Matt Dillahunty confronted by members of his old church. His answer is beautiful.

[@AIex_Kidd]

Ive been an evangelist long enough to believe at least 90% of the audience wasnt even hearing him, but actively thinking 'god please forgive him' all the time

[@leafyishereisdumbnameakath4259]

@Alex_Kidd im so sorry

[@miconis123]

When I was a Christian I would have pitied him for letting doubt in and not trusting god enough. Now I get it. I wanted to keep believing but couldn't lie to myself anymore.

[@petergaskin1811]

I'm not so forgiving of your existence. I despise believers for all the things they have to subconsciously "forget" in order to believe. And then I remind myself that we are all one race, Homo Sapiens. So, I forgive you for your silly beliefs.

[@lorenzovecciosegniore1212]

As Matt would say, what is the reason for this belief?

[@TheinternetArchaeologist]

I've been able to think long enough to know you are full of Feces

[@watsonsd1]

For someone who didn't want to be a public speaker, he's a phenomenal speaker.

[@antoniorobles8706]

Even for someone who want to be

[@charleswettish8701]

Agreed. I've taken public speaking classes (they worked). The number one, most powerful tool, is to firmly believe in what you're saying. Certainly there are plenty who lie very well in public, but for a normal person, who fears speaking, believing firmly is 75% of the battle. Matt believes what he says.

[@antoniorobles8706]

@Justin Gary Convincing arguments for not being convinced? Nonsense. No need for arguments for not believing claims without sufficient evidence.

[@antoniorobles8706]

@Justin Gary No, there is no "point" in not being convinced of something. Convince others not to be convinced makes no sense.

[@antoniorobles8706]

@Justin Gary There is no evidence that I am aware of. For any definition of god that have been presented. Do you have any? Then make your case.

[@vinnyindigo7329]

“Belief is not a choice, what you accept to be true is the result of what you are convinced of.” That is some powerful wisdom, Matt, you are the man!

[@Aaron-mj9ie]

I tried explaining once to a man trying to "convert" me at work, you can watch a magician, and be astounded by him. You can become his biggest fan and go to all of his shows... But the day that he slips up and exposes to you how he did a trick, if you truly saw the trick for what it was, you cannot go on believing in it. For years after I saw how the trick was done, I would watch the magician, and I could not get my mind to unsee the reality. The magic was gone.

[@hellohandsome9875]

Atheism is a conclusion, not a choice

[@lieslceleste3395]

This is what is truly bizarre about Christianity. They demand essentially 2 things: one is repentance and the other belief in JC as savior. I have no problem with the first but I can’t believe what I can’t believe and I don’t know why it’s a condition for salvation. I go to hell if I don’t believe Jesus died for my sins? That’s an odd condition.

[@schwarzwolfram7925]

@@lieslceleste3395 If there are conditions, it's not a sacrifice, it's a transaction. If there are threats that go with it, that elevates it to coercion.

[@Eghty8keys]

@@schwarzwolfram7925 This is definitely going into my "bag of great responses" when discussing religions.

[@SylviusTheMad]

This is why religions have youth groups. They want to convince you they're right before you're wise enough to ask "How do you know?"

[@whitechocolateman1088]

And they tend to beat the inquisitive nature out of really young children. Peer pressure is very powerful especially for young children. It's so sad and makes me angry. Those children should be rewarded for being curious, not scolded.

[@BrunoCardoso-dp3bd]

How.. you're so ignorant..read Aquinas 😂

[@donrosscojoe5014]

Would that be the same as a shcool or university gathering young people together and trying to convince them that the perfect rotation of the plants, the sun, moon and stars; the perfect conditions for life to exist, and the 8.6 million species of creature on earth that have the spirit of the breath of life all came from a big explosion out of nothing?

[@whitechocolateman1088]

@@donrosscojoe5014 No, it wouldn't be. When school teaches the Big Bang, teachers answer children's questions as best they can. If children are still confused, the teachers try another approach to explaining the same idea. The teachers, as long as they're good ones, explain that scientists don't have all the answers, that they don't know. That admission of ignorance is crucially important. It might be immediately upsetting to the child, but is ultimately the kindest thing one can do. Teachers encourage children's curiosity. Religious youth groups don't do this. Admitting ignorance is never done in religion. God is always responsible. Therefore, when a children doesn't understand, religious people get angry and frustrated, telling those children to be quiet and not to question God. They can't say "I don't know", otherwise they would admit that their religion is flawed, and they, by definition, can't do that. I'm sure you can appreciate how the two are different. In short, secular schools engage with and foster children's curiosity, religious organisations shut it down and punish the children for expressing it. I hope this helps and that it's satisfied your curiosity.

[@donrosscojoe5014]

@@whitechocolateman1088 That is quiet a bold statement to say that all secular schools encourage curiosity; (dose that include questioning drag queen story hour and the 62 genders?) And that all religious groups get angry when children ask questions; making such sweeping generalisations inhibits dialogue and paints us all into a corner. Every believer questions their faith at some point, and every non-believer questions their unbelief at some point, the most brilliant minds in history Plato, Socrates, Einstein, all had questions, Yet none of them can explain why out of the 450+ different species of primates on earth, not one of them has ever made a pair of shoes, or a T-shirt, or built a shelter, or planted a seed to grow food, or wrote a letter, or made a musical instrument, or mined a precious material out of the earth, let alone calculate the flight trajectory to launch a satellite into orbit. There is something that separates man from animals, and no science book has been able to explain it, but the Bible has, and the answer is God created man in His image, and gave him dominion over the earth, God bless.

[@coryrobert7305]

It's always nice to see people acting kind towards someone they disagree with. I really don't like all the videos people put up of people "destroying" or "owning" other people. We need to get to a point where we have positive interactions like this without people being shouted down or called names or anything like that

[@Ozhull]

It takes two to tango. A lot of people don't want to sit quietly and respectfully.

[@Mr_Jombles]

@Cory Robert . Well said man, I'm with you on that 100%

[@ossiedunstan4419]

Yes and you notice 99% of those destroying and owning claims are from those of religious psychosis.

[@anton1949]

Yes, he knew he was in their place of worship, he understands decorum.

[@Temulon]

- "We need to get to a point where we have positive interactions like this without people being shouted down or called names" We've BEEN to this point already, there have always been abrasive and short tempered bigots, but by and large the majority of conversation and debates were civil because the discourse was between intelligent, mature adults in a structured setting. You've only noticed the immaturity, shouting and name calling since the advent of the internet and social media.

[@gmgunner]

"Sad about someone being liberated, being free" dang that is a savage point.

[@lorehammer40k4]

Totally, and for that guy to say "I would have bet you'd be a star" as you're speaking to a man on a stage who has gained international fame from within a gigantic group gathered there to see him speak. Self awareness doesn't seem to be his strong suit.

[@gmgunner]

@@lorehammer40k4 yeah it seemed the entire question was rather backhanded and insinuated he wasn't a star but rather a failure. How deep-seated is his resentment? So deep he sees him as a failure and not a person. His relation with Matt may be personal but I sense a resentment, a betrayal or personal attack as if his choice was directed.

[@lorehammer40k4]

@@gmgunner Oh absolutely, he definitely resents Matt for "making it" more than he did and far far more so than Matt would have been able to if he had stayed in that church, but he can't say that explicitly. He has to try and take him down a peg like that because he is representing his church there, he had to act like a jerk like that to save face, and it's honestly sad.

[@patrickpepper2490]

Christian’s always playing stupid head games. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

[@ThreeFortyThree]

Ex-Christian here: Resentment is not it at all. You have to understand that for a believer, all of Matt’s accomplishments don’t matter since he no longer believes. What you’re seeing is the real life viewpoint of “what profit is it to gain the world but lose your soul?” He doesn't hate or resent Matt. He feels genuine pity and sorrow for him. I think that's why Matt responded the way he did: He likely understands exactly where that man was coming from and the terminology used.

[@Selcryn]

The saddest thing about this answer is that few people, if any, in the audience heard anything he said and just wrote it off as him actually being hurt by another church member or angry with god for some reason.

[@Nanamowa]

I like to think the average person is logical and rational somewhere deep in their heart, even if they shun for the sake of continuing unreasonable beliefs. I hope that at least the people he knew listened to what he said that they might start their own journey's to fulfill their obligations as Christians: Always be prepared to give your reasons for belief.

[@LapinDebogues]

There isn’t t a lot of room in the Christian worldview for someone like Matt except as a) they weren’t a Christian to begin with or b) they lost their salvation and now will be in hell or at best not to to heaven. And the truth of the matter is that many times it is true that adverse life circumstances or changes or challenges will cause someone to doubt and/or question their faith. I’ve personally known lots of those. It could come from within the church or from outside.

[@guyfawkes8873]

Please don’t presuppose what other people think… that’s arrogant… you can’t know if everyone in the audience was actually there because of interest in a good faith discussion of ideas or not if you weren’t there to speak with the people in audience.

