them. We also posted a new video on the Blasphemy page related to the whole sordid affair.

Personally, I would rank the gay threat to America above velociraptor attacks and poltergeists but well below zombies and Sasquatches. Maybe right beneath anal probes by vacationing aliens …

[leighton]

WARNING! Spoilers ahead!

Podcast Summary, Episode #8: Emergent Christianity 

We had quite an interesting discussion with Adele Sakler and Peter Walker. Most of the conversation centered around a newer type of Christianity called “Emergent Christianity,” but as always we ranged over a wide variety of topics of interest to believers and non-believers alike. This is our longest podcast to date — clocking in at 1 hour and 23 minutes — mostly because Leighton wouldn’t shut up. I swear to Baal I gave him the wind-up signal at the 52 minute mark.

The more I discourse with moderate Christians, the less I think of the arguments of the “New Atheists” against moderate Christianity. We need more Christians like these two, not less.

[adsense]

[leighton]Once again we have found another to join us on a podcast discussion concerning their religious belief systems. We’re pleased to announce that on February 27, 2009 we will be airing a discussion we’ve had with Matt Wakefield. Tune in to discover for yourself his extravagantly named religious belief system.

Matt Wakefield grew up first catholic then christian in Southern Cal, moved to Utah in the early 80′s(Was given LDS preventative teachings before moving!), was born again in high school , finally found reason through the study of other cultures, especially mythologies, graduated with a degree in anthropology. That education combined with a lot of world travel led to his current state of freethinking. Currently he lives in Salt Lake City, married with a wonderful little girl, and is at this moment raking it in as a commercial airline pilot.