Why Do Atheists Need Irrefutable Evidence For God?

Why atheists need proof of a god. Alex from CA wants to know why Atheists say they need irrefutable evidence before they will accept God’s existence.
This clip is from The Atheist Experience, Episode 27.16 for April 23, 2023 with JMike and Richard Gilliver!
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[@klaxoncow]

"Why do atheists need irrefutable evidence for God?" No, the real question is why the hell religious people don't.

[@jeanettecook1088]

The short answer is: because it's instinctive. There are two major roots of the religious impulse... the social, and neo-natal. There's a great book about this subject... The Illusion of God's Presence, by Dr John C Wathey. The neurobiology of humans is the reason religions exist, all over the world, and have similar features. BTW the guy with the gas problem was most likely driving the extra ten miles on fumes... or he misjudged the size of his tank...but the likelihood of all of natural laws being broken to give him individually, subjectively, and only once, i.e., a "miracle" of magic god-gas, is so near zero as to not be even considerable. He's talking confirmation bias...not causation by prayer. We also know from experiments that prayer has no effect on the universe.

[@dx1450]

As I asked, what good is refutable evidence?

[@picklesandufos7860]

There's evidence everywhere

[@joshbradburn7043]

Christians have evidence.....it's called the universe.

[@Lothrean]

@@picklesandufos7860 what is evidence and what is not is in most cases very subjective. The general problem is that there is a lot of grey area and people can pick any cherries right and left to make a point for their belief. In the end the question is wrong, there is no evidence needed. Proof is needed, which means there must be a predictable outcome that can only be explained by the intervention of a god. And actually a form of god emerges from this thinking. In the end the laws of nature are a form of such permanent intervention.

[@tommystyx]

I asked God to save my little brother from dying but he was busy making sure Alex didn't run out of gas.

[@pointbreak8646]

So Alex believes his God helped him travel a few miles extra yet when a child is being raped and prays to God he decides to do nothing, the mind of a theist never ceases to amaze me

[@Hobofish11]

Clearly the child deserved it...

[@phantomse24]

It's freaking disgusting how these people think.. its just repulsive... religion is beyond poison to the mind

[@Robett-r4l]

Like an NFL player catching a touchdown and pointing up Viking is immoral magical being as thousands of people starve to death every day

[@idpro83]

Wait until the caller finds out that car makers underestimate the range shown to you on purpose. They do that to make sure that you don't run out of gas. What a miracle. 🤯

[@aimanrahman5768]

I thought the same thing as well

[@akyhne]

Just about any car in the world, can drive longer, than the gauge shows. 5-50 km. Gasoline gauges are very simple in design, even in modern cars. And by design, they leave more gas in the tank, than what the needle or counter says. Heck, even electric cars are designed specifically, so that you can still drive a distance, when you are told, there's no more milage left. I've tried it myself, to run the needle down to zero, then still manage to drive a lit further. Heck, even English Top Gear has demonstrated in both gas- and electric cars, that you can drive much further. And those guys in the Top Gear show, were probably the least religious people in the UK!

[@sagar110]

Blasphemous, we all know God Ford is great.

[@maneatingcheeze]

@@akyhne manufacturers do this because people are either idiots who ignore the gauge, are on a long distance trip and mismanaged fuel/charge stops, or have financial difficulties and are trying to stretch a tank/charge as far as possible. Plus, batteries are damaged when you fully deplete them so hidden charge is often maintained just to keep the battery healthy.

[@OgeyTheTerrible]

Multiple times I've hit 'DTE 0 Miles' and made it another 50 or so. I've certainly pushed it to the last half gallon more than once.

[@kieronbrowne7881]

9 million children die every year but Alex’s car ran on fumes because he prayed to a invisible man in the sky!😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@Cuffsmaster]

Yeah it is funny

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

"Thank You God" by Tim Minchin. :D

[@beaconeersofthesevenmaps3467]

Imaginary invisible man

[@cyberflightfpv4184]

Don't forget the 25 million babies that god kills in the womb because instead of making the fetus viable or fixing the mothers body... he kills it and says "try again next time"

[@garyt123]

Hilarious. Maybe it was the miracle that is _gravity,_ ie. the 20 miles he had to go to the gas station was principally downhill, whereas the previous 20 miles were principally uphill. Alex is _really_ smart! (Irony intended) so it makes me wonder why on earth is he even a believer! 😂😂

[@nobodyimportant76467]

This caller demonstrated the most common argument I see people using for everything: Proof by refusing to accept any other possibility as true.

[@torontocitizen6802]

This call is a stunning example of how a lack of critical thinking makes for religious fanatics.

[@lucofparis4819]

I'm not sure how you've come to the conclusion that the caller was 'a stunning example of [...] religious fanatics', let alone of how they become just that, since he doesn't seem to be one of them in the first place. Rather he sounds like a fairly common believer who doesn't put much thought into anything related to his core beliefs. Though I may agree with the spirit of what you're claiming, minus the fanaticism part, I'd prefer that you 'practice what you preach' so to speak, and put some nuance and critical thinking of your own.

[@shaynerushton214]

@@lucofparis4819 well it boils down to his argument being, “Because i cant explain the event, I KNOW it was god.” Its a complete acquiescence to a supernatural explanation in absence of critical thinking or even asking yourself, “What else could have allowed me an extra ten miles on an empty tank?”

[@raysalmon6566]

have you read the transcript a parade of absurdities

[@LarrySinclairAndBarack]

PS this phone call is a stunning example of how atheist don't actually want to have a debate on the idea of God or a non intelligent occurrence being responsible for the origins of life. The reason why the atheist doesn't want to have this debate because the idea of the origins of life being the result of a non intelligent occurrence rather than God is completely preposterous. Prove me wrong if there's any atheist out there who believes the origins of Life came into existence without God please provide evidence to why you believe that. And if you do in return I will gladly provide evidence to why I believe in God and we will see which one of us is more logical. Who will be the first atheist in 10 years to take me up on this offer and actually stick to their word

[@leftbas65]

Here's my take on his so-called miracle: 1. Faced with the likelihood that he'd run out of fuel before reaching the next gas station, it's highly likely he modified his driving behavior and feathered the throttle to eke as much range out of what little fuel was left in the tank. 2. The onboard computer likely miscalculated the range, underestimating how far he could go on what little gas was left. Either or both are much more likely explanations. His conclusion that it simply couldn't be anything other than miracle is predicated on the timing of the caller's prayer, and (as the hosts pointed out) his own lack of understanding of how his car works.

[@nullverba856]

*_Irrefutable?_*_ How about we just start with vaguely plausible and try to work our way towards convincing?_

[@AngryBoozer]

Yeah. What is more likely. A cosmic entity taking a personal interest in your gas tank, or engineers designing it in a way that allows for extra fuel even when the gaige says it’s empty. Not to mention, that one of these oremises can be looked up and confirmed in minutes… I don’t need irrefutable evidence, I’ll settle for some not batshit insane one.

[@kennybachman35]

Don’t you think if they had vaguely plausible they would have started there, baby steps. Like learning your ABC’s. They don’t have that so they try to dazzle you with bullshit or outright trick you into subservience.

[@Papa-dopoulos]

Okay. How about the evidence for the historicity of Jesus’ resurrection? Multiple and enemy attestation confirming his death, the empty tomb, and the fact that his initially cowardly followers suddenly began proclaiming his resurrection, most of whom died gruesomely for it? Not posturing this as irrefutable proof, mind you, but can you really call it poor evidence without a totally unfounded anti-supernatural bias? Even the most respected atheist scholars have to concede under the weight of the evidence that “something crazy” happened - they just substitute a different miracle wrapped up in naturalistic justification. A “mass hallucination” of 500 people at once, all seeing the same thing lol 😂

[@nikolatesla5553]

EXACTLY! The evidence for god presented to me has been pathetic. For the life of me, I don’t understand why anyone would believe the crap that Christians try and pass off as evidence. But they are not alone in presenting awful proof of a God. Please, please, please give me something of some merit. Your anecdotes don’t cut it.