@@guyfawkes8873 prove him wrong then

[@robervalhaha]

@@Nanamowa It is very hard today to "give your reasons for belief" at least in my opinion/experience the time of miracles has passed, we don't see preachers curing the sick and lame anymore, belief is very personal and sometimes very hard to describe to others. I myself fail at times to remember why I believe, although my relationship with God is very recent and my experiences very limited, but in times of doubt, anxiety and distress while I pray I remember my small experiences and it gives me comfort and assurance that God have my back and has my best interest in his mind. Also we need to understand that we don't pass judgment, we don't know Matt's heart and we don't know the future, maybe someday he will find his faith again, he knows about God and if his search for truth is a honest one I'm sure God will honor it.

[@Adamborries]

What a humble and gentle answer.

[@marambula]

way too kind, religious indoctrination ruins minds. and if god existed, they/their greatest gift to human would be our mind. which is stifled by religion and undermines our potential individually and as a team

[@mischarowe]

This is the best reply I've every seen Matt give. I hold little hope that the people there went home and thought about it critically, but I do hope. And I hope others do too.

[@KaiHenningsen]

He's given it a number of times. The end argument is pretty much what I'd say, except I never was a believer in the first place, so there's less emotion involved for me.

[@mischarowe]

@@KaiHenningsen The wording here is the best, I mean.

[@FourDeuce01]

I’ve seen him say the same things several times to the same person, but one of the favorite tactics of religious apologists is to “misunderstand” what they’re being told. Deliberately misunderstanding is another way to avoid having to face reality.🙈

[@razorbeard6970]

@@FourDeuce01 Misunderstand what for what purpose? Apologists defend the faith from attack generally in the form of challenges to the Bible. Matt simply states he has no good reason to be convinced and he isn't convinced. That's not an attack on the Bible. He does disagree with things defended in the Bible but not in this talk. What's there to misunderstand?

[@thetexasliberal283]

Ya. This was by far my favorite version. I’ve listened to Matt a lot because I feel like we went through the southern baptist together in way.

[@CornfedBread]

Love it. It is so hard to not let the anger rise up in you after being asked the same thing for a thousandth time to an audience that typically doesn't want to hear the answer. Matt Dillahunty is a treasure.

[@daviddub]

As a public speaker in any domain, you're likely to get many of the same or similar questions over numerous speaking engagements. Anger seems to suggest you don't know that.

[@Ryangubbs]

I think what Kaiju was saying is that theists in particular refuse to listen. They say the same things over and over again often within the same conversation hoping to get a different result. The literal definition of insanity. Furthermore questions should be used more often than not for learning. In contrast theists more often than not ask questions rhetorically rather than honestly. More often as got ya questions rather than questions born of genuine curiosity. It is not the repetitive nature of the questions that are the problem. Rather it is the dishonesty inherent in the questions that are irritating. Does that clarify things?

[@daviddub]

@@Ryangubbs that’s odd in the context of this video. He only answered 1 question and it seemed about as genuine a question as any. It was not rhetorical or a gotcha as far as this clip is concerned.

[@Ryangubbs]

@@daviddub Oh I agree wholeheartedly. The only question being asked in this video did appear to be genuine. I was talking more so about Mat's work on call in shows. Which in hindsight might not be an equivalent comparison but does appear to be the bulk of Matt's work in the atheist/theist debate field. Thank you for pointing out the possible flaw in my reasoning.

[@jamesmccallum677]

Love it and you

[@BlueSkiesAbove39]

Matt's humanity and respect for others (even those he profoundly disagrees with) really shines through here.

[@paulmorris6177]

Obviously you haven't listened to his radio shows because he is one of the most quick-tempered people that was on the air (he has since left the ACA). It was one of the things that I STOPPED listening/watching Matt for. He WAS NOT like this and I wish he was. He IS incredibly intelligent and well-spoken BUT (and it's a BIG but), he is VERY quick tempered and short-fused. There were HUNDREDS of times on the ACA that he would simply disengage from people and hang up INSTEAD of get into the "why" of that person's call/beliefs and it DROVE ME NUTS!! I would scream at him through the radio or computer and say, "NOOOO!!!! MATT!!! THOSE are EXACTLY the types of people that he SHOULD be debating and questioning in order to convince them that their way of thinking/questioning their religious beliefs were flawed! But he'd simply hang up. I think Matt was burned out and that's (one of the reasons) why he quit the ACA...among others.

[@jasoncrocker5138]

@@paulmorris6177 amen here. He’s one of the most arrogant speaking atheists I’ve ever seen. Almost makes me sad for him bc u can see his anger and you can feel it. Maybe not here but everywhere else u can

[@paulmorris6177]

@@jasoncrocker5138 There are times when he’s controlled but there are also times when he just loses his shit and it does more harm than good. He’s like any other person that has strong opinions/positions/beliefs but can’t keep a lid on it. Believer and non believer alike…

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@paulmorris6177 Matt has often come across as short tempered and dismissive of callers with opposing views. I can fully understand how incredibly frustrating it must be to spend 16 year in discussion, over and over again, addressing the same arguments that have no foundation. Matt becomes frustrated when he takes the time to explain the processes of evidence and critical thinking and the caller refuses, consciously or unconsciously, to completely disregard the simple logic that has just been explained to them. Matt has issued a recent video explaining the exact reasons that he has disassociated himself from the ACA and it's not due to burn out.

[@paulmorris6177]

@@chrisgraham2904..Yes, I saw the whole thing. I also understand what you’re saying. I’ve watched/listened to him for years. I’ve learned A LOT from him but I also learned to turn him off as well. Those people will never end. Matt was fighting a losing war. I feel for him but also became really frustrated by him as well.

[@pechaa]

“You were one of our bright stars.” He still is. “You would have been a star.” He is.

[@pnut3844able]

In their eyes he's probably a failure of the church or even themselves.

[@arriuscalpurniuspiso]

He's not the kind of star they wanted. They wanted him to repeat their lies and he knew it.

[@johnirwin7979]

Kind of reminds one of Isaiah 14:12!

[@1megawhite]

I didn’t get that point, why would a humble Christian be interested in stars? That’s ego bullshit surely.

[@Uouttooo]

@@1megawhite You are just digging at the bottom of the barrel. Find something better to disagree!

[@b4ph0m3tdk9]

So delicate and respectful, bravo!

[@anothertime1282]

Fascinating to hear the background to Matt, someone I admire greatly. Interesting also to see a softer side to him than we often saw on Atheist Experience. Good man!

[@cooswillemse7551]

Matt you are one of the GOATS!! Sometimes you are to aggressive with believers and here you showed a real empathic side of you. Excellent

[@bobs182]

Matt was explaining his decision rather than trying to make a point as he does on AXP.

[@brp5497]

@@cooswillemse7551 maybe start by having a debate in neutral territory instead of a church.

[@rikk319]

@@brp5497 Why does that matter? A fact is a fact regardless of where it is stated at.

[@brp5497]

@@rikk319 You fail to see my point. It could be lack of respect of the atheist position.

[@rikk319]

@@brp5497 That is true enough, but Matt walking in to the proverbial lion's den showed a confidence in facing a diametrically opposed belief system.

[@susanelainesanner]

Excellent! It reassures me to hear someone speak so clearly and calmly about what I, too, am experiencing. Guilt, shame, even ostracism doesn't threaten my life on Earth. I am free to think, observe, learn, listen, and experience. Peace to you, Matt Dillahunty.

[@birch5757]

"Belief is not a choice." Succinct, and so true

[@brp5497]

@@birch5757 belief is associated with theistic religions. It's not a word in my vocabulary. Are the four Noble truths of Buddhism a belief system? Or would that be looking at Buddhism with Christian glasses?

[@davidhepburn9328]

What the hell is it if it's not a choice?Jesus never forces anyone to follow against their will.

[@Maxdickus]

Of course it's a choice

[@Butchman2000]

​@@davidhepburn9328if belief is a trait of those that accept alternate interpretations of fact that contradict reality, and contradicting reality is a bad thing to do, then belief is a bad thing. There is no logical way to escape this as far as I can tell, based on my limited understanding of reasoning.

[@brp5497]

@@birch5757 belief or believe in are part of Christian vocabulary not mine.

[@mikefromwa]

Matt was both kind and honest with them, and that's a difficult thing to do sometimes. I hope some of the audience takes the time to really think about what he said.

[@beverlywhitman303]

they where all dead silent, that means they where thinking.

[@lesterross1]

@Justin Gary On his show, he deals with many azz wholes on the other end of a phone call, and the majority of those callers are not calling with an open mind, or are respectful in any way.

[@lesterross1]

@Justin Gary In my experiences listening, many more are not, or are much ruder and refuse to allow him to speak or finish answering.

[@FactStorm]

Don't hold your breath over it, most of them have been indoctrinated since childhood, so chances are they'll remain deluded for life

[@TheSpacePlaceYT]

@@FactStorm Since I am a child, and I have been born in a Christian home, tell me how I am "deluded" for believing in God?

[@jaspersheridan1710]

Matt is an incredible insight into how we can all aim to learn to communicate on semantic and nervy subjects without losing one’s own personality or charisma and sense of self along the way.

[@eyerisgaming1605]

I agree totally 💯

[@patrickwoods2213]

He is fine in debates- it’s on his show that he loses his temper and flips his shit half the time.

@@patrickwoods2213 Are you ok with slavery?

[@Rav0000000]

"I want to believe but haven't been given a good reason to" is a powerful statement.

