A Christian and an Atheist Walk Into a Bar

We discuss the recent college admissions scandal, what it means for the big picture of higher education, and Jay offers a “modest proposal” on how to fix it.

Nathan returns for the second part of our conversation about sexuality and religion. We also hilariously tackle keeping unwanted items in the toilet.

Ty and Jay are joined by Nathan Clay to discuss the current debate within the United Methodist Church over the topic of sexuality—a debate so heated that it may create a new schism within the church. This conversation highlights the broader taboo of discussing sexuality in a religious setting, which is why we needed to break it up into a two-part series. The three also problem solve how to address bad parking jobs.

Everybody wants to connect something or somebody—regardless of their religious affiliations. In this episode, Ty and Jay discuss the interesting ways people find solace in an increasingly alienated world. We also interview a man who, for many years, went by the name “MySpace Jesus” and his interesting life as an online messiah whose followers confided all sorts of secrets with him.

Do we have the ability to shape our the conditions that surround us or are we just conditioned to think we can? Were Ty and Jay fated to discuss the topic of free will? And what should be the fate of bad tippers? All this and more in our latest episode.

For a show dedicated to adult beverages, Ty and Jay surprisingly haven't tackled the topic of drinking yet. So they take a moment to discuss their thoughts about the social stigmas that surround alcohol.

Once upon a time, Michael Sanicola adamantly opposed marijuana. Then his world was turned upside down when his son was diagnosed with cancer. Sanicola quickly became a convert to medical cannabis once he son started responding well to alternative treatments. Now, he is better known as "The Pot Preacher" as he works to spread his gospel about the medical benefits of cannabis.

Tribalism encourages you to see the worst in others. But what if the others, especially the people you disagree with, actually have some positive qualities or shared values? Ignore the “God question” for a second, and there a wide berth of common ground between those with faith and those without.

They are back! After a brief hiatus, Ty and Jay return to answer your burning questions. Have either of them considered "switching teams"? What do they think about "separation of church and state"? Does pineapple belong on pizza? This and more on the debut episode of Season 2.

This is the crash course in immigration law that every American—and non-American for that matter—should experience. Joining our show is Bethany Anderson, who serves as the Immigration Initiative Director for Solidarity, a nonprofit advocacy organization based in Fullerton, California. Anderson shares her unique perspective on this issue—one that combines faith, justice, and a deep understanding of the law. She debunks many of the myths that surround the topic, offering a thorough and sobering analysis of the systemic issues faced by those seeking a better way of life in the United States.

There is an assumption that religion and morality are inextricably linked. Conversely, atheists are widely mistrusted in the court of public opinion. But are these judgement misguided? Ty and Jay discuss an article shared by a listener that dives into the research regarding this topic.

Why do bad things happen to good people? It's an age-old question at the heart of philosophy and religion. Tragedy recently struck Ty and Jay's community, so they chat about how their faith (or lack thereof) provides perspective during these times.

It happens over and over. A tragic shooting takes place. We debate guns. A political stalemate occurs. Then, nothing changes. Often times, both sides get bogged down in bumper sticker axioms that discourage actual conversation.

We're back! Sorry that it has been a while since we have recorded anything, but we have been a little busy. Jay and Ty share the craziness of their lives these last few months, which include a controversial run for public office and a magic-filled ski season.

Does the Theory of Evolution leave enough space for belief in God? We tackle this question with our first ever guest commentator, Nathan Clay. We chat about civility, Biblical literalism, science, and Elvis. And, as always, we enjoy some beer (IPA from Odell Brewing and Face Down Brown by Telluride Brewing) and Hot Toddies (because Ty is a carrier of the plague).

"Without music, life would be a mistake," said Friedrich Nietzsche. Music serves as a soundtrack to our lives. That's why Ty and Jay dive into the music that made them who they are—the music that illuminates their personal experiences and shaped their worldviews. Throughout the episode, strange moments of serendipity occur which highlight the unifying quality of music. While waxing musical, your hosts enjoy some adult beverages from New Belgium Brewing—more specifically, the Belgian White Ale and the Voodoo Ranger IPA.

Christians and atheists have something in common: they are both frustratingly tribal. Tribalism means “I have my group and you have yours—and never the twain shall meet.” Ty and Jay discuss their personal pet peeves with their own tribes—more specifically, how Christians irritate Ty and how atheists annoy Jay. The result is sincere, humorous, and refreshing. This self-deprecating honesty is brought to you by whiskey: Jamesons (Caskmates Edition) and Elijah Craig (Small Batch Barrel Proof).

Would you rather fight Mr. T or Chuck Norris? Would you rather be covered in hair or be completely bald? Would you rather rule in Hell or serve in Heaven? Would you rather live 1,000 years or 100 years in 10 different epochs? Dive into the psyches of your favorite hosts as they tackle the big questions in this episode. To wet our whistle, we sample a tasty double IPA from Eddyline Brewing Company.

We chatted about poop last week. This week, we chat about another "p" word that is just as dirty: politics. Interestingly enough, neither of us follow traditional tribal identities: the Christian is not a Republican and the atheist is not a Democrat. We also chat about whether or not voting makes a difference and why political parties are—for a lack of a better word—dumb. Politics can leave a bad taste in your mouth, so we cleanse our palette with some brews from Elevation Brewing Company.

Our first few episodes were a little on the "heavy" side, so we decided to lighten things up with some funny kid stories. Both being parents, we share some of the best, funniest, and crappiest parts of raising children. And when we say "crappiest", we mean that quite literally. (So. Much. Poop.) Also, as requested, we chat about our beverages of choice. This week, we're drinking a couple of great beers from The Living the Dream Brewing Company.

In our first episode, we alluded to an incident that brought national attention to our little community, but didn't provide many details. We decided to dedicate our second episode entirely to discussing the story of Cidney Fisk, a young lady who felt alienated as a young atheist in our predominately Christian community. We dive into topics of separation of church and state, Cidney's lawsuit against our school district, and how this whole thing might have been avoided in the first place.

Jay and Ty dive head-first into the world of podcasting and quickly learn that they have no idea what they are doing. Regardless, they share the origins of their collaboration where they literally walked into a bar. Both also share how their personal stories and how each arrived at their differing worldviews. This episode sets the theme of what listeners can expect in future episodes: civil dialogue, bad jokes, candid personal stories, unedited bloopers, and the occasional beer-induced belch.