[@Papa-dopoulos]

@@nikolatesla5553 Right. Neither personal anecdotes nor any kind of cosmological proof can get us even close. The closest we can get to a pro-theistic argument with cosmology is “well, something we don’t understand kicked off the singularity.” And while I of course don’t mean to bash my fellow Christians, I completely understand why someone who doesn’t already believe wouldn’t be convinced with “just pray and ask the Holy Spirit (+ emojis)” What I would offer, however, is the evidence supporting Jesus’ resurrection. No, it’s not 100% proof. But it absolutely is decent evidence that grounds my faith in a reasonable inference from multiply attested facts, not blind belief. I commented on the historicity of Christ’s resurrection above if you’d like to check it out. Now, if even granting the resurrection, you don’t believe that’s proof of deity, then we have another conversation lol. But there’s a reason that the most biblically learned atheists have to go with “mass hallucination.” Because they simply cannot reconcile the empty (guarded!) tomb, the fact that the Romans didn’t drag Christ’s body out to shut everyone up, the disciples suddenly going from cowering in defeat to proclaiming Christ unto their violent deaths, Paul suddenly relinquishing his position of power as a persecutor of the church to a Christian that was beaten and spat on the rest of his days, and on and on. It is 99.9% historically established that the disciples *truly believed* Christ rose again. So, if you deny the redirection, then you literally have to posit a different “supernaturally unlikely” conclusion. Just like Ehrman does. There’s a reason he doesn’t just hand wave it away with “the disciples stole the body” or “they were all delusional at the same time and in the same way” lol. The historical facts do not permit it. And hey, if material evidence is your thing, then why dismiss the shroud of Turin? Do you have a firm handle on how that negative imprint was made on 1/200th the depth of each fibril using a bust of electromagnetic energy 2 millennia ago? Is this not the “extraordinary evidence” required for the “extraordinary claim”?

[@andrewolson5471]

The gas tank miracle made my brain hurt. My first thought about it was that the engineer that designed the fuel range calculator built in an "Idiot Margin" (or we could call it reserve capacity) for people that drive past a gas station when they have 20 miles left on the range indicator when the next gas station is 58 miles away. Edit: spelling

[@peteralleyman1945]

"Idiot margin" covers it very well.

[@carahiggs7157]

I once wished that my next fart would make children cry and the kids close to my butt very nearly did cry, I love god sooo much !

[@tonyd3927]

I died at birth but the doctors and nurses managed to resuscitate me. I was in a critical state, the hospital chaplain tried to insist my mother baptise me because I would not make it through the night and if I was not baptised I would not go to heaven (how sick is that). My mother told the chaplain she did not want me to be baptised and if I made it through it would be my decision which faith I choose. After half a century of questioning I am still without faith. My thought and thanks go to those who perform miracles every day in the health profession.

[@ianp3112]

Those people are the worst, most deplorable people on the planet, they prey on the people at their lowest point. Love your mom for standing up to that BS😊

[@timothybrown5999]

Not baptized? So clearly you died, right?

[@landsgevaer]

I think unbaptised children used to go to -heaven- limbo, but it was recently changed to heaven. Convenient, such mutable dogmas.

[@landsgevaer]

@@NoviceElite Nothing wrong with hope mate! Just call it hope and don't expect it to listen to anyone's prayers. You have better ways to spend your time and energy than to genuflex. But, bottom line, whatever you keep to yourself is yours to keep, as far as I am concerned. Wishing you strength. 👍

[@VaughanMcCue]

@@timothybrown5999 That charlie Chaplain's god figured you belong on the scrap heap- AKA life. welcome aboard the reality train.

[@billybaumann4445]

The “gas tank miracle” made me question wether this caller was serious or not. It’s funny because he could easily recreate that experiment to see how far he can get on an empty tank. It’s pretty clear that the gauges will tell you you have less miles left than you really do to make sure you get gas before it runs out.

[@FredCowgill]

Maybe that, and also there are a lot of factors that can make it inaccurate. For instance, the "miles left" is calculated based on the car's average history, not a hard and fast calculation. Not to mention, depends on hard hard you drive or the conditions.

[@scambammer6102]

@@FredCowgill also, it could have been satan.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

If he paid attention during driving lessons, he would have known tanks have a spare amount of gas not showing on the gage. 5 liters is common.

[@FredCowgill]

@@CyberBeep_kenshi Those meatbags are inept at piloting

[@chadingram6390]

There's even charts online that show how many miles different cars have after they hit E

[@FriendofWigner]

As a former engineer in the automotive industry, we would regularly leave slack in regards to our operator warnings. The mileage calculation is an estimation; many things can affect it, and when I was programming something that, I would often display 'worse case' scenarios. So having the gauge say you only have 20 miles left when you could actually go 30-50 miles is not a miracle, it is just good engineering.

[@akyhne]

Even electric cars have this "safety" build in, that you can actually drive up to 50 km longer, than the electric gauge says. Zero doesn’t mean zero. It just means "get your ass to a charger ASAP!".

[@Beemernow]

I love these "I prayed and God helped me find my keys" argument when little Timmy (or whomever) just died from cancer at the age of 3 with a whole congregation praying for him to be saved?! People like this caller don't realize how arrogant they look to Timmy's parents that their praying or child wasn't good enough to be saved over your keys....FFS

[@tonyclements1147]

Suffer the little children indeed.

[@andrebrown8969]

So really the religious are fundamentally selfish people.

[@scambammer6102]

3.1 million children starve to death every year, but god helped me find my keys. F that guy.

[@chrisgraham2904]

...or, the guy praying to find his keys took up so much of God's time and resources, that God wasn't able to save little Timmy.

[@rembrandt972ify]

Timmy didn't die of cancer, he fell down a well. Lassie would have saved him, but she was in the pound.

[@ketorising81]

This is ludicrous. What’s more likely? That a God watched over him to make sure he didn’t run out of fuel, or that his vehicle hits E with a small amount of fuel in reserve? Ridiculous.

[@mckaylapaddock9319]

This is like when my mom thanks God for giving her a good parking spot. Because God made sure to move things around just so sure can park in a decent spot... Sometimes. Totally not random chance.

[@roqsteady5290]

It is funny, because when I go to the supermarket around Friday lunch time, god isn't nearly as obliging as he is at 8:30 in the morning on a weekday. You can't possibly think of a naturalistic explanation for that!

[@VogtTD]

Like fuck everyone else looking for a spot lol

[@EvilMonk20]

Not even random chance.. when you roll the dice, you don't get a 6 because you're "lucky". You got the 6 because of how you held the dice, how it rolled and how it landed. Chance/Probability are just ways of humans trying to understand what may happen before it happens. Your mother getting that spot wasn't random or planned, merely coincidence.

[@skepticusmaximus184]

​@@roqsteady5290Er.. uh.. miracles don't happen in a boring part of the week, at a time when god hasn't had time to properly wake up yet. That's just random luck. Miracles are things that happen after 7:30 PM on Friday or Saturday when there's little chance of getting a 'lucky' spot, and gods had time to do his first line of coke for the evening. 😂

[@levitaggart5943]

​@@skepticusmaximus184 Wow. That's some mystical magical diety personality information I did not have, until now. Thank you Skepticus. So, somebody's god is a coke sniffing, parking lot trolling, dice rolling, casino degenerate who makes decisions based on . . . Who the fuck knows, in order to entertain itself ? Yeah, well, I'm not one of the faithful, so it's not like I care. My day is just the same, with or without a god.

[@FrikInCasualMode]

There it is; that vaunted Christian humility. God will not lift a finger to help innocent child being tortured, raped and murdered by a serial killer, but he will go out of his way to make sure Alex will reach next gas station. Because obviously Alex's road trip was absolutely critical to God's plan for the Universe, while innocent child was not.

[@scambammer6102]

look, Alex' god cares about Alex. If you want stuff, get your own god.

[@Compulsive-Elk7103]

Atheism in a nutshell : God doesn't work the way I want him to so therefore I don't believe in him."

[@keng6663]

@@Compulsive-Elk7103 if such a god as that exists then he does not deserve worship or respect.

[@FrikInCasualMode]

@@Compulsive-Elk7103 Really? That's the best you can come up with? It's just a variation of "Atheists just want to sin.". Try again.

[@scamchan]

@@Compulsive-Elk7103 Remember if GOD says he loves everyone it should be obvious to all as well. Oh well faith will have you ignore all the things a GOD could do but never does.

[@spetsdod]

"I drove for 30 miles on an empty tank, it HAS to be a miracle." "How did you rule out gas tank fairies, or unicorn farts?"

[@peaceandfood7952]

Some people says it's supernatural me damn this gauge is not accurate 😂😂😂😂

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

You know what’d be funny? How so people who believe in all of the above know which to attribute it to?

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

Carburettors are inhabited by fairies who stir up the gas-and-air mixture in little buckets, then dump it in the required cylinder... -really fast! This is a well-known fact! So perhaps the carburettor fairies had a little extra fuel lying around that day. It happens. :D

[@makeroftoys]

I have never driven a car in which the gas gauge Accurately reports how much gas is in the tank. The idea that this moron uses that as proof of god is hilarious

[@akyhne]

Just about any car in the world, can drive longer, than the gauge shows. 5-50 km. Gasoline gauges are very simple in design, even in modern cars. And by design, they leave more gas in the tank, than what the needle or counter says. Heck, even electric cars are designed specifically, so that you can still drive a distance, when you are told, there's no more milage left. I've tried it myself, to run the needle down to zero, then still manage to drive a lit further. Heck, even English Top Gear has demonstrated in both gas- and electric cars, that you can drive much further. And those guys in the Top Gear show, were probably the least religious people in the UK!