[@BandiGetOffTheRoof]

That's me. I wish it were all true. I wish it was real. I hope I get some credit for that, if it does turn out to be true...but I still don't believe it is.

[@Christobanistan]

Same here. Tried for 3 decades to believe. But I guess I don't have that weird thing in the brain that makes most people 'feel spiritual.' No god hole in my brain.

[@martinkuliza]

I've actually been saying this to people for over 25 years Pretty much same thing as Matt When i was young i loved god (Primarily because i was told to) My love grew for him i gave my life to him and to christ i became an ordained minister i worked in the church for approx 15 years THEN.... A thought hit me ... I said to myself "Martin... Sooner or later, Probably sooner, someone in the community is going to ask you , HOW DO WE KNOW THAT GOD EXISTS" I had 2 choices, - I could lie to people and play the game and act HOW I WAS EXPECT TO ACT by the church - I could be honest I preferred the latter and i figured since this was my profession I SHOULD KNOW if he exists I couldn't find the answer I asked those older and wiser in the church and those with decades above my experience Essentially none of them could tell me, it all ended up being a case of having 2 types of ministers 1. Those that behave how they are expected to behave (and i understand that) 2. Those that say "Well. We must have faith" I've never found an answer to that question also.. for my years of service (i did receive reward from the community and on a personal level for helping people) However... I received nothing from god or christ, No vision , no message, Nothing I also meant no ill will, and to this day i am absolutely open to knowing and loving god However he's not there, i have no reason to believe he is there CERTAIN THINGS I KNOW FOR CERTAIN 1. All the bibles we have today are not the word of god (this is a big one) 2. Jesus once existed, it's a fact 3. We have no evidence of any miracles though, that's also a fact 4. But this one gets me everytime MOSES NEVER ACTUALLY EXISTED There is so much here to prove it it's not funny (i won't go into it) but now... No Moses No Commandments No bible No freed slaves out of egypt The bible literally does not exist without moses, Co incidentally it's a lie on it's own merit anyway so i did learn a lot through the whole process, ironically the church taught me that god likely doesn't exist funny world we live in

[@Christobanistan]

@@martinkuliza I asked my brother (a Christian) once why he believed. He first claimed to have gone through the same doubting period as you and I and then he gave the answer every Muslim I've heard asked the same question gives: there are scientific truths in **insert holy book** that were not known at the time and couldn't have been known. Then they name a few very implausible and silly sounding examples like fresh and sea water not mixing (though they very much do!). And then he topped it off with a bunch of circular logic about miracles in the Bible and the large number of people who supposedly witnessed them (well, according to his disciples and then according to the writings of someone who wrote them down much later and knew none of these people personally). The usual transparently stupid nonsense. He even once pointed out to me the Platypus' duck-like bill as proof Evolution was wrong. 😐 So there's your 'third way': lie to yourself, or just altogether avoid the painful cognitive dissonance of learning about things like Evolution and Geology and every other field of science that make a literal reading embarrassing to honest people.

[@martinkuliza]

@@Christobanistan I agree people do lie to themselves now.. i didn't really want to make that post that i wrote any longer but yeah, if you get into psychology , people need a reason to believe something, Usually it's tragedy or some experience of pain We call this a COPING MECHANISM. Now you have intelligent people who believe in god (this is the one that trips me up) but i have spoken to psychologist regarding this ) Their reasoning is ..... We have an internal (Loosely worded) SELF TALK. this is a process by which we apply reasoning and it combines with our internal beliefs to form new things Basically at some point an intelligent person resolves somehow that a god exists now that could be also because they know internally that if they resist pressure to believe in god, the alternative is more painful so they convince themself to believe to avoid the pain other people are on a much lower intelligence level and just decide god exists............ BECAUSE HE JUST DOES It's definitely an interesting subject and they all seem to have the same responses suggesting that they all share the same condition if not similar but they have a pre prepared excuse if they are challenged and their beliefs are re enforced by those that already believe again.. Very interesting to watch indeed

[@morganmatlock5467]

It’s always “what happened 😢” Such a hive minded question

[@O.Reagano]

Why do you hate god?😢😢

[@morganmatlock5467]

@@O.Reagano are you being sarcastic?

[@NiekNooijens]

​@@O.Reaganoding ding ding! Strawman detected!

[@O.Reagano]

@@NiekNooijens Being sarcastic don’t worry buddy

[@O.Reagano]

@@morganmatlock5467 Yup 👍

[@garylillich]

It is wonderful that he shows respect to those who may not agree with him.

[@adb012]

How old are you? There was a time not that long ago when respecting those who thought different than you was not universal but quite mainstream and regarded as a common good practice.

[@garylillich]

@@adb012 I am 74. Born in 1948

[@adb012]

@@garylillich ... So I am sure you know what I am talking about.

[@Feraligatrfjhgujvgh]

@@adb012 gotta say, not one of your best moments there.

[@adb012]

@@Feraligatrfjhgujvgh ... Why?

[@anton1949]

Perfectly said, "Belief is not a choice".

[@natashatomlinson4548]

Interesting that you chose to believe that 😉

[@anton1949]

@@natashatomlinson4548 It was reality spoken, nothing to do with belief, an observable reality.

[@thedividepodcast]

Belief entails a commitment so our will does play a role in belief. But I agree with Matt that our beliefs are often mysterious (to us).

[@Subjagator]

@@natashatomlinson4548 To anyone who thinks that belief is a choice. Choose to believe you can fly and jump off of a very high bridge.

[@schwarzwolfram7925]

Because of this, conversion isn't a thing. You can't convert anyone. Persuade? Sure; but beliefs are held by desire not force.

[@1999_reborn]

This will probably always be my favourite clip of Matt

[@The-F.R.E.E.-J.]

Yeah, in other stuff I've seen he seems to be pretty militant. There's an atheist I watch from time to time who mocks him for his closed-mindedness regarding the trans issue. He's out & out hateful towards anyone who does not believe like him regarding that issue.

[@knighttimestorieslv]

"You were one of our brightest. What happened?" Well, he was bright.

[@jonathanhenderson9422]

A lot of similarities between Matt and myself. When I was young my parents and church were also convinced I was going to be a preacher or at least someone very prominent in the church. I didn't just believe I was quite fervent at a young age. As I got older and encountered atheists and non-believers, especially online (because I'd been very sheltered and hadn't met any of them IRL that I knew about) I came to realize my ONLY reason for believing was because my parents and others had told me it was true, and I'd already recognized many things about which my parents were very wrong. So like Matt I set out exploring philosophy, logic, science; and the more I learned the more I couldn't square anything in Christianity (and most religion in general) with what I was learning. I held on for a very long time because I desperately wanted to believe, but at some point I realized I was just lying to myself and that I no longer believed. Of course my parents/family weren't happy, but luckily they didn't abandon me or even really press me to believe. There were some heated discussions early on but once those stopped we moved on and just didn't really talk about it much since then. I think all of us have been good examples of how believers/non-believers should treat each other despite our differences, and especially when it's family.

[@peejay2982]

A lot of us have been there.

[@cartesiancircle]

Bravo 👍

[@randymulder9105]

Great break down

[@nicklj2480]

This is almost exactly how my story goes too.

[@haramanggapuja]

Yep. Same boat. Same train. Same story: you're gonna be a priest some day. I'm the rishi of the ashram. Oops, no I ain't. And funny too how maybe it was as much Alan Watts as it was the USN that brought me to this point. Now free to make up my own mind. To change my mind. To explore.

[@vincentpandarum1854]

Brilliant response from the heart. No malice, no hatred..... just a honest and rational response. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Matt. Sad that he has left the Atheist Experience. Hope he continues with his good work.

[@vdub2014]

did you sub to his youtube man? its phenomenal.

[@dontworrybehappy150]

@@vdub2014 What is the name of his you tube channel? I want to sub.

[@vdub2014]

@@dontworrybehappy150 Just his name dude. Matt Dillahunty

[@tonymayren9776]

Rational, being the operative word!

[@ex.hindu.now.atheist]

Matthew Dillahunty is one of the persons who enabled me to realise that I had no valid reasons to adhere to Hinduism (i.e. so-called Sanatana Dharma). It was not an easy thing to get rid of my beliefs, but I can say that I did.

[@MYDOT9]

Hey curious to know why you changed your beliefs

[@liam2386]

glad you was able to break free... congratulations

[@itzyourbwoytchybooxuur6475]

​@@MYDOT9 Why do you want to know?

[@MYDOT9]

@@itzyourbwoytchybooxuur6475 Because it's my opinion that eastern philosophies are quite rich and much of the claims that atheists make against Christianity and Islam don't apply. So open to hear what made him switch

[@AZ-ok7xk]

@@MYDOT9 Actually you got me curious now too lol.

[@delbomb3131]

Chill from the heart matt is best matt

[@inphanta]

His closing statement is the most profound for me. Belief really isn’t a choice.

[@inphanta]

@@jkeelsnc if that’s what you took from my words and his, then you’ve completely misunderstood the point being made.

[@inphanta]

@@jkeelsnc that coming to the point of no longer believing something you grew up believing isn’t a “choice” having taken that journey and followed the evidence to where it leads as per the video. Or to put it another way, you can’t choose to believe something you don’t believe.

