Dan Barker Interviewed by Scott Burdick
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ส.ค. 2024
- This is the full interview I did with Dan Barker for a documentary I'm working on. Dan was once an Evangelical Minister who is now one of the most prominent atheists in the United States and co-president of The Freedom From Religion Foundation.
Dan Barker should certainly be as familiar to people interested in this subject as hitchens, harris, dawkins, and dennett. he's a fantastic speaker and infinitely relatable. He's particularly important to the cause of reason being a former believer himself.
Well, two years ago you couldn't have predicted Jordan Peterson, the newest CLEVER christian, one sneaky SOB... charming, learned, and dogmatic as hell. ... to most difficult questions on the subject and many other subjects, JP says "well, yes and no, see the issue is..." and there he goes arguing and confusing most things, so he can never be wrong, and not really ever saying if he believes in god or not, if he is good or bad, needed or not... "well, yes and no, see the issue is he is bad but..."
@Andrew Deen - I just today found this man whom to date I find is the best and most effective advocate for atheism--a truly reasonable man and as far as I can determine the most non-combative.
I dropped my belief in religion purely by looking around at what has gone on and is still going on around the world--the inequities were and are difficult to connect to a god of any merit. For instance, what kind of a god would allow a defenseless child to suffer abject abuse, hunger, other severe deprivations, and premature death. And yet, countless millions suffer from such every single day. And that was just for openers; the list of atrocities is staggering.
@@ggrthemostgodless8713 Agreed. Peterson is an insult to intelligence.
@@mickberry164
He and NOW his daughter are full of shit.
It is precisely because of THAT, that he has such a huge following, the sickly bumbling fool, the buffoon that got himself taken seriously. The perfect intellectual of the mobs, made great by the mobs.
I have deep respect and admiration for Dan.I saw him recently in a debate with a Muslim.He showed enormous courage by telling it the way it is.thanks Dan!
Lisa Smith I agree that Dan is both incredibly intelligent and brave!
THERE IS NOTHING GOOD OUTSIDE OF GOD
@@kjellhansen1387 There is nothing good about god
@@damiennkaka1209 Amen!
@@missq2413 True 👌
Thank you Dan Barker for all you are doing for humanity.
It's so nice to see a preacher come clean. Thanks Dan.
What a wonderful man, we're lucky to have him.
robzrob hopefully there will now be a slight compulsion in the secular community to make Christian friendly material that isn't insulting and condescending so that others can come to the same realization that Dan did.
John R Borges Grow up.
@John R Borges no, really... I agree with Erin, grow up. Storytime is over.
@John R Borges Hard pass
Dan describes the precise transition of a fundie's mindset to eventually & methodically becoming an atheist. I never thought that on my 'faith journey' that I'd end up becoming an atheist. I never saw it coming. Dan you rock! This was exactly my journey.
I too am so glad to be free from that ridiculous myth trap
WHY DO BARKER USE THE BIBLE TO PROVE THAT GOD DO NOT EXIST,IF HE ALL THE SAME DO NOT BELIEVE IN HIM?
no your prisoner
You are a prisoner to be an atheist and it's not a prison to believe in God and there are laws of nature
You feel great to be free from moral challenge-free from responsibility-free from justice and judgement-free from life beyond this world--free to grab all the gusto and fleshly titillations that the flesh may desire. Free to be sick on indulgences-like swallowing a bag of sugar-have you ever been sick on candy? Free to be now enslaved to mind and flesh. Do you now choke your pains and kick out the flood lights because you have no comfort and peace.?
Good for you. Who are these clowns calling you names? It's a shame. And a sham.
I admire Dan Barker for a long time, but I didn't know that he can play piano and he is so musically talented! I admire him even more now!😊😊😊
I used to be a Christian but have since made a full recovery.
Good one!!!
Congrats Pat!
@@scienceownsimposters2142 Thank you sir.
Dan Barker is the man. He brought me out of Christianity with his book "Godless." What a big step that was and the book made it infinitely easier.
so you left Christianity because of atheist apologist and what he says
You were never saved to begin with
I’m reading Godless now and it’s helping me through the tough time I’m having. I’m an atheist in the Bible Belt.
My favourite book by Dan Barker was "The Good Atheist".