[@martinmckee5333]

This is one of the clearest examples of an argument from ignorance that I have ever seen. And one of the least "miraculous" miracles.

[@korganrocks3995]

Yeah, I saw Jeremy Clarkson drive from Scotland to London on a single tank of gas once, and at no point during the final five minutes of that segment when the meter was on empty did I entertain the thought that God was a Top Gear fan and was influencing the challenge... Honestly the least miraculous miracle I've ever heard of.

[@timblizzard4226]

@@korganrocks3995 Can you imagine living in a magical universe like that? Where you actually believe the creator of the universe puts a little fuel in your car if you ask nicely?

[@korganrocks3995]

@@timblizzard4226Not to mention influencing the outcome of professional sports games in the favour of players who cross themselves as they run onto the field...

[@UnconventionalReasoning]

The argument from ignorance is also the argument from arrogance.

[@Vaishino]

The caller's supernatural miracle is that his gas meter was improperly calibrated.

[@johnandersons]

Manufacturers purposely build in a cushion for the gauge because they know people will get to E and will need a few more miles. Usually it is 2 gallons.

[@Vaishino]

@@johnandersons it's even worse then, his supernatural miracle is a properly calibrated gas meter xD

[@alexmiyadi]

I'm the owner of a small calibration lab in Utah. Yes, it would be a miracle if the gage was accurate and precise. Calibration is the baseline for quality. Without calibration, you have nothing.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

​@@johnandersons exactly what i was saying, this system has been used for decades. And i was taught this during my lessons. Basic knowledge imo. This was such a crazy call.

[@fomori2]

I think the callers miracle is that they are still alive. The level of ignorance and lack of critical thinking demonstrated by them makes me wonder how they function in society. The crux of his call is asking "why do we need evidence to believe things". Lacking that fundamental bit of reasoning is astounding.

[@00dfm00]

Kudos to the caller Alex for keeping his composure when it seems like 99% of other theists go from calm to freak-out within minutes. 👍

[@FakingANerve]

Homeboy doesn't realize that cars' fuel gauges are literally calibrated to read as empty _before_ they actually are for this very reason. 😂 Yes, I'm an engineer who has designed automotive systems, for anyone wondering about qualifications.

[@kawawalker]

Finally an intelligent designer! You are the real god of all creationists

[@tonyclements1147]

OP with the qualifications unlike all the theist trolls and their "degrees".

[@zenkim6709]

Finally, an actual engineer joins the comment threads! Was wondering if anyone was going to point out the practice & value of engineering a "safety margin" into the vehicles, devices & other mechanisms on which we depend (like the "Max Weight Capacity" rating of elevators).

[@a.g.m8790]

Theists are so silly “I prayed to god and he let me drive on an empty tank”. Come ON man 😆

[@LarrySinclairAndBarack]

I guess you never met a humanist. I would define them as silly if they weren't so damn psychotic. They actually mutilate their children simply because their cult leaders tell them without a shred of physical evidence they have children with a brain of a different gender in their body. But to make it even more silly not only is there no physical criteria but there's no philosophical criteria either. For example let's say I belong to a translion community and like the humanist transgender community not having physical evidence of having a brain of a different gender in their body the translion community has no physical evidence of having a lion brain in their body. But unlike the transgender community we have a philosophical criteria of being translion a trans lion person roars at least three times a day. If a person who identifies as a translion doesn't roar at least three times a day then he's not a real translion. Like I said I could define humanist as being silly but psychopathic is a much better description

[@ManicPandaz]

Just like Hanukkah story of the oil lamp. “Damn I only have enough oil for one day… I know, prayer will make it work!”

[@nobody-u-know]

I was hoping that he would ask the car driver to drive his car again on empty and see how far he goes.

[@tahaymvids1631]

I honestly couldn’t believe that was his argument, so ridiculous. Like, perish the thought, but can you dare to believe that the gauge… malfunctioned??

[@LarrySinclairAndBarack]

@@tahaymvids1631 why would you be surprised do you think Atheist experience is going to debate somebody on the likelihood of Life coming into existence because of a non intelligent occurrence rather than a creator ? Don't be silly atheism has nothing to do with believing evidence science logic critical thinking it's a disbelief it's an unwillingness or inability to accept God as true and no quality of evidence can change that

[@andrewfrennier3494]

This guy really showed his bubble when he asked if you ever hear of other religions getting health miracles

[@iamnotgroot3693]

So fun fact, car manufacturers always set their gas gauges to hit "E", or "zero" predicted miles, to register when there is still 2.5+ gallons left in the tank. You can check your manual for the gas tank capacity, and then check how much you put in the tank when you fill up on E. My Honda has an extra 4 gallons after I hit E

[@Ironraven001]

A real miracle would be if he just decided to never fill up his tank again and 10000 miles later his car was still going.

[@YourMajesty733]

Don't let reading get in the way of jumping to supernatural conclusions.

[@logicalmuslim1590]

American cars yes, but not German cars. Dang Germans insist on accurate fuel gauges.

[@CyberBeep_kenshi]

Exactly. Should be common knowledge. But apparently it was magic......

[@mehallica666]

​@@logicalmuslim1590 You believe a Honda is an 'American car'? Not very logical are you?

[@prakajr2]

When a car's gas gauge reads "E," it indicates that the fuel level in the tank is low and it's time to fill up. However, there is usually a reserve fuel level that provides a buffer between the actual fuel level and the point at which the gauge reads "E."

[@MODea-pq7ei]

It took me 50 miles while on empty and I was able to find a gas station.. I left on zero, didn't pray....and MIRACLE! I filled up the tank. So, this guy's "miracle was just his own.. lol this guy is insane

[@lucofparis4819]

Oh he's not insane. What he's describing is textbook basic superstition. It's the exact same kind of psychological bias that makes professional athletes cling onto random items as though they were lucky charms that they absolutely must keep with them in order to win. At the same time they'll keep on training hard, and will convince themselves it's totally the lucky charm that won for them, not their natural advantages, years of very hard training, and the opportunities they took advantage of during whatever sports they were practicing. It's not a bug of the human mind. It's one of its evolutionarily-driven features.

[@deanmoncaster]

So God helped you and you didn't even need to ask?!?!?

[@mikeekim242]

It's a miracle that god put a 2, or 3 gallon reserve in YOUR car!

[@VaughanMcCue]

@@mikeekim242 Intelligent design by good engineers.

[@OswaldBatesIIIEsq]

I wouldn't say "insane", just typical religious superstition.

[@mikepurdon9721]

As a nurse I saw heart patients die and families pray god to save them and they came back to life in the Emergency room. They family knew God saved them but then the patient minutes later their heart stopped again and they weren't saved. So did God change his mind or made a mistake, or did the family not praise him enough so he decided to punish them.

[@jquest99]

One of many possible answers: 1. God works in mysterious ways 2. Something, something, free will 3. They needed to experience suffering 4. The families were obviously wicked.

[@Specialeffecks]

God is like their puppet - pray (at the right time/way/sincerity/etc) and he performs for you. Believe the right/wrong things he sends you to different places. Pull the correct strings and god dances around in a multitude of ways.

[@Choryrth]

@@jquest99 1. means God wanted that person dead, so he killed them, and then brought them back and killed them again, to fuck with the family, meaning he is cruel. 2. means god interfered with free will by forcing that person to live, then killed them again, because he wanted to kill them, and be cruel about it. 3. just means God is cruel, and kills some people to make others suffer. 4. means that God is punishing people for other peoples crimes, with death. then brings them back, and kills them again and as such is cruel. so all 4 of yours reasons are essentially "God is a dick".

[@mana3735]

He was busy driving Alex's car for him on empty. How can you expect him to be saving children's lives at the same time?

[@patricksheehan43]

My argument is always why aren’t kids saved? Why do horrible things happen to completely innocent people all the time? What about people who have not been exposed to any god so there’s no possible way they could even know about a god? So many horrid things happen every day in this world and yet we are supposed to believe we are all watched over by a loving deity who can literally create universes within a matter of days.

[@4ndytrout46]

I truly don't understand how people can say that the answer to your prayers isn't always yes and be completely blind to the fact that they are literally just describing chance.

[@jquest99]

If you spin a roulette wheel and pray for red, sometime god will give you red, sometimes he will give you black. God just works in mysterious ways.😅

[@caquis2037]

@@jquest99 Dude doesnt even have ways, he just random😭😭

[@philbreadcrumbs8179]

​​@@jquest99 Why the hell would god be wasting his time helping me gamble when there are sick kids that need fixing? 😂

[@blairmcian]

Good point. Unless they can give a good standard or measure for when a negative outcome was God's choice, then the world that exists under their beliefs is indistinguishable from a world where chance, or discoverable but currently unknown causes, determine all outcomes.