[@inphanta]

@@jkeelsnc you chose to start believing something you don’t really believe?

[@andrewmeyer8783]

@@jkeelsnc You can believe something which is false, but you cannot believe something which you KNOW to be false. I think it goes without saying that you are "responsible" for your beliefs either way.

[@sylvester5022]

@@andrewmeyer8783 "responsible" and "free" are two very different topics that should not be confused. While one is responsible for their actions and beliefs, you cannot disregard the influences and experiences that put that individual into that position wether they were aware of it or not (nobody can be 100% of all things subjectively, that's why we have science), so the argument of free will here is somewhat misleading.

[@JD-lt7uv]

Many believers think something must have "happened" to change us. What happened to me is that I studied and became honest with myself.

[@mentilly_all]

no such thing as indoctrination all of a sudden, right? or does it exist selectively ?

[@marambula]

what happened to the followers that they follow such obviously fake religious beliefs? what happened is they were groomed into their beliefs by propoganda passed down in their family. it’s why everyone is born into the “right/correct religion” but the others aren’t sometimes that propoganda that is passed down is hatred, or abuse, or bigotry. babies aren’t born racist: they are taught. and that hatred that is passed down… that’s what original sin really is. it’s not “a woman ate an apple”. it’s perpetuating the worst parts of ourselves by projecting that hate into our children.

[@boneappletea3858]

I've heard him tell this story. So cool to see it

[@jan_Masewin]

It was a long road that led Matt to the mental circumstances where he was able to rationally scrutinise his faith. I think it just goes to show that emotions often have much greater hold on us than we realise, and that proper rationality can be _hard_

[@potatoxgaming9466]

not really our body has full of intentions and intentions is a trail of a intellectual being or a creator. Even evolution has a beginning and our body mutate and lead to these body which is full of intention. Science can answer the how but not the why. It can answer how does nose work but not the why does nose work. If you know the intention of hand, eyes and nose then you believe in a creator or GOD because answering the why leads to intention. If GOD dont exist then evolution wouldnt exist. When did we reproduce when we didnt evolve to have it yet? When did we sense light, vibration and touch when we didnt evolve to sense them yet? Evolution also have a goal its to maximised the senses for life and reality.If causes a mutation that does not comfort life will just get erased. Last time before the abrahamic religion spread people are literally burning their babies to some gods, eating their own babies and forced science experiment. People forget human rights is a christian value the reason why we respect each other because of we are the 'image of GOD' quote and thats why we abolish slavery. Abrahamic slavery is different than the nigerian slavery, islamic slavery and ungodly slavery. Removing GOD now we will just revert back to eating babies, burning babies and force science experiment. Sam really is stupid. Its true he has knowledge but he didnt even know why he understand why he has knowledge. Why did he understand and comprehend the things he study. As I said he only knows the how not the why. I bet Sam couldnt answer why does nose, mouth and eyes exist scienctifically XD. Sam and JP debate. JP actually won because you guys are so ignorant of the bible you guys missed why he said cain and abel is a better story than any shakespeare writings. Cain and abel is about pride slowing our growth Your just delusional. Religion isnt even feeling based.

[@tetchuma]

I became an atheist at 10 years old, when I kept getting punished for asking questions about the scripture. I learned very early that there happened to be a direct correlation in how I was treated, depending on how problematic the answer ‘could’ have been, if it had ever been answered. Where did Cain’s wife come from? How many species of monkey were on the arc? How did Noah feed so many animals for a year? How much room did all that food take up? How did Esau’s brother get away with fooling god? How was Lott still “virtuous” if he bedded his daughters?

[@waterboy2134]

come to think of it, there were not many people back then, and the Messiah will be born in David's (follower of God) lineage, should be preserved and if Lot slept with a stranger the lineage will be cut off.

[@interstellarbeatteller9306]

Forget about the book. The history of humanity shows all the answers. People were creating religions & studying the constellations thousands of years before any notion of Christ

[@chadhardy35]

It is refereshing to see Matt be so gracious in a response. He let people know that neither of them are better or worse than than the other for their belief or lack of...he just no longer had good reason to believe what he did. This was awesome.

[@richardsmith748]

True; be human first. Be inquisitive. Avoid being tribal.

[@lawrencefleischer1414]

My question is was anyone in that audience listening to anything he said.

[@naturadventur7425]

yes, the atheists did, the theists put their fingers in their ears and went lalalala.

[@gknight4719]

The "true believers" I bet, think it's all a trick of the devil, OR GOD IS TESTING THEIR GULLIBILITY!

[@gknight4719]

@@naturadventur7425 you give them credit, that they can do two things at once, singing and putting fingers in ears!

[@SoulSukkur]

depends what you mean by listen. if you truly believe holy spirit has revealed himself to you personally, it's easy to discount someone who said they haven't found anything for themselves. an atheist might not be lying, but their lack of experience can't discount a christian's own experience.

[@badbirdkc]

Probably some. Lots of people who believe still have doubts. You never know when the thousandth cut in the death by a thousand cuts will come from. Matt was a true believer. Seth Andrews was a true believer. Mr. Deity was a true believer, etc.

[@ralphpetrie7394]

Very clear and profound explanation of a thinking persons path from Christianity to Atheism. Great talk Matt.

[@brp5497]

From 99 percent atheist of God's to 100 percent. 2400 God's you already were atheist of.

[@brp5497]

@@ralphpetrie7394 2400 God's in the encyclopedia of gods. A Christian is already a 99.9 percent atheist of gods. Atheist of: ancient Greek gods, Mesopotamian, Sumerian, iniut, Mayan, Aztec, Hindu, Hopi, and thousands more. The Christian god is of the last one percent of a human history of 200,000 years. Monotheism of the last two percent of that human history starting with akenatens religion of ancient Egypt. Monotheism is 4000 years old.

[@johnelliott5859]

I've watched very many of Matt's videos and this is the best. No hate or anger for "the other" just compassion, understanding and empathy.

[@johnelliott5859]

@Justin Gary maybe in other videos. Not this one.

[@johnelliott5859]

@Justin Gary thanks, Justin. Ironic how you complained about Matt's nonloving attitude but then come at me with some harsh comments of your own. Projection? Since I don't know and can't assume anything about you, your comments carry little if any weight. However, as a human being I still wish you well. Perhaps you should watch the video in question and try to see a person treat another person with respect and empathy.

[@SunofYork]

@Justin Gary Not so long ago the the christians were burning people alive...They have no room to talk about 'loving'

[@SunofYork]

@Justin Gary They are simple souls whose life and passing was uneventful apart from hurting unmarried mothers/gays etc etc etc etc

[@SunofYork]

@Justin Gary Had we been living in the 1600s, you would have been ahead of the line to to burn me alive. The people you run with (christians) are disgraceful and cruel in their thinking even now......

[@SPDLand]

Matt - absolute brilliant, good to see you take so much respect in answering - you might want to tap into that piece of mind and patience more often in discussions.

[@grantadam7674]

I was in a new Christian study group, of adult proportion, when one of the students asked, "if God knows everything that's happened because he has already chosen us why does he put everyone through this? All begins to seem a bit pointless really. This young woman hit a raw nerve. Nobody among the facilitators of the course could give us a direct and or plausible explanation. The facilitator of the course, after making some glib reply that only served to detract from the question and humiliate the questioner tried to avoid the issue. The woman was about thirteen and of no great intellectual capacity and had aroused a degree of 'thinking' among the other students. The attempts to discourage anything along these lines of thought were feeble and heartless. I thought of the verse, "out of the mouths of children......" and realised that without any malice aforethought she'd made a extremely important contribution.

[@henryizzard4581]

I’ve thought like this plenty of times but I think you need to recognise that this question actually says nothing of whether or not God exists. This is actually the same question that the serpent asked in Genesis just different words, why would God make it this way? It doesn’t really have any basis for changing whether or not the evidence points to God. It might make you think God is unjust but he would still exist. Then you have to go down the route of ‘what is justice? What is good’ and all you’re really doing is measuring your own sense of right and wrong against Gods and coming out with yours is better.

[@kadencoates8774]

⁠@@henryizzard4581you’re right. The reason I think my sense of right and wrong is better than god’s is because mine is based on up-to-date research and proven facts and philosophical schools of thought, all based on empirical evidence. Meanwhile, christians have to completely bet everything on blind faith, and ‘trust reeaallyy hard’ that this one book was actually written by the lord and creator of the universe, and not just some ancient middle-eastern guys.

[@Dexrazor]

@@henryizzard4581 Big assumption from me, but it sounds like the guys who wrote Genesis heard that question enough times that they made the serpent ask it.

[@henryizzard4581]

@@kadencoates8774 could you provide some ‘up-to-date research and proven facts’ on the topic of right and wrong please? Anything other than circular reasoning?

[@henryizzard4581]

@@Dexrazor entirely possible, early Genesis reads a lot like mythology not necessarily intended to be a true exact recount of events but rather a way to deliver a message like an allegory. There seems to be many schools of thought on this.

[@T1J]

If you dont want to become an atheist, don't think. as soon as you start thinking, everything starts to unravel

[@mentilly_all]

DNA and morality, oops

[@Maxdickus]

Wow. What mindless drivel. Not thinking is what causes people to become atheists.

