In this episode of “Breakfast with a Heathen,” Mike discusses navigating religious debates, losing friendships, and awkward interactions as an atheist or agnostic. He addresses listener questions, explores emotional challenges, and shares personal experiences that shaped his beliefs, emphasizing the complexities of faith and understanding in everyday life.
This Breakfast with a Heathen episode covers a range of questions from faith and politics to parenting and personal belief. We start with how religion was never out of U.S. politics—Trump only made it obvious—and look at what happens when faith becomes a tool for control rather than reflection. We talk about the idea that…
Mike Smithgall, the unelected mayor of Atheistville, sits down with coffee to answer your questions about atheism, belief, and honesty. From telling your Christian mom you’re an atheist to why arguing with believers never works, this Sunday Q&A takes on faith, comfort, family, and finding peace without religion. No sermon, no shouting, no salvation required. …
The content addresses a viewer’s assertion that children require God for safety, countering it with evidence of church abuse scandals. It argues that morality predates religion, fear-based ethics are inadequate, and secular societies outperform religious ones in safety and well-being, highlighting that humans possess innate moral instincts rather than those instilled by religion.
The Atheistville panel challenges the creationist claim that fish fossils on Mt. Everest are evidence of Noah’s flood. Using geology and science, they explain how these fossils support the concept of Earth’s movement rather than a flood. The discussion emphasizes the importance of scientific reasoning over religious beliefs.
The episode explores the experiences of atheists growing up in the Bible Belt, featuring personal stories from Florida, Alabama, and Texas. It addresses challenges like feeling isolated in religious communities and emphasizes the importance of finding support and building connections outside faith-based groups, while highlighting organizations like Atheistville.
The discussion addresses misconceptions about atheists, such as viewing atheism as an ideology, believing atheists lack morals, and equating disbelief in God with worshiping Satan. It emphasizes empathy as the basis of morality, clarifies the distinction between disbelief and belief in nonexistence, and critiques the assignment of supernatural labels.
The discussion critiques the Bible’s divine authorship, highlighting historical revisions, contradictions, and political influences. It references works like “The Bible Unearthed,” “Misquoting Jesus,” and “A People’s History of the United States” to emphasize how narratives are shaped over time and the impact of translation on perceived truth.
Christian leaders are now critiquing empathy, labeling it as “toxic” and detrimental to their faith. This discussion highlights the tension between biblical teachings and compassion, linking it to misogyny and hyper-masculinity. The conversation questions whether empathy aligns with authoritarian beliefs within religion and suggests it may not have roots in Christianity.