[@seighartmercury]

​@@caquis2037 Einstein: "God doesn't play dice" God: "Eenie, meenie, miney, mo"

[@elliottpaine9259]

A lot of times, my experience has been that " a miracle" is just confirmation bias. Meaning, its a miracle to you, but its not a miracle to someone else. So the situation confirms what you believe, but your just looking to reconfirm your own faith and when a miracle or situation come up, you think "aha! this was god" . but it is viewed differently by others around you.

[@clit_niblr0375]

'Need' irrefutable evidence..? Well, some evidence would be nice, but theists have yet to present any.

[@happyninja42]

This is actually a point that some haggle over. Some say that technically, they ARE providing evidence. It's just really BAD evidence, that isn't sufficient to back their claim. And I can kind of see it. There have actually been callers who have been hung up on that detail. They will call in and say the atheists are just ignoring all the mountains of evidence that have been presented. But when actually asked what evidence they mean, they say things like personal testimony, anecdotal evidence, etc etc. Stuff that has no actual value, but IS technically evidence. So then when an atheist says "there is no evidence for gawd" the religious types get all riled up and feel like they have a gotcha moment in the discussion. When the reality is that "ok yes, technically you HAVE presented evidence, but it's insufficient to warrant belief."

[@happyninja42]

@Sveinn Bj Atheists regularly share their beliefs on this very show and it's sibling shows. It's called humanism for most of them. The atheism isn't their "identity" for most of them. When directly asked, most of them barely even care to bring it up. But they HAVE to bring it up because 1. The entire premise of these shows is to communicate to the religiously brainwashed, that the shit they've been spoon fed is wrong, and they shouldn't just belief it, because it's not "just bland" as you put it. That they should actually critically analyze their beliefs, and see if they have good reasons for it. BECAUSE, we live in a world where people encode their religious beliefs into the laws of the land, forcing us to live by them. And those of us who think this is the equivalent of making the tooth fairy the governing power of our country, would REALLY like to not have to live under religious idiocy as law. Because whenever actually asked on what justification the religious types are basing these far reaching laws, their answers boil down to "because gawd." And I'm sorry but that's not good enough justification to repeal laws for some segments of the population that they don't like (because of their gawd), and entrenching their beliefs into law, giving them special treatment. And that's where the humanism comes into play for these hosts. Most of them would LOVE to never have to debate religion again, but the religious chucklefucks are the ones that have actually made their entire life be defined by their faith, not the atheists. And they use the belief to bludgeon everyone around them. And we're basically saying "hey, stop fucking hitting us." And they're screaming "But gawd said I can so it's FINE! I'm doing it for your own good!"

[@devinbraun1852]

1) I’ve never heard an atheist use wording to the effect of “I need irrefutable proof” of god 2a) your car’s gas gauge mechanism is not even close to a precision instrument 2b) the auto manufacturers design/calibrate the gauge sensors to leave you a reserve to save you from your own stupidity. Most cars will go a ways after your “miles remaining” reads “0”, often 30-40 more miles.

[@petyrkowalski9887]

@Sveinn Bj i am an atheist but grew up a christian. I have read the bible end to end and back again and again. It is a bronze age compendium of myths and anecdotes recounted third hands hundreds of years after these supposed events allegedly occurred.

[@drg8687]

​@Sveinn Bj lol, what a terribly stupid take. Atheists don't believe in God due to a lack of evidence. I am sorry you think poor evidence should be considered without question. Science explores the questions of the universe, not atheists or atheism.

[@shalimarlittle8374]

“There’s no other explanation…” How did he rule out the Refill Fairies?

[@lyokianhitchhiker]

How does somebody who believes in both God & the refill fairies determine which was responsible?

[@thegamesninja3119]

Refill fairies are gods.

[@akyhne]

Just about any car in the world, can drive longer, than the gauge shows. 5-50 km. Gasoline gauges are very simple in design, even in modern cars. And by design, they leave more gas in the tank, than what the needle or counter says. Heck, even electric cars are designed specifically, so that you can still drive a distance, when you are told, there's no more milage left. I've tried it myself, to run the needle down to zero, then still manage to drive a lit further. Heck, even English Top Gear has demonstrated in both gas- and electric cars, that you can drive much further. And those guys in the Top Gear show, were probably the least religious people in the UK!

[@joebenny1000]

Alex's gas "miracle" is a perfect example where he can prove it by making it repeatable. Put a gas can in your car with a couple gallons of gas in your truck/back seat/whatever. Run your car to zero miles remaining several times and see how far you go with it on zero - repeat the hypothesis! If you pray to run out of gas as soon as it hits zero and it does, I'd love to know about it. If you consistently run another 5, 10 or 20 miles with the indicator at zero, you have a classic god of the gaps answer and you have once again been duped by your brain.

[@thekameru6058]

I love that God will answer Alex's prayer for a bit of extra fuel, but ignore the prayers of, I dunno, people with disfiguring carcinomas. Or school shooting victims. Edit: oh snap they literally said that in the vid after I posted lol.

[@miotch8225]

I was going to say something too lol. but figured I'd hear it the rest video first and then sure enough they brought it up shortly after.

[@lucofparis4819]

Not to mention, it's actually standard practice in modern cars to calibrate fuel gauges such that there's an emergency reserve left even after you reach E. Usually between 1 and 2 gallons of fuel in your wicked imperial units of nonsense. I believe you'd go for about 25 to 50 of your equally silly miles with an 'empty' fuel tank. But muh miracle I guess. Now praise the automotive industry for accurately predicting average driver behavior 😅.

[@YourMajesty733]

And of course he's got the standard "we are fallen - humans are flawed - free will" argument. It's almost as if he doesn't recognize the hypocrisy (that he had free will to make sure he had gas before he set off on his trip). The question is why did god intervene here with something impossible (making a car run without fuel) to avoid a relatively minor inconvenience of Alex being stranded, while god ignores the prayers of innocent dying children from physical pain, hunger, suffering?

[@jquest99]

@@YourMajesty733 Yep. If it wasn't for Adam and Eve being entrapped to eat that fruit, our cars would NEVER run out of gas!

[@theflyingdutchguy9870]

i guess God wants those horrible things to happen. so that is why it doesnt help those situations. wich is probably what a theist thinks. but ofcourse doesnt want us to think bad of their God. so that is why they are usually not honest about this. wich i get. because it shows how horrific their God really is, if it existed

[@tatabit]

Whether God exists with or without evidence. If an American gets sick and prays, the air ambulance will come. If the Somali prays, he will lie there and die without even air. Why this discrimination in terms of wealth and health. The difference is night and day. Then what is the use of God?

[@AnthonyValcic]

The level of critical thinking skills that the caller displays make me weep for humanity.

[@montythebugman6308]

Alex's claim of the miraculous gas tank can be tested through a series of trials. The reason Alex won't even consider conducting an experiment is because of his fear that his faith will be challenged when the trials indicate that his gawd isn't actually responding to his pleas for miraculous intervention..

[@brandonevans2588]

What if it was Allah or whoever trying to convince him that they are real and he totally gives credit to the wrong god. How does he know that it was his particular god? It’s like giving credit to a god for healing when there was a team of doctors, nurses, and decades of medical research that went into the healing and before all that the people just died.

[@LarrySinclairAndBarack]

Unfortunately atheism takes the opposite of the scientific approach. Atheism is a disbelief which means it's an unwillingness or inability to accept God as true. There's no quality of evidence that can convince someone of something they don't have the willingness or ability to accept as true

[@lucofparis4819]

​@@brandonevans2588 Not to mention the basic yet very real abilities of people's bodies to recover by themselves. You know, the things that otherwise happen all the time they get harmed or harm themselves, when they understandably expect their bodies to recover without assistance. Well sometimes the natural recovery can go extremely well, to the point of surprising even the doctors themselves by overturning initial prognosis. Doesn't make for a miracle either, and yet so many people keep attributing to a whole menagerie of supernatural entities what was their very own bodies' achievement. Ironic...

[@roqsteady5290]

Unfortunately, we can't really say that theists are insane, because there are way too many of them and they are difficult to cure.

[@brandonevans2588]

@@lucofparis4819 absolutely!

[@joelgunderson396]

I had the same experience with my gas gauge once... I didn't pray and I made it to the next station... I also have run out of gas when the little calculator said I had 10 miles left.... If that's this guy's idea of a miracle, we have drastically different definitions

[@BillRevis]

I've driven almost an hour on empty tanks, not a good idea but I suspect lots of vehicles give you good wiggle room.

[@urielpolak9949]

I had a born again christian once who rode miles without brakes. I fixed them. She thanked god ,( unt

[@skepticaliam5857]

A better question is why do atheists believe in evolution.