[@LackaJudgment]

Those last lines said it all. It’s not a matter of choosing not to believe, it’s that intellectually I just can’t bring myself to believe in creating the Universe in 6 days, walking on water, bringing ppl back from the dead, and talking donkeys

[@Cbawls]

Thats cause you need to believe in God first before you reason with those things, because if you dont want to see the evidence for a supernatural God, you naturally wouldnt believe He could do supernatural things if he wanted to. I emplore you for your hinesty, but I want to encourage you. Look for the evidence. Just because Matt says hes heard it all doesnt mean he comprehends it all, and you dont need to comprehend it all. But for most of us, theres this one revelation that was waiting for us, and when we have it, we are spurred in PERSUING belief. Matt says belief isnt something you choose, but you can choose to persue it.

[@TheBlinkyImp]

There's nothing intellectually difficult about any of those things you listed, after all most of the great intellectuals of the Western tradition were devout Christians. The reason they were is because the evidence for Christianity is strong. There's almost certainly something else going on here. If you've actually contended with the idea of an all-powerful God then walking on water should be the least of your concerns. More likely you've been inculcated with the concepts of materialism and determinism to the point where you can't think about the world outside of these frameworks. One good place to start to open up your thinking might be philosophical works on mind-body dualism, it was during my philosophy degree thinking about that topic that I first started opening up to the idea of God.

[@andrewmeyer8783]

@@TheBlinkyImp As a natural scientist, I do find it intellectually impossible to accept that supernatural occurrences happened in the distant past without evidence. You say that the evidence for Christianity is strong, but I disagree in the strongest terms. I would encourage you to critically examine the evidence, which is one of the main reasons I left my own faith. There is a great deal of historical, archaeological, and linguistic context surrounding the biblical texts (the only real source for events in the life of Jesus) which believers ignore and which is damning evidence against the texts being reliable historical records.

[@TheBlinkyImp]

@@andrewmeyer8783 Hey Andrew! There is not 'damning evidence against the texts' of any sort. The historical evidence shows complete consistency in the professions of the earliest believers, the archaeological evidence matches up incredibly well with the Gospel accounts, I'm not sure where you're going with linguistics but there's plenty of scholars who handle that and remain Christian. My examination of the evidence over the last five years is what led me, first, to think that Christian claims were at least reasonable and could be true, and then to be convinced they were probable, which finally led me to attend a church where I encountered the living God. I understand that you have a materialist perspective because you are a natural scientist, and that is what you work with every day. However, that is short-sighted. Natural science does not, by definition, interact with anything supernatural. I've seen miracles, had them occur in my life since my baptism, and heard of many more from other believers, but I don't expect that to convince you. My experience with atheist scientists is that they are pre-committed to naturalism before they begin examining the evidence. This is of course begging the question. You cannot examine the question of 'Does God exist' starting from the premise 'God (or anything supernatural) cannot exist'. First open yourself to the possibility of something above or outside this physical world, and then try to follow the evidence once you're free from preconceptions.

[@andrewmeyer8783]

@@TheBlinkyImp You forget, I think, that I started as a believer. I started with the premise that God did exist, and partly through natural science, I came to the firm belief he does not. You are right that my current perspective is somewhat materialist. I do not believe in miracles or the supernatural because there is never sufficient evidence for them. I arrived at this perspective after thourogh examination of the historical evidence around the gospel. There is overwhelming evidence that the gospels were not written by their apparent authors, that they were written much (70-200 years) after the life of Jesus, that they are second- or third- hand, that they are pieced together from earlier sources, that they were written in the genere of historical fiction at a time when objective historical documentation was unknown, that they are mutilated by translation, and that they were edited by unknown parties in the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Any one of these alone would pose enormous problems for the Christian narrative, so of course they don't debate it, they ignore it. They tell their followers, as you have told me, that the historical narrative fully supports the Christian one. This is simply not true. Religion will not, and cannot reconcile these points, which is to say they are 'damning.' You say you have examined the evidence. I don't really believe you, but either way you need to do better.

[@teachpeace3750]

A brilliant narrative based response. Well done.

[@burningstrawman2589]

Good to see Matt speaking with so much respect and kindness. He can be prickly at times.

[@Mr.HotRod]

He should of let that old codger (Jim) have it Even if they were from the same church/area To me that old fucker was just trying to belittle Matt ini what he thought was a kind way. They are mad because they lost what they thought was going to be a great preacher maybe even for their chuch to the opposite direction of being a man of logic, science and good reasoning..

[@biohoo22]

17 years of having callers deliberately ignore his questions and obfuscate tend to do that. He might be "prickly" at times, but the man is fair.

[@burningstrawman2589]

@@biohoo22 it's hard being smarter than damn near everyone you come in contact with. Not that I'd know.

[@Lordidude]

@@biohoo22 that is not an excuse. If you are tired of arguing the same points all the time why even do it? It was a waste of time for him. Time to give the stage to fresh people.

[@pnut3844able]

Yea he can. I know he's fed up with the same BS, but if it gets you that angry just quit my dude.

[@diaboloavocado]

He IS a star. He's just not a star for religion, or faith-based positions. He's a star for reason, logic, evidence, scepticism and critical thinking.

[@adjustedbrass7551]

😂

[@potatoxgaming9466]

not really our body has full of intentions and intentions is a trail of a intellectual being or a creator. Even evolution has a beginning and our body mutate and lead to these body which is full of intention. Science can answer the how but not the why. It can answer how does nose work but not the why does nose work. If you know the intention of hand, eyes and nose then you believe in a creator or GOD because answering the why leads to intention. If GOD dont exist then evolution wouldnt exist. When did we reproduce when we didnt evolve to have it yet? When did we sense light, vibration and touch when we didnt evolve to sense them yet? Evolution also have a goal its to maximised the senses for life and reality.If causes a mutation that does not comfort life will just get erased. Last time before the abrahamic religion spread people are literally burning their babies to some gods, eating their own babies and forced science experiment. People forget human rights is a christian value the reason why we respect each other because of we are the 'image of GOD' quote and thats why we abolish slavery. Abrahamic slavery is different than the nigerian slavery, islamic slavery and ungodly slavery. Removing GOD now we will just revert back to eating babies, burning babies and force science experiment. Sam really is stupid. Its true he has knowledge but he didnt even know why he understand why he has knowledge. Why did he understand and comprehend the things he study. As I said he only knows the how not the why. I bet Sam couldnt answer why does nose, mouth and eyes exist scienctifically XD. Sam and JP debate. JP actually won because you guys are so ignorant of the bible you guys missed why he said cain and abel is a better story than any shakespeare writings. Cain and abel is about pride slowing our growth critical thinking is the why

[@brianrichards3119]

"when I try to get good reasons from believers, they fail" Nailed it in one sentence.

[@BlueTruthSpeaker]

He gets plenty of good reasons, he just rejects them for no good reason.

[@emailvonsour]

There are no good reasons. None. I've been listening for decades and never heard a remotely convincing one.@@BlueTruthSpeaker

[@rs72098]

8 billion humans and we haven't evolved into another species, yet somehow Neanderthals evolved into humans and they numbered less than 5 million throughout their entire timeline. Evolution is a lie, and to me this inevitably proves there's a creator. Mathematically and scientifically I don't believe evolution is possible.

[@wfemp_4730]

@@BlueTruthSpeaker It's very possible that had you been raised in a different culture, you would have a different religious belief. What's your reason for your religious belief?

[@mentilly_all]

nailed the anecdotal fallacy ?

[@pedjazoo]

"Belief is not a choice. What you accept to be true is the result of what you are convinced of." Beautifully summarized by Matt. This is the crucial point. You can pretend, and you can act AS IF, of course, but you cannot force yourself to be truly convinced of something when, at this point in your journey through life, you simply cannot find any compelling reason to uphold a conviction (of any given proposition).

[@9432515]

Belief is always a choice. The evidence is either observable or not. If it’s NOT proof (direct observable evidence) then it allows interpretation off evidence (indirect circumstantial). Belief is the next step from it…or abandonment. That’s where it lies. It’s the courtroom scenario…shared facts (proof) and tons of circumstantial indirect evidence to belief off for the rest of the picture. THAT is choice. You believe one way or another.

[@FourDeuce01]

@@9432515 Instead of trying to tell other people what they think, try doing what adults do and ask them.🤡

[@9432515]

@@FourDeuce01 when and where did I pretend to know what you think?

[@FourDeuce01]

@@9432515 “You believe one way or another.”

[@joman388]

I would say belief is a choice as is what one is convinced of,is also a choice.One has to remember both are highly ruled by our fleshly earthly lusts and self centeredness,that really gets in the way.thanks

[@nickydaviesnsdpharms3084]

This was excellent and extra good because of the reasons Matt has since explained, at least now people like Ray Comfort will have a harder time saying ''he wasn't a real Christian''

[@Longtack55]

Ray is not a "real" Kiwi.😊

[@Not_An_EV]

"You could have been a star" Bish he already *_I S_* a star. I also love how a christian can't give a compliment to a non christian without slipping in an insult.

[@MrFezzgig]

They meant a Christian star, of course. One who converts the masses and does more than the average person who is happy to be a member of the club but doesn’t practice the tenants. You need a good enemy to keep your flock in line. Since their invented enemy, Satan, is the same as their god (invisible, mute and absent) Atheists are a good substitute villain in their eyes. Then, when they meet an atheist, they treat it like they are meeting Satan himself. And why shouldn’t they? All they know is what their preachers tell them. The only interaction they are allowed to have is the act of “saving” the atheist. It has to be one way communication because discussion may lead the average religious person to find out the same thing Matt did. And losing members to logic is not a good business model. So, when he asks Matt what caused him to stray, he’s looking for that moment of villainy that caused a “good man” to turn evil. They don’t want the response Matt gave, they’re looking for the Ah-Ha! moment that justifies their belief. And that is the core of religion. You have to look for things that confirm your belief. Evidence doesn’t do that because there is a chance it may not work out. They can’t accept that, so they don’t look.

[@afroatheist-isnowafroantit6154]

He is so thorough. I love that....

[@cartesiancircle]

It takes some courage,confidence and self belief to do what matt did.

[@SunofYork]

Indeed, christians used to burn people alive and not so long ago either..! They still do in Africa...

[@gradar420]

Or just following his fleshly wants and to have no rules/commandments from God (to be his own God) and be able to do as He pleases without feeling any conviction. Unfortunate for him he will still have to stand in front of the one who created him and be judged accordingly :/ 🙏🏼.

[@SunofYork]

@@gradar420 Just more afterlife threats to scare people into tithing. Somebody told you judging stuff but it isn't true. There never was any gods. I became an atheist in 1958 and have lived a life of enormous blessings.. I feel sorry for Americans immersed in this brainwashing and induced fear. I lived 59 years in England so I know the 1st world is free of this horrible religious authoritarian grip

[@gradar420]

@@SunofYork Tithing is now up to the person it’s not something that is commanded. Psalm 14:1 [1] The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, they do abominable deeds; there is none who does good.

[@SunofYork]

@@gradar420 You are bible-belt brainwashed. I am a respectable GREAT grandfather who does good and Scandinavia is MAJORY atheist. Are you saying Scandinavians don't do good ? The USA has a lot of atheists and it is increasing as people discard primitive ignorance. Your stupid bible is a load of brainwashing junk....

[@FourDeuce01]

As soon as Matt finishes explaining why he became an atheist, his old friend stands up and asks him what was the trigger. Religious apologists often seem to not be listening.🙈

[@FourDeuce01]

@@dontworry4082 “We know for sure that intelligence is clearly required for life.” You demonstrate otherwise.🤤

[@JJMDude]

@@dontworry4082 Burden of proof is on the claimant, clown. You want to assert intelligence, you need to prove it, or quit wasting our time. In terms of unguided abiogenesis, science is spoiled for choice on how the first self-assembling molecules might have come about. We have tons of ways, we just don't know which specific one/s actually did it. But the facts scream that it DID happen... it was not only possible, it was inevitable. You can appeal to an intelligence if you want... but where did the intelligence come from? Did it ALSO need an intelligence? And if you say "no," then why does it get to break your rule? You don't solve a mystery by appealing to a BIGGER mystery. Calling life "an accident" is like calling lightning "an accident" or the formation of a star "an accident." Sure, it's a marvelous thing that requires specific circumstances... but those circumstances HAPPEN. And they didn't need any thinking thing to exist to make them happen. The inevitable doesn't need special help.

[@FourDeuce01]

@@dontworry4082 Yes, you keep demonstrating that you never learned any logic or integrity. Asking me to demonstrate something I never claimed shows your lack of critical thinking skills again.🤤

[@tarksurmani6335]

@@dontworry4082 You want demonstration of evolution? In what form do you want it? Research? Video? What is your preferred way to get this information?

[@FourDeuce01]

@@dontworry4082 “Are you mad because Matt was being polite?” Are you stupid and dishonest or just dishonest? I’m sure you’ll lie again anyway. Religious apologists can’t even ask a question without lying.🤤

[@scottmerritt9877]

Very eloquent, thoughtful and kind.

[@jonofoote8353]

He really seems like a beautiful human being with a genuine love and care for others!!

[@lindarockafellow5058]

He's extremely patient with those that answer his questions and are HONEST. Love his honesty

[@drg8687]

Matt is a star. He shook off the darkness of Christianity.

[@ASM881]

That was such a kind and beautiful response. Matt is a great guy,

[@MrBugPop]

Matt is a star! Just not the same kind you thought he would become. Thank Goodness he found his own way!👍🏼

[@timhallas4275]

Ignorance is bliss. There is no better explanation for Christianity. People who cannot handle the reality that surrounds them, will close their eyes and find one that comforts them, be it real or imaginary. God in Heaven is that imaginary reality, and Jesus is the excuse for choosing it. Unconditional love and eternal life in paradise. For anyone who has suffered physical and emotional pain, this is an easy choice to make. It takes a stubborn and determined mind to pass on bliss. I want to know all I can know, and experience all that I can before I take my last breath. One day on my feet is worth ten thousand on my knees.

[@stephenfernandes5143]

Thank you Matt. I get that question a lot from my near and dear ones who are religious. I just forward them this video. Perfect….

[@edwardmiessner6502]

"I haven't seen good reasons to believe Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and definitely not Scientology!" 😆😆😆 Such a good zinger! 👍

[@grobsop6688]

One of the most beautiful things about human beings, is that they are able to break free from the ideological environment they were born into. That is a testament to the capability of the human mind. Gives hope in humanity.

[@chrisose]

The Christian concept of "If you believe than God will reveal himself to you" is an admission that faith is about self-delusion not evidence.

[@chriswebster839]

@Justin Gary you may want to re-phrase that, you're implying that Americans aren't Christians, which is true in some cases but not in others. Also, they absolutely do say it.

[@chriswebster839]

@Justin Gary ah, the No True Scotsman fallacy, gotcha.

[@d1ver9e]

When a Christian asks “what happened?,” what they are really asking is, what traumatic event, abuse, deception, or sinful lifestyle caused you to leave? There is a prevalent blindness among theists to the possibility that thorough searching, good faith examination, or reasoned arguments possibly leading someone to depart their comforting (yet delusional) bubble. I enjoyed listening to your “testimony” (for that is what it is), however I doubt Jim heard what he was listening for, and thus went away more perplexed than when he arrived.

[@polyurethanesealant]

True true. But hey, its people like Matt that are actively combatting this common misconception. Jim got an answer he wasn't prepared for, and even if he didn't understand it, maybe it did something to spring a leak in his ignorance.

[@robertwelsh4094]

I tell believers that God wanted me to be an Atheist. He forced my hand. He gave me my brain and my ability to reason. I tell them to blame God for my lack of belief.

[@juicedgoose]

Weirdly you've managed to be an atheist Calvinist. God predestined you to not believe so he could burn you forever for not believing. Wackiest god we ever created.

[@tommybrice4639]

That doesn't work, tried that back in the 60s

[@riffhammeron]

If God is all-knowing, he would have known I would be an atheist yet created me anyway

[@shaunelliott8583]

I tell believers that the reason I know God doesn't exist is because God told me He doesn't exist

[@josephrich3509]

Because the vast majority of atheists were once believers, their path has often been unraveling the irrationality of belief. When you have the courage and audacity to challenge your own thinking, the veneer of belief starts to fade, the structure of belief systems and ideology starts to dismantle, and you realize the stark truth that all religious belief is just fabricated ideas that originated in the human mind. They are no more real than any fictional novel. This singular truth is undisputable to the extent that religious believers will avoid it like the plague. It is undeniable yet devout believers will refuse to see it. This is due to the power of denial and self-delusion. In order to maintain a belief system, we automatically refuse or avoid looking at counter-arguments or evidence to the contrary. If you ask most religious believers, they will confirm that they have never seriously questioned their beliefs. To do so would undermine the foundation of their world-view, which is ultimately threatening to them. It's almost frightening to see the extent that believers will go to to defend their beliefs. Imagine believing that a certain set of thoughts in your brain is necessary for your survival. It's absurd, preposterous, inaccurate, and distorted thinking.

[@dariosotherradio]

That was great Matt! It was so nice to see you explain your point, while not being dismissive or condescending.

[@neilforbes416]

Sign behind Matt Dillahunty - "Addressing Current Ways To Remove Obstacles To Evangelism." Never mind "removing" obstacles, *THERE OUGHT TO BE THOUSANDS, MILLIONS MORE OBSTACLES PLACED IN EVANGELISM'S WAY!!!!!*

[@Cory_Springer]

Let's start with TAXES at the very least.

[@denverarnold6210]

@@Cory_Springer hell, I'd be happy with transparency of their checkbook.

[@kublakhan1334]

Matt came to the inescapable conclusion that there is insufficient evidence to believe in God , as did I.

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

I am a fundamentalist Christian. You are correct. Despite what many will claim, there's NOT enough evidence in an empirical sense. It's a matter of faith, and I am sometimes extremely frustrated by fellow fundamentalists who try to prove God with bad science or circular arguments. In my opinion, the best evidence is completely indirect- It's when people really live their faith with integrity. Maybe the best evidence in the USA (if that's where you are) for the existence of God is the indisputable existence of Jimmy Carter. That's what my fellow fundies don't get.