[@urielpolak9949]

@@skepticaliam5857 hahahaha you funny. Christians also see evolution is true. It has nothing to do with atheists. Already with linnaeus ,a christian, this started. First get your facts right and definitions. There are many atheist that know nothing about evolution. Or think aliens brought us here.

[@cliffforrest]

@@skepticaliam5857 most don't believe! They accept that, SO FAR, it is the best possible explanation for the diversity of species. Subject to improvement / change. The PROCEss is called science, and it is amazing how so many of the "faithfull" are blissfully and willfully ignorant of it!

[@Musix4me-Clarinet]

"Why is a _miracle_ out of the question?" → Because there is *no evidence* of a supernatural existence or that this imaginary existence affected the outcome that would demand the description of a _miracle._ → Because our life experiences have repeatedly verified that there are almost always explanations for things, even if we, personally, are ignorant of them. → Because I have no need for a miracle as an explanation since _I accept_ my ignorance of many things. Aka: _humility_

[@Narjoso]

wars raging, hundreds of thousands starving, incurable sickness, pandemic but gas mileage. YES!

[@jontpt]

You really can't argue with stupid, but I applaud you guys for trying.

[@livingart2576]

Little bit unfair to call him stupid (if it’s only the gas thing you are going off). Many people don’t know how vehicles work. I prefer intellectually subdued

[@LarrySinclairAndBarack]

That's true, and what's more stupid than atheism which is a disbelief an unwillingness or inability to accept God as true regardless of evidence. Don't get me wrong of course I understand most atheist come from atheistic humanist equity government's AKA Communist governments where these people are being forced into atheism but when you think of an atheist in Christian civilization AKA Modern western civilization having the ability to accept God true but not the willingness it's cringe-worthy to say the least.

[@Pigsfly-tm6on]

A better question would be why can't atheists have an intellectually honest debate about evolution and by extension creation?

[@norcodaev]

@@Pigsfly-tm6onLol, your comment has been there for 1 minute and it already has a thumbs up. I’d bet my next paycheque that you thumbs upped yourself 🤣 Also, creation and evolution have nothing to do with each other.

[@livingart2576]

@@Pigsfly-tm6on Um because evolution is a proven fact whereas creationism has never been proven or demonstrated.

[@chocopuddingcup83]

For every aspect of our lives, we need evidence. But somehow, when the religious questions come up, evidence is thrown out the window and people turn to faith. Maddening.

[@jjkehrley]

I experienced the opposite of a miracle, 14 years ago my mother should have lived, but she didn't.

[@bobs182]

When one person survives a plane crash and thinks God has a plan for them, they are correct. God has a plan to kill them but failed.

[@antoniolara9004]

I'm sorry for your loss. Losing family hits different. Stay strong.

[@SaintD382]

God was too busy answering someone's "gas" prayer to save your mom.

[@laurencelamaison4070]

Im sorry, sometimes life is not fair, i hope you be happy, we have to live life when we still have it.

[@NaughtyNimitz]

Show me a christian that has his missing limb miraculously grown back due to praying.

[@jamtaco2667]

Their god may not be able to 🚫 But that shouldn't stop us from trying. What would we need to change about our DNA 🧬 to give us the same abilities many other creatures and critters have? 😅

[@Ejaezy]

I just wanna see a talking donkey

[@mikhem1962]

It is possible for limbs to grow back, and it’s not even a miracle. But god only thought to give this ability to crabs and octopuses and newts .

[@roqsteady5290]

@@jamtaco2667 Our common ancestor with species that can do that is so far back, that it would likely be almost impossible to retrofit.

[@leftbas65]

@@Ejaezy there's a talking donkey in Shrek! Maybe there really *is* a god!

[@Kerhuz]

Kid in Africa: - Prays for food and safety for his family. - Dies of hunger as his entire family is killed by some invading militia. Dude in America: - Gauddd! Need more gas!!! *your prayers have been answered!!!*

[@MajorPayne175]

I'll piggy back of you: Dudes and kids in America: gauuud please don't let me get gunned downed by this mass shooter...... gauud: kick rocks, fucker.......

[@Vladimir_Fedorov27]

Actually, christian kid in America, son of devout christians: dies of cancer, while his parents, grandparents and local church all pray daily for months. Guy that prayed for 20miles of extra gas: well, some people are just sinful, so God doesn't answer... Unlike me, when I'm afraid to be inconvenienced by empty gas tank,.I deserve the universe creator's personal intervention.

[@RichardRenes]

As a mail carrier on a moped, I can attest that the moment my fuel gauge said it was empty, I could still run about 90 to 100 km with it easily on reserve and fumes. Most fuel gauges work with a floating device so it has a hard time telling exactly when the tank is empty (or full) because of the limitations of said floating device.

[@roqsteady5290]

Right if you are going down hill it might have a totally different reading than if you are going up hill. I reckon people like Alex think that engineering is just another form of magic.

[@Ixnatifual]

Nah, just admit it was magic, son.

[@matilozano96]

Plus, it's likely by design to prevent drivers from going too thin and running out of fuel. As soon as you see the tank going

[@NastyLittleBagginses]

So, you know that 8 year old boy who was being raped by his uncle, and who was desperately praying for God to stop it? Well, God wasn't able to help out, because he was tied up helping this guy get to a gas station.

[@drsatan3231]

😢

[@rogermccaslin5963]

Parting the seas. 600 year old man builds huge boat. Water into wine. Rising from the dead. Whale swallows man, man lives. Alex doesn't run out of gas. Miracles all.

[@analogalien651]

And just for general information, with newer car models it’s a safety feature to have about 1/2 to 1 gallon in reserve so after your fuel gauge says your out of gas you usually have about 15-30 miles after it says your empty for that very reason. I used to put a gallon of gas in my old civic (2003 model) and was able to drive 50 miles on it. Always in the red never ran out of gas once. Not a miracle just common sense)

[@JonS]

Ah, well. God must have put the idea of that feature in the heart of car designers, so that the caller would get to the gas station. A miracle!

[@MuhammadOthman88]

so this machine called car is designed and created by some engineers, not falling from skies, but the universe that we know, which is by far more complicated, exist on it's own???? Which one is more absurd

[@FishyMushroomz]

Thank you God for adding the 1 gallon reserve to this person's gas tank, and most other cars/trucks for the last 50+ years...This must definitely be a miracle, no way to explain it any other freaking way!

[@JohnnysCafe_]

I prayed for extra milage and got 10 unexpected miles "A MIRACLE! A MIRACLE! PRAISE THE LORD" 🤣🤣🤣

[@JonS]

The juniper bushes have brought forth juniper berries! A miracle!

[@diogeneslamp8004]

His story is a perfect example of using God to mitigate ignorance (in this case of how fuel gauges work), like creationists do.

[@Nickelini]

Richard is a new to me host and I think he’s great. Well done, both of you

[@Ziltoid_Knows]

So he didn't know about the auxiliary volume in a gas tank 😂

[@diogeneslamp8004]

But God did, obviously! 😂

[@AngryBoozer]

They come up to me claiming that there’s a magic man with superpowers who is unreasonably invested in my life and demands my worship or he will hurt me, and then wonder why I actually want them to prove it… Have any of them ever tried to take a step back and listen to their own crazy shit?

[@gazz3867]

Sounds like extortion to me.

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

@@gazz3867 They tell you your house is on fire, and demand allegiance to put it out, but I see no flames, smell no smoke, and feel no heat. When I ask them to point out the fire and explain the point of origin, they insult me for not believing them...

[@bobs182]

@@gazz3867 Yes, God operates like a mob boss.

[@heiyuall]

“We are not reading a script,” the crowd declared in perfect unison.

[@VogtTD]

He may not have been reading a script, but he was certainly recalling talking points he had heard before.

[@BlarglemanTheSkeptic2]

_We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _We are all individuals!_ _I'm not!_

[@guytheincognito4186]

​@@BlarglemanTheSkeptic2 "Where not Stupid".. calls the FE community, in unison and willfull ignorance of the most mundane explanations and observations that prove them wrong.

[@QuintarFarenor]

Especially considering I'm sure I heard the gas tank "miracle" at least another time on a different show. I just don't know if it was the same guy.

[@gazz3867]

@@guytheincognito4186 I love it when they do experiments and accidentally do it properly and get confused by the result.

[@landsgevaer]

The bigger miracle is that this guy managed to get a driver's license.

[@omarvasquez6851]

😂

[@1eftnut]

Google “how long will a car travel on empty”. Every car manufacturer stats a vehicle will drive anywhere from 30 to 80kms when the gauge is on empty ffs. This had taken two fking seconds to look up, although being a mechanic I already knew this. I just wanted to see how hard it was to look it up….it’s easy AF🤦‍♂️.

[@sparki9085]

"i dont know how cars work, therefore god!"