[@cy-one]

@@DanBeech-ht7sw *"It's a matter of faith"* How does faith differ from "I have no rational reason to believe, but I hope it's true anyway", and how does that differ from gullibility?

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

@cy-one "gullibility " would imply that I believe because someone else told me to. Not the case, that's not how it happened. And I think I already stated there's no empirical proof, didn't I?

[@jackgoff6215]

Eloquent and graceful response

[@polyurethanesealant]

Thank the Lord for people like Matt who are there for us! Wait...

[@wesstubbs3472]

Matt still is a pastor, just not a promoter of bullsh*t.

[@martinkuliza]

Well actually, When you're ordained you become an ordained minister for life. I am also in this boat, You are allowed to revoke your title voluntarily if you wish, I have never revoked it, although i know religion is a lie it's something you hang onto for life so matt still is a minister by the definition of the church

[@langreeves6419]

@@martinkuliza "religion is a lie" is quite a blanket statement, and completely false. Fundamentalists do not represent all Christians or religions. There are many agnostic and atheist ministers who are serving the church. No need to give up on helping people just because you realized you don't agree with one particular interpretation of the Bible. That's like having one woman mistreat you, so you decide to become an incel. One woman does NOT represent all women.

[@nuallannnua1553]

Depends on what denomination you’re in. The Assemblies of God will declare ordinations invalid due to apostasy. They’ll hold dismissal councils of other ordained pastors to weigh the evidence. Other denominations, such as the Catholic Church, will not, and maintain that an unbelieving priest is still a priest due to the binding sacrament of the priesthood.

[@MrMarcusAlexander]

I'm a diehard Jesus lover, and I love the honesty and humility of Matt's response.

[@Spiritof_76]

I loved Santa, and Dr. Doolittle, and Superman. But as I grew up I came to realize that they were not real people who could do the amazing things attributed to them. Perhaps Yeshua was an "influencer" who had a committed fan base, and the attributes grew more incredible as the story was retold.

[@stephenolan5539]

So you acknowledge being closed minded?

[@Iamvictormaria]

Being a follower of Jesus is not the same thing as being a Christian - a follower of the Christian religion.

[@stephenolan5539]

@@Iamvictormaria But both require following what others tell them.

[@Iamvictormaria]

@@stephenolan5539 I appreciate the distinction you made here. Who would you consider the “others” is being a follower of Jesus? I understand that even the words/life of Jesus stated in the Gospels are expressions of others…if that’s what you mean. There’s no escaping our subjectivity.

[@slipperydouglas8263]

TLDR: he educated himself and realised that organised religion couldn’t possibly be true.

[@ArkadiBolschek]

0:31 That guy was right, Matt became a star :D

[@petermeichan3160]

Matt's more than a ' Star ' , he's a great example for all of us

[@KyuuTomoyaki]

I truly loved that, despite being a believer myself.

[@jamezkpal2361]

I was supposed to be a Catholic priest. I wanted to become one. Then a girl kissed me. Suddenly, I was a different person. I still believed and loved God, but I realized I needed that intimacy as much as I needed to breathe. I eventually married and became a father, and now a grandfather, but I began to search my soul for why I ever thought it would please God that none of these things occurred. Perhaps God had other plans for me, I thought. But why lead me in one direction, knowing I would follow another. I began to question my faith, and why it was that I believed as I did. I discovered that all of my faith was wrapped up, not in abstract philosophy, but in how I felt about the people in my life. My wife, my kids, that first kiss. You don't need God to be holy. All you need is love.

[@whatwecalllife7034]

i think this is the first time Ive heard this type of deconstruction. Usually it's the kiss of, or the desire to kiss, a Christian girl that makes people fully commit to Christianity, as we've heard so many times from apologists.

[@brentwalker3300]

As someone who was born an atheist, it's hard for me to wrap my head around these discussions.

[@pnut3844able]

You're lucky that no one indoctrinated you. I didn't break free until I was in my early 20s

[@Subjagator]

Everyone is born an atheist, all religions are taught.

[@DericAnslum]

...all are born atheists...

[@harlannorris6035]

This man is being honest. That makes him a better candidate for salvation than most.

[@bobs182]

God likes people who think the way he does, he likes people who don't think they have a creator.

[@harlannorris6035]

@@bobs182 God is real, but the church is false. Many lose their faith because of it.

[@bobs182]

@@harlannorris6035 Rationalists don't care about churches or having an invisible friend.

[@jamesyoung1022]

This is the Matt Dillahunty that I respect and admire.

[@sarahelizabeth7638]

I really want to know what he meant by being "a star." Is it that you would be the strong and stearn leader; the one who raises buildings? God does not call us to be stars... but to participate in building His kingdom in the way that He calls each of us according to our gifts. If one wishes to bring people to Christ; allow the Holy Spirit to work THROUGH you. I studied at a Baptist college for a year and did not hear this. It is not about judgement and fear. It is about LOVE. Mark 12: 30, 31.If one wishes to bring people to Christ; allow the Holy Spirit to work THROUGH you. It is about LOVE. Well done with allowing yourself to be humble and honest. I wish you the best

[@WhizzRichardThompson]

I bet Matt's answer went right over the questioners head.

[@suleymanbabak1973]

Maybe. Usually they try to appeal to guilt when they ask why they left.

[@mischarowe]

These kinds of things always do, with theists.

[@FourDeuce01]

@@mischarowe Their half-holy book of childish fairy tales tells them to “lean not upon their own understanding”.😈

[@mischarowe]

@@FourDeuce01 It teaches them not to question.

[@nunyabusiness9056]

He wa sprobably thinking in his head "I bet somebody in his family died and he's just angry at god and lying about it."

[@UFOhunter4711]

You can really tell there is no ill will either side. The guy genuinely wanted to know what happened to someone he knew and like Matt it wasn't one thing they did, it was just him going through life and finding the world

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

I thought the questioner was deliberately guilting him. FYI, I'm a fundamentalist Christian.

[@bradh6980]

I like how he throws extra shade at scientology

[@MalcontentFlower]

Always a good target.

[@gdevelek]

For believers, it always has to be some traumatic event that changed someone... It can't be the careful consideration of the claim and the evidence behind it.....

[@michaelnewzealand1888]

Yes in fact you are correct for every single Believer that's ever lived in every single country and every single language and every single denomination at every single point in history obviously correct because you looked at everyone's life and carefully concluded I love that..... Or it could be a gross generalisation that you just want to put out there because well it gives you some sort of comfort

[@PeerAdder]

It's the "all atheists hate god" argument dressed up in polite terms.

[@PeerAdder]

@@michaelnewzealand1888 Try this for size: For *_some_* believers, it always has to be some traumatic event that changed someone...

[@questioneverything2845]

This was an excellent way of explaining the experiences that caused a fundamental change in someone's core tenets. What most people don't understand or don't realize or think of when there's a polar shift like that is there was a journey, sometimes a painful journey to get to that place. People get upset, angry, and pissed off when belief is abandoned without realizing that person may have had a horrible experience telling their family, their partner, or their friends that they no longer believe as they do. That can be extremely stressful, emotional, and in some cases incredibly painful when sharing that change. I had a heated exchange with a believer in the comment section when phrased some religious people as having a "holier-than-thou" attitude. I drew from my personal experiences in this regard but this one person thought I was calling all religious people "holier-than-thou." I explained to this man that I lost my entire family when I told them I was an atheist and didn't believe in their religion anymore. My family told me they didn't love me anymore, I was no longer a part of their family, and they told me they wanted nothing to do with me anymore all because of what I didn't believe anymore. I explained that people need to realize that context matters and we shouldn't jump to conclusions or assume someone's journey. My family automatically thought they were better than me because of their religion, church, and school. I didn't say anything in return because they needed to get those emotions off their chests. That is why my profile name is Question Everything. We need to ask questions first and gather information so we can try and view the comments or actions from another point of view.

[@bobon123]

I think the most important part is the very last: to believe is not a choice. You choose to define yourself an atheist (even with yourself), you choose to break publicly with your church or temple or to come out as an atheist with your family, but you do not choose not to believe. You cannot choose to believe something if you don't, you can only choose to fake that you do.

[@TheBlinkyImp]

That's just not true though. People's minds are not so simple. The best analogy is in a relationship. I believe that my wife is not cheating on me, and she believes the same about me. However she has faced abuse and cheating partners in the past, and sometimes things will trigger her to doubt me, it's just how her mind is wired now. And what she does in those times is chooses to believe in me. She cannot have complete knowledge of every second of my day, just like we cannot have complete knowledge of God, but she chooses to trust in me, just as I choose to trust in God, and that trust is rewarded. Trying to apply the scientific method to God is exactly like trying to apply the scientific method to your wife, it is inappropriate, doesn't work, and probably will just drive you apart. "Believing" in God does not mean "having 99% evidentiary proof of God", it means trusting in God.

[@bobon123]

@@TheBlinkyImp Your wife come back late at night. She told you that she was in office but you have met a friend of her and she told you that there was nothing to do late in office. You can *choose* to trust her and _not to investigate further the topic._ But you are not choosing to believe your wife, you are choosing not to investigate further, you are choosing not to question her excuses because you are scared that you might not believe her. And if you do not believe her, you cannot choose to do so. That's just not how our mind works. Either you believe that your wife is not cheating on you or you don't, choices do not have anything to do with it. Similarly you can choose not to question your faith in God, you can choose to stop investigating the topic. Or you can choose to act as if you believe in God even if you do not. But you cannot choose to believe in God if you do not. In short, you can choose your actions (to question, to investigate, to think about something) not your states of mind (what you want or what you believe).

[@TheBlinkyImp]

@@bobon123 Dude, you've presented a weird dichotomy there. You're saying you can choose what you think about, but can't choose your states of mind? Doesn't track. The example you gave is exactly what I talked about in my comment. I have faith in my wife based on my knowledge of her character. That's why I can choose to believe her. I have that faith because of the (if you want to call it that) investigation I have done of her character. In the same way I know things about the character of God based on investigating the evidence of His nature, and based on the relationship I have with Him and the things He has done in my life. But putting faith in Him means choosing to continue to believe even when it's not convenient, or when circumstances make it difficult.

[@bobon123]

@@TheBlinkyImp I will try to clarify the point, apparently I was not clear enough. You can choose (up to some degree) _the topic_ you want to think about, and you can choose what you want _to try_ to believe. For example, you can choose to think all day about your wife being unfaithful, questioning her excuses, or you can choose to think about something else. However, you cannot choose the output of the thinking: at the end, either you believe her, or you do not. You can make an experiment to see this yourself. Let's assume that you _believe_ that the earth is approx. a sphere (one cannot be sure of everything nowadays!). You can choose to read publications and blogs from the Flat Earth society trying to disprove the point, to change your belief. Trying to change your mind is an action or a set of actions (reading about a topic, thinking about a topic, watching videos, engaging in constructive conversation), and you are free to choose to do so. However, while this process can change the state of your mind (what you believe) you _cannot choose how it changes._ It is fully possible that at the end of the process you will not be convinced by the Flat Earth society propaganda, and you will keep believing that the earth is a approx. a sphere. And surely you cannot change your belief without a process! You can try it now: *can you choose to believe that the earth is flat?* Not just telling me that it is, but truly believe it. If you are a human being, I am pretty sure this is not possible for you. Your free will refers to choices about actions, not states of your mind. If you do not like the minestrone that your wife prepared you can choose to eat it, you cannot choose to like it. Maybe the process of eating it and smiling to her, linked to your respect and love for her, will make you slowly like it, or maybe the same process will make you hate it even more: you do not have control on what you like and what you believe. The same happened to me with God. I was raised a Christian, but when I was 13 I started having doubts. I decided to fight those doubts by reading the Bible, by reading apologetics books, by going to my church youth group. I choose _to try_ to believe. However the process distanced myself even more and solidified my doubts. It was not a choice: I cannot control what I believe, I did not choose not to believe what the pastor was saying to me. I was asking him questions in relation to my doubts and although I was (in the beginning) sure that he would easily clear my doubts, he was actually reinforcing them with his weak answers. I could choose _to try_ to believe, but the end result of the process is outside my control. I cannot choose to believe in God like you cannot choose to believe the earth is flat. I can choose _to say_ that I believe in God, to act _as if_ I believed in God, but I cannot choose to believe in him if I don't.

[@TheBlinkyImp]

@@bobon123 The question of what constitutes belief is pretty interesting. Mental states are of course only observable, if you can even call it that, to the people who have them. I think it's much more reasonable to say that belief is embodied. If I 'believe' the earth is flat then I act as if the earth is flat. If I believe a chair will hold my weight then I'll sit on it. Professions of belief are weak, and you may 'believe that you believe' something, and be incorrect. I can say I believe in God all day long, but do I act like that? Is it even possible to act like that? Sorry to hear your story. I left the Catholic church when I was 14, but I didn't 'try to believe'. I fully embraced a search for truth, and explored many avenues. It's only in the last 5 years (I'm 33) that I've been convinced that Christianity even -could be- true, and only the last year that I actually found a church that taught the Gospel in a way that I connected with. I was baptized in March this year, and really hoping that I can connect with people who had the same issues I did, so they can experience the faithfulness of God and the wonders He will do in your life if you can truly give up your pride and give everything over to Him.

[@idontwhy3132]

I too have thought about what I would say if confronted by my childhood church. For me, it comes down to hypocrisy. If God is good, why do so many of his tenets seem engineered to create judgmental/narrowminded christians? Why are we tricking parents with free food & daycare and then teaching their kids to hate those unlike ourselves? Why do we pretend to be open-minded and friendly when preaching the gospel but hide the fact that we think of the listeners as heathens whom we shouldn't associate with and whose ideas we ourselves wouldn't be open to while expecting them to hear us?

[@whatsitwhosit]

Despite this excellent and wholly rational response attendees will leave still clinging to their faith like a crutch they were taught to walk with while young.

[@Frank-mm2yp]

Its something like a soldier about to go into combat knowing that many of his comrades will be killed or horribly wounded but thinks" IT WON''T HAPPEN TO ME"!

[@annemurphy8074]

Growing up all the way is hard.

[@bensonbrett30]

Nailed it. Matt is a great public speaker. Good form sir!

[@northernsegageorge6510]

Love how the guy asking the question starts of with an abusive form of questioning "you were a shining star and we had such great hopes for you buuuuttttt.....". Shows how toxic many of these religious people are deep down.

[@michaelnewzealand1888]

That was in no way abusive and Matt didn't take it that way. An abusive statement would have had some swear words and some hostility and some anger and some hatred., didn't quite hear that in the question

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

​​@@michaelnewzealand1888he was laying on the guilt. Blatantly.

[@nw42]

@@DanBeech-ht7swThat’s not how I took it. It just sounded to me like disappointment and sadness… which is also how Matt took it. Matt knows the guy (and rather famously doesn’t entertain manipulative BS) so I’m inclined to trust that read.

[@DanBeech-ht7sw]

@nw42 I know how some Christians tick. Also the question was phrased in a way matt would have found difficult to take offense at, but I assure you that my brother in Christ was putting the guilts on. Or trying to.

[@odin1420]

@@DanBeech-ht7sw Indeed. It's patronizing.

[@joqiii3]

Matt was kind, thoughtful, and through.

[@Ozone280]

Matt says "Belief is not a choice." I would add that neither is disbelief.

[@professionalpenguin6871]

...I mean that should go without saying but okay...

[@rG1vZ]

Well yeah that's part of what "belief is not a choice" entails

[@DatHombre]

.. i mean duh.

[@razorbeard6970]

It can be choice.

[@G_Demolished]

@@razorbeard6970 No, it can’t. You’re either convinced of something or you’re not. If you’re not convinced and claim you choose to be, you’re just lying.

[@dhammaboy1203]

I had no idea Matt was a former evangelical! I appreciate how polite he was in explaining his disbelief. As a PhD candidate majoring in philosophy - I can't recommend enough that curious people read philosophy - it really is the field through which to study critical thought, justification etc. I wish philosophy was formally taught in high school as it would alter our society for the better.

[@marting1547]

These 6 minutes are all you need. If apologists actually read and interrogated all the text in their holy books (not just cherry pick) they would surely reach the same conclusion.

[@thomascanfield8571]

The first guy who asked what changed Matt spoke of him as being a bright individual in the past tense. Matt "WAS" a bright individual. Anyone else catch that?

[@Rodrik18]

Yes, this is common when believers confront those who have left the faith. To be fair though, in this situation they aren't saying that Matt used to be smart and got dumber, but rather that they saw him as a great potential for their cause that no longer walks in step with them. It's not much better (essentially its expressing entitlement to the fruits of his labour), but it is a little bit. Essentially, they feel the loss of what they thought they had and seeing his efficacy in the public arena *against theism* they just see it as proof that he would have been a GREAT evangelist.

[@FourDeuce01]

@@Rodrik18 Just several more things they got wrong.😂

[@joman388]

Just because a fellow is referred to as bright early in their life ,does not mean it is implied that they are no longer bright,its called reading in something that is likely not there.thanks

[@MR-intel]

Most people who leave a church / religion do so via a long process of increasing doubts, reflection and reasoning. People who join a church / religion mostly do so spontaneously, due to an emotional need. Thus, reasoning with the doubt-free faithful is futile.

[@The-F.R.E.E.-J.]

We would agree with all of that, with one caveat, that what Matt, and others like him, are really rejecting is religion, not the Creator, for the Creator never promised (in the New Covenant), if you did what religion tells you to do, He would do the things religion claims He will do. Religion was created by the enemy of God & man, from the beginning, in the garden, as the tool he uses to separate man from his Creator.

[@PeerAdder]

Or they join because they were brought up in that community.

[@Scottmiller1974ohio]

The only ( good ) is knowledge, and the only ( evil ) is ignorance..

[@Lancefh_ENV]

I had similar fears about being a missionary and hearing all the horrible things that tended to happen to them. So the last thing I wanted was to be called to be a missionary. Lo and behold, it didn't work out in favour of christianity when I started questioning things and I got out when I had the opportunity.