[@stephenbesley3177]

The cosmic sound of brum-brum!

[@victorcastaneda5441]

Ive literally driven 100s of miles driving on E over the years. All the cars ive had i tested how long i can go on empty. Only once i ran out, but pulling into a gas station. Didnt waste a prayer on any of those occasions 😂

[@ivancliff2514]

This gas tank miracle is hilarious. Vehicle manufacturers make the “0 miles to empty” show up BEFORE THE TANK IS ACTUALLY EMPTY. This is to help prevent idiots from completely running out of gas. SMH. Also highway driving will significant impact the rate at which the fuel is used and thus the range shown will change.

[@brynpookc1127]

And it will be influenced by individual driving habits.

[@werwurm]

The hubris in the statement "it couldn't have been anything else than a miracle"... Congratulations, your knowledge of the natural world is complete!

[@knuckles543]

a shit ton of pride in saying it too

[@Biggskye]

Two years ago, I was given one week to live and placed into a Hospice. Ten months later, I walked out and returned home. If I was a theist, I would be claiming a miracle had been bestowed upon me by whatever deity I happened to believe in. As an atheist, I understand that doctors don't know everything, and they just got it wrong this time.

[@freddan6fly]

My mom should not have survived her 5:th stroke. She did, she started to be awake, and "talk" at least there were words put together in something no-one understood and eat (with her fingers). She lived for 1 1/2 month like that before her 6:th and final stroke. This proves the invisible pink unicorn in my garage.

[@shedrage9636]

I’m sorry she an you had to go through that. May happy memories of her live on!

[@TastyFood726]

In other words that guys wife would have been so much worst if it wasnt for the prayers in Jesus name

[@tonyclements1147]

Damn OP, I'm sorry for your loss and I hope things are going better for you.

[@freddan6fly]

@@tonyclements1147 Thank you. It is 1 1/2 years ago and I am pretty much back to normal, except crying like a little girl to movies and other thinks that affects emotions.

[@freddan6fly]

@@shedrage9636 Thank You. Read also what I wrote to Tony.

[@schwiftysouls5471]

I really like this Richard fella. Very well-spoken, concise, good pacing, stable tone of voice and explains things super clearly. Awesome work, boys(and everyone behind the scenes)

[@martinmckee5333]

I would certainly agree that he seemed much more amenable to a real conversation than many callers.

[@SaintD382]

I agree: Richard is alert and his thoughts are well-organized. He rarely lets people escape: he reminds them of what they just said, explains why their arguments don't work, and reasons things out patiently.

[@SaintD382]

@@martinmckee5333 He's not talking about the caller, he's talking about Richard Gilliver, the guy on the left.

[@martinmckee5333]

@@SaintD382 Fair. I would agree that Richard did well. I do still think the caller was better than average as well.

[@DanielJaegerFilms]

11:50 I’ve been an auto mechanic for 15 years. Those “distance to empty” gauges are not 100% accurate and almost always tell you there is less fuel remaining than there actually is. Most of those gauges will show you “0 miles to empty” when in reality there is still 2-3 gallons of fuel remaining in the tank. This is a classic example of “I don’t understand how, therefore god”.

[@friendlyneighbourhoodsteve4087]

I thought it was well understood that when the gauge says empty, you've still got a bit of fuel in the tank. They're deliberately designed that way. When I was in my late teens/early 20s, I would constantly drive around on fumes. Had several occasions where I would pull up outside my house or at the service station literally JUST as the car conked out and would roll up to the pump.😂 I used to think the universe was looking after me. So naive.

[@ericscaillet2232]

Or lucky.

[@estherwright2068]

It’s like how I have my alarm clock set 10 mins ahead of the real time…. I’m living on 10 free min of extra time 👌👌

[@rianmacdonald9454]

Yeah I worked that out on my very first car. Got my car for my birthday, then with in the week, we had the damn petrol strike in UK, so couldn't fill up even if I wanted too - however, hit empty, only used it to go back and forth to work (approx. 3 mile there and 3 mile back) for 4 days on empty - from that point, I was aware I can drive approx. 25-30 miles on an ''empty'' tank. Since then, I always test how far I can drive on empty in a new car. So many things can change this, the biggest being how you drive, how hard you are on the accelerator, drafting, and how big your reserve is. But yeah of course god gave him more fuel.

[@friendlyneighbourhoodsteve4087]

@@rianmacdonald9454 like Kramer and the car salesman in Seinfeld, flying by the seat of their pants, seeing how far the car will go after it hits empty. 😂

[@Specialeffecks]

Hilarious! Exactly what I used to do. Why won't my wife believe me that there is plenty of gas left when the meter shows 1/4, or less? (Now it's straight to the gas station when we hit 1/4 tank).

[@tohrazul]

There was an episode of Top Gear (if I recall the correct episode) where Jeremy and the boys were driving towards Chernobyl as part of a challenge, and they were literally hoping, possibly praying, that they would run out of fuel. Their gauges all read empty, with zero miles left to travel, and yet they continued on. It seems more likely that car manufacturers intentionally set fuel gauges to show empty, even in newer models that have estimated miles left to travel, before the car actually runs out of fuel knowing that it is often human nature to push it and say, "I'll get gas later." Or because not every person has the luxury of being able to find or afford gas as soon as the low fuel light comes on. Or because there's a potential liability on their end if the car runs out of fuel and dies the second the fuel gauge reads empty because they need to both warn drivers and account for the aforementioned possibilities of human nature and circumstance. I feel bad for Alex that his psychological need to believe is so strong that an empty fuel gauge, something so insanely trivial and easily explainable - especially had he contacted a car manufacturer or even bothered to Google the question, is enough "proof" that his God exists.

[@louiscyfer6944]

it's called a reserve tank. it used to ve on a valve and had to manually switch over. motorcycles still have that. all cars still do that but the switch is automatic. the gas tank range indicator is for the main tank, the reserve starts when it hits zero. 40 to 60 miles still remain.

[@irrelevant_noob]

Huh, i'm not sure there'd be any case for the "if the car runs out of fuel and dies the second the fuel gauge reads empty" scenario tho... But i guess the manufacturers just want to prevent scenarios where the gauge says "10 more miles" when the engine stops because it's not getting any fuel.

[@wynlewis5357]

A few years ago, I remember reading the instructions for my inkjet printer. It said "The ink gauge is not necessarily correct". Alex seems like a nice enough guy but I hope he learned a lesson in critical thinking. I think the two atheists did a terrific job to refute Alex's miracle and so he had quite a grilling which made him feel "his miracle" was not so great as alternate explanations were offered. It would also be a good idea if he immerses himself into the Old Testament to learn more about the God of the bible to realize he/she/it is a mass murderer of adults, children and innocent babies.

[@michaelreindel6975]

“You say you want irrefutable evidence for the existence of vampires. But many different cultures have had tales of vampires for centuries! And ‘Vlad the Impaler’ was a historical figure! So the tales of Dracula *must* also be true! And *Interview With the Vampire* is predominantly a first-person recollection! So, wHaT mOrE eViDeNcE dO yOu nEeD?”

[@asagoldsmith3328]

Can't believe they're just rejecting personal testimony likebthat

[@gregslingland3576]

On the gas tank thing, if his car is reading out the remaining miles the car can go on the current tank, I wouldn’t be at all surprised to discover that that system hedges its bets so to speak, and is designed to read fewer miles than it can actually go. The purpose of this being to give the customer a cushion for when they make the same sort of mistake with refueling that this caller did.

[@gazz3867]

Oh, the gauges are literally designed like that because people are stupid.

[@gregslingland3576]

@@gazz3867 it’s good design philosophy.

[@iainrae6159]

Sceptics of supernatural claims don't seek irrefutable proof, simply any shread of evidence would be a start.

[@TheMasaoL]

Gas gauges basically work like the ball in your toilet. They measure fluid level and that level can and usually is not quite right because it can be affected by the tilt of the car on the road and the shape of the tank itself. Also computerized cars are typically programed to "fudge" the amount of gas in a tank to be somewhat lower than what is true. This is the "reserve tank" Its just an amount of fuel not marked on the gauge that lets you get a little extra out of your tank in an emergency.

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

Even mechanical gauges can be set up like that.

[@akyhne]

Just about any car in the world, can drive longer, than the gauge shows. 5-50 km. Gasoline gauges are very simple in design, even in modern cars. And by design, they leave more gas in the tank, than what the needle or counter says. Heck, even electric cars are designed specifically, so that you can still drive a distance, when you are told, there's no more milage left. I've tried it myself, to run the needle down to zero, then still manage to drive a lit further. Heck, even English Top Gear has demonstrated in both gas- and electric cars, that you can drive much further. And those guys in the Top Gear show, were probably the least religious people in the UK!

[@Specialeffecks]

Since people like Alex were children, they were raised with the idea of miracles. So was I, but I always assumed the word 'Miracle' was synonymous with 'very unusual' and that the cause was yet undetermined, but not supernatural. It's just a saying. "It's a miracle you got here on time" simply means 'against the odds you arrived on time" (not that any agent helped you get here on time). If they were raised with the idea "there is a black box on the far side of the moon that provides miracles" then that is what they would believe until corrected. But if they surround themselves with 'black box believers' - it would be that much harder to shake the belief.

[@antoniolara9004]

I see what you did there. Seriously as someone raised in "faith" well put.

[@KillerNetDog]

The thing is, if everyone who gets sick in a religious community or family has people praying for them to heal, then literally anyone who recovers for any reason can make the claim the prayers did it.

[@omaha2pt]

Good grief. I'm an auto tech. I lost count of how many times the fuel gauge shows the wrong amount of fuel in the tank. This is evidence that believers believe because they want to, their brains are already warped that way, they see anything as proof of magic.

[@nickwarden5134]

Not even just that. I went for a test drive once and the car had the fuel light on, gauge said one mile until empty. I asked the sales person about it and they said we had a good 40 miles left on reserve. Some brands just warn you really early when you're getting low.

[@chrisgraham2904]

If your a hammer....everything looks like a nail.

[@robpullen]

This story has an easy test. He prayed to God to reach the petrol station so he thought God did it. So he could pray while on the phone to these guys to ask for something. Bless him.

[@roqsteady5290]

Hopefully, if there was a God that wanted to protect people, he would be arrested for using his phone whilst driving!?

[@scambammer6102]

if he ran out of gas, it would be "mysterious ways"

[@robpullen]

@@roqsteady5290 lol you missed the point. I meant he could test the praying claim while on the Atheist Experience.

[@Nocturnalux]

I wonder how he would react if a Hindu told him the exact same story but with praying to Krishna instead.

[@landsgevaer]

@@robpullen It wouldn't be a test for the original story though. But hey, what the f* do we care about such an utterly trivial story.

[@RoninX33]

Considering the fact that there have been countless religions over the span of human history praying to a stupid amount of gods, goddesses and trees. Yeah I am going to need that irrefutable proof.

[@Ghalaghor_McAllistor]

If I went to a christian and told them I have a talking unicorn in my garage, they'd call me crazy in the worst case and ask for evidence in the best case.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Cool! Can I ride him?

[@Ghalaghor_McAllistor]

@@chrisgraham2904 Yes, but only if you bring your own enchanted saddle.

[@pansepot1490]

I wish to thank Alex because he was willing to have an honest conversation and not just preach like some other callers do. If only all calls were like this.

[@roqsteady5290]

Not an honest conversation, but at least he didn't flip his lid when he realised his arguments were less than good.

[@_MADAMIMADAM_]

​@@roqsteady5290 Way more honest than a lot of calls. He at least admitted that he was wrong on some points.

[@littlefluffybushbaby7256]

Yep. He sounded like he actually was trying to understand but couldn't quite switch off a lifetime of learning based on the bible. He stuck with it and didn't rage. If everything you've every believed is put into question that is a rare reaction. Maybe he will go away and think about things. Sounds like he does look things up and question. Even if he remains a believer he may be a slightly more tollerant of other explanations. Which can't be bad.

[@lordshell]

God: omnipotent gas-station attendant.

[@johnscarsandstuff]

I've been an atheist, a Christian and back to an atheist again. This is the second fuel-gauge related anecdote I've heard in my life. The other was told to me before my conversion, as a bit of a car guy it didn't ring true. On the more general point, why wouldn't you want to believe in something without strong proof? When I believed, I thought I had that; but only in terms of personal experience that I wouldn't expect to convince anyone else. Since then, I've realised that what I thought I experienced was probably the result of psychological manipulation; music, preaching, etc (although I'm not saying it was done with malicious intent). The more I'm exploring atheism and apologetics, the more I get annoyed when I hear theists ask, "what would convince you?" as this is a subtle attempt to shift the burden of proof. If you have evidence, great, let's examine it.

[@zacheryeckard3051]

Could you shine some light on the "Atheist to Theist" step of your journey? As an atheist I... can't understand it.

[@johnscarsandstuff]

@@zacheryeckard3051 when I was at university I had a lot of Christian friends. I went to a few meetings with them and in one of those I thought I heard God say, "You know it's true, you can't run from it all your life". I think now that I was taken up with the music and passion of the speaker who had led the service. Growing up in the UK with a heavily Christian influenced culture, probably allowed me to fill in the gaps and convince myself that it was the Christian God of the Bible.

[@chrisleebowers]

" why wouldn't you want to believe in something without strong proof?" Because reality sucks! Everybody WANTS to believe things that aren't true! The question is why would you ALLOW yourself to believe something without strong proof? Like you used to, a lot of people think they have strong proof but they don't really understand what "proof" is. There's things they *want* to believe and "everyone I know, love and trust can't be wrong" is usually proof enough for a default human brain. We have to be *trained* and you have to *learn* that YES everyone you know love and trust can be wrong about something. And even then, *wanting* to believe something makes it hard to let go of, no matter how irrational you realize it is.

[@rayxav]

The “E” on most, if not all, gas gauges does NOT stand for empty. It stands for “Emergency” and is meant to be a warning that the tank is very, very low and you need to get gas asap. This is similar though to the “new” zero percent on EVs. The 0 doesn’t mean it’s going to immediately stop. Cars have been regular people Street tested to show they are not “empty” at the points we have come to think they are.

[@pj45670]

Good thing praying for a gas station wasn't necessary, most of us already know that you don't need a supernatural Fairy Tail God to know that the car's not empty just because the gas gauge says it's on empty.

[@Ironraven001]

Why didn't he pray to never have to buy gas ever again? 😂

[@YourMajesty733]

"What else could it be but the most far-fetched supernatural explanation?" This is a mind-numbing example of the lack of critical thinking. "The world is fallen, so he can make my vehicle run with zero fuel, but he is unable to prevent an innocent child from getting leukemia." Just wow.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Yes, For Richard to reach his destination, God set aside all the natural laws of physics just for him.

[@YourMajesty733]

@@chrisgraham2904 God set aside his morals as well.

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@YourMajesty733 How do morals relate to Richard's gas gauge story?

[@YourMajesty733]

@@chrisgraham2904 God answers trivial prayers to reveal himself to people like Richard, yet ignores the innocent babies at the burn unit at the children's hospital? God could have either not had the accidents happen in the first place, or he can miraculously heal charred weeping skin and reveal himself to everyone at the hospitals.

[@chrisgraham2904]

@@YourMajesty733 Yes, there is no lack of opportunities for a God to get its' point across clearly without confusion or misinterpretation. God is great...at hide-and-seek.

[@tarksurmani6335]

JMike: "My dad died 3 times and came back..." Me: "Wait a minute, so your dad did 3 times Jesus? C'mon guys time to make new religion."

[@graydanerasmussen4071]

I was 3 years old... We have round electrical outlet holes in Denmark, and I had found a pair of metal pins that fit exactly... I should have died right there, grid power from one hand to the other, right through the heart! Praise Lisa the Rainbow Giraffe! For the record, I'm a lifelong atheist. Denmark is an actual christian nation (evangelical lutheran), but we have more than 80% functional atheists, probably because we have religion classes instead of sermons. Instruct a child in one religion, that's indoctrination. Teach all religions, that's inoculation.

[@beastshawnee]

lol! I jammed a bobby pin into an outlet at 11…I mean no one ever told me not to and I was “stimming” by farting with the texture on the outlet. Only slightly autistic I guess but stimmed and rocked thru my childhood.

[@makeroftoys]

Praise the Great giraffe!!! Lo, He is most wise and powerful.

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

One of my favourite answers by now is, "Think of what kind of evidence _you_ would require to accept the claims of Islam/Hindiusm/... - _that_ is the kind of evidence I would need to accept yours."

[@Nocturnalux]

Wonder how he’s react to, “I was driving on empty, prayed to Krishna and got to my destination.”

[@irrelevant_noob]

@Wolf842 idk, i'd expect them to counter that we don't have a (allegedly-)divine book that should be overcome by that kind of evidence...

[@Wolf-ln1ml]

@@irrelevant_noob There's plenty of "scriptures" - to start with the obvious, there's the Quran when it comes to Islam. But I don't even understand why "perfection" would play a role here (apart from the various massive problem with their claims of "perfection"... it's certainly not "perfect" for creating ice cream, so as far as I'm concerned, it can't possibly _actually_ be "perfect" 😋)

[@irrelevant_noob]

@@Wolf-ln1ml what are you arguing about? My point was about the combination including both the comment you made AND the video title: "Why Do Atheists Need Irrefutable Evidence For God?" -- and in this context the atheist cannot offer any scripture that they consider sacred and infallible, and therefore the evidence has less hurdles to overcome. I don't disagree about the view that none of the scriptures are perfect, but i also don't see how this matters to the comparison of what an atheist needs to change their mind versus what a theist needs to change their mind.

[@chrisleebowers]

And then the follow-up "Why don't you demand the same standards for YOUR beliefs in YOUR deities? Why do those other beliefs need to meet those standards and yours doesn't? It wouldn't be the BIAS that was INDOCTRINATED into you by your family when you were young enough to believe anything they told you, would it?"

[@robg5958]

I write from Dublin Ireland and I am an Atheist. However, for many years I was a Christian. One of the things which started me on my journey to Atheism was the fact that I was expected, as a Christian, to just blindly believe the unsupported claims of miracles! I encountered one particular person at my church who was forever telling tales of the miracles he had witnessed, or had been privy to. On one particular occasion, this person claimed that after a night of deep prayer, God had cured his mother of an incurable Cancer whilst she was in palliative care in hospital. He told our congregation that his mother's doctors were baffled by her recovery and that overnight all traces of Cancer had vanished, to the consternation of the medical community. When I asked how this had happened, but had not made it onto the six o'clock RTE news, he immediately accused me of not being a true Christian. That was the moment I decided that I no longer wanted to be fooled! There's no evidence of a God, simply because he doesn't exist!

[@freshliving4199]

I’ve had many experiences like this with “Christians”. Having said that it makes my faith even stronger. You say God doesn’t exist. Can you see good and bad in the world around you?

[@lVideoWatcherl]

@freshliving4199 Our _ascribing_ the terms "good" and "evil" to things does not mean they exist independant of human opinion. Meaning, they are not ultimately existent - they depend on the _subject_ to interpret.

[@codym157]

Something similar just happened to me. I made it to the gas station with my dash saying I only had 4 more miles of gas left. I filled up and the pump put 19 gallons of gas in the tank. I looked up how many gallons a tacoma holds and it was 21.1 gallons. That means that when i thought i was out of gas, my tank really had 2 more gallons in it which should get me another 40 miles of driving. The manufacturers error on the side of caution.

[@peaceandfood7952]

No bro that's a miracle!!!

[@truhartwood3170]

When I got to his miracle I literally busted out laughing, and I'm normally very reserved and watch comedy with a scowl (I'm laughing on the inside!). The guage is always conservative isn't it? When my car says it has zero miles left on the tank is when I *start* looking for a gas station. I've still got about 20-30km at that point!😂😂😂😂

[@timothybrown5999]

Same, was hoping it was a joke. The miracle wouldn’t be arriving on an empty tank, it would be miraculous if his tank was magically filled during the drive without pumping any gas.

[@truhartwood3170]

@@timothybrown5999 I want him to fill his tank with water, expecting it to magically turn into gas. 🤣

[@Troy-gk8pr]

Do you ever get someone who makes you truly think? Because every time I listen I'm amazed at your patience to deal with ignorance and leaps in logic. Your doing reality's work. . . Reality bless you.

[@Z4r4sz]

Im very skeptical when theists claim "person X got healed miraculously". Really? They did? People who have an imaginary friend and enemy arent reliable to begin with but now its just another claim ontop. Usually it turnes out they made it up or completely misrepresent what happened. At the end of the day a natural explaination will always be more plausible than any magical explaination that only leaves more questions than answers because theists refuse to back up their claims logically.

[@jquest99]

This one time... at band camp... I had a cold. And I miraculously got cured of it!!! Now, how do you explain THAT atheists? I suppose you guys believe in the NEVER OBSERVED immune system! You with your imaginary immunoglobins!!! You guys think that immunoglobins just come from nothing but a moist rock!!!

[@mechamotollc]

When they saw they were low on gas and thought that they could run out they also could have started driving slower or with less throttle and that could have thrown off the prediction of how much fuel is left. The fuel left reading is such a subjective thing.

[@chrisgraham2904]

Because Richard was irresponsible and allowed his gas tank to drop below one quarter full, when he dies, his soul will go to a gas station/garage located just outside of Buffalo, N.Y.

[@ajbowley2725]

Q - Can people be mistaken about something? A -Yes of course Q - Can people lie, is that possible? A -Yes of course Q - Has there ever been an example of someone misinterpreting a personal experience A- I guess so... yes, my girlfriend once thought i was cheating on her because i was being secretive organising a surprise party. Q - Given that people can lie and people can be mistaken and that people can misinterpret a personal experience, would you say that on its own personal testimony has somewhat limited value in determining the truth of a thing? A - yes if their personal testimony concludes islam but its definitely reliable to prove Christianity

[@I-AM-IS]

A real miracle in this case, Alex, might be that you actually ran out of gas, sputtered to the side of the road and began praying about your situation. Then all of a sudden your fucking gas tank fills back up out of the blue and you could establish that no human filled it up for you.

[@jquest99]

Poor Alex... he's been the butt of jokes ALL week on this channel.

[@deniss2623]

Fools will cackle amongst themselves - nothing knew there.

[@jquest99]

@@deniss2623 I don't think Alex was cackling. I think he was genuinely ignorant of how things work, and like a typical theist thought a divine intervention was a better explanation than anything else. But he wasn't cackling. YOU on the other hand...🙄

[@deniss2623]

@@jquest99 The mere fact that Alex acknowledged and thanked God anyway is far more significant than you realise. Puts him in a better place than you.

[@jquest99]

@@deniss2623 Obviously he's in a better place. He got to a gas station under the delusion that his God gave him an extra gallon of gas. Do you know how expensive a gallon of gas is?😱 So in his mind, he gained something. In my mind, I would know that I just used up the gas I had put in. Ignorance CAN give a feeling that you gained something.

[@deniss2623]

@@jquest99 You may know how your heart works, but without God it won't.

[@glenneggert8344]

Here are some examples: Ford F-150: 35-80 miles and triggers when the tank is 1/16th full. Chevrolet Silverado: 25 miles and the E light trigger is unknown. Ram 150: 63 to 87 miles, and the E light triggers at 3 gallons of fuel remaining. Toyota Camry: 65 to 91 miles, and the E light triggers at 2.6 gallons remaining.

[@deviantoutcast]

Within the scope of one month - literally to the day - I experienced two separate incidents that very few people survive from: Déraper and swirl off the road at 75 mph right in front of a juggernaut trailer and into the highway barrier. And falling over a 5th floor railing towards the concrete. First incident I didn't pray, I thought "Shit! This is when I die" (direct translation from my language: "Satan! This is when I die", so in a way you could say if I prayed to anyone, it would be Satan...). The second incident I didn't pray either, I though "I'm not holding on to anything - this isn't good". First incident stretched the vertebrae in my neck apart and I contracted my first whiplash injury as the car hit the barrier. The second incident I sprained a thumb and ended up with a large bruise on my thigh. Given how close in time the two incidents were, it took about 6 months or so to see myself in the mirror and not be overcome with a strong feeling of unease as my brain had troubles squaring the facts that the person looking back at me should be dead, and yet very clearly wasn't. So my question to Alex would be how he would fit my experiences into his narrative? Perhaps foremost the fact that the only supernatural being that could be said to have been invoked wasn't a god, but Satan (though not as a call to any higher power, but as one of the most commonly used every-day cuss words). And, only to add to the pile, this was _two_ incidents - _just_ two - by no means were they the last, or only, incidents I've had where I've come out the other end even though by all accounts I shouldn't have. At no point did I - or anyone else for that matter - pray to god, yet Alex needs a firm, unquestioned trust in god and pray repeatedly to said god just to avoid running out of gas in between two gas stations. Strange how god chooses who's the victim and who's not, and the difference between what he demands from one person in order for him to intervene and not the other, isn't it? Stay Safe, and Stay Sane!

[@freshliving4199]

Glad you made it through those 2 big ones in one piece. Most people relate prayer with speaking out aloud. This is not real prayer. You pray in the way that you live your life.

[@masonholden3624]

Most cars have a "reserve" tank. My 98 Mercedes E320 had a 2 gallon reserve tank which was not tracked on the fuel gage. A quick Google search says most cars have a reserve of 10-15% of the tank.

[@robertbrotherton2541]

God was about to heal a child's cancer but he had to go make sure Alex made it to the gas station. Good job Alex, you killed a child.

[@darkscot1338]

If your evidence is refuted then it wasnt good evidence was it?

[@lucofparis4819]

Or bad evidence for that matter. At the very least to count as evidence, bad or otherwise, it first has to have something to do with God in the first place. Here the only thing it has to do with is how car manufacturers understand driver behavior and purposely set fuel gauges to signal E (for Empty, or for Emergency?) _before_ actually running out of fuel (I reckon it still has 1 or 2 gallons in there at this point).