@@isaiah4465 Saved from whom and what exactly?
I have been in the Ministry for 40 years 28 years a Pastor have gone to Seminary, taught theology, teach preachers. I have just within the last two weeks have reached the same place that Dan Barker did for over 40 years I believed in a GOD .I now do not accept the concept of a entity to which others refer to as a Divine supreme GOD or DIETY one or many, in any color so I am Atheist. How did Dr. Calvin Kelly get to this place? I did what the bible said STUDY
Education:
2007- Doctorate of Biblical Education
2005 - Doctorate of Divinity,
1997 - Doctorate of Biblical Studies,
1995 - Masters of Biblical Studies,
1993 - Bachelor of Theology,
1981 - Geneva Bible College,
1979 - Moody Bible Institute,
In 1974 called to ministry, so you can see that this decision have not come lightly
All that Dan says is true . Dan thanks for being you .
Calvin Kelly You're lying! no way you got all those degrees in something so stupid.
if that what you think o well think what you want.
This is what I have done I have the degrees. I am not trying to prove anything to you or anyone else. So you who do not even know me have called me a liar how shallow are you.
You can't be some one who are a free thinker so what do you want to prove.
I can see it would have been tremendously difficult for you. But what can you do: you have to live your beliefs and if you don't believe something any more, you have to take a different path.
How can someone with all those degrees not know that when you pose a question you need to put one of these...? It's called a question mark. This is constructive criticism because I'm on your side.
mark aaron
How incredibly irrelevant.
Dan Barker is my hero. Nobody alive today articulates the truth quite like Dan Barker. The truth has an uphill struggle, until someone comes along, with both courage, and good communication skills, to deliver the truth to the sheeplike masses! Dan Barker is the best thing to come along since sliced bread!
Jesus is the truth .
@@user-ki1un4jg2d Your "Jesus" never existed. No such Magical Healer" ever existed. Medical Science is real truth in action, saving, and improving the lives of millions every day! Your religion, does nothing but make preachers wealthy!
MOST EXCELLENT interview! I adore Dan. His work has helped me deconvert.
This shows the powerful effect and hold that religion has on otherwise good minds - it took this man five years to eventually see clearly. It took me about ten minutes.
I have watched a lot of Dan Barker stuff even going as back as far as 30 years ago when he appeared on an early iteration of the Oprah Show. I have to say, I appreciate his sincerity and thoughtful consideration of these important issues more and more. We are lucky to have him.
I would love to see an opera written focusing on all of the unpalatable portions of the Bible.
I was raised Catholic, converted to a born again Christian at 12. As a born again I was encouraged to actually take it seriously (actually read the bible, have a relationship with Jesus, etc.) which finally resulted in atheism. I was sincere, even preachy, but every answer I got when I questioned my faith was nonsense. You would have to be brainwashed to accept the kind of answers religious people give for why they are correct and why the evil stuff in the bible is actually not evil. Years later watching religious people try to argue, denying scientific facts and threatening people with Hell while trying way too hard to make bad things in the bible good and making bad excuses for contradictions and the like sickens me. Even if there is a god, it definitely isn't in these man made books.
Bravo. Great vid. Just finished watching the whole thing. Dan Barker is a great man. Thanks for posting this.
Wow, I didn't know Dan was so sophisticated in his understanding of these issues. Gotta search for more from him.
Alejandroن Alcántara
Barker is so goddam right!
Dan and I are on the same frequency. Such a pleasant experience to hear him voice my own thoughts back to me.
I thought it would be really hard to accept that there was no heaven and our life here was all there was. But, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. I just have a better appreciation of the life that I have now.
+barbh1 --- Once you free yourself from all the religious dogma, life is beautiful... I ride my Harley everyday possible, and enjoy the time I have left on this planet --- It gives a whole new meaning to Live Free - Ride Free...
It took me all of about 5 minutes to shake it and I never knew what the word Atheist meant. I'm going on 3 years this month. I saw a video that showed there were Jesus stories before the Christian bible was written. I didn't know that. I honestly didn't know.. But I'm so glad I know now.. I'm free from it!
How is your life measurably improved?
Dan is the man.
Soooooooooooooooo nice to be god free, free at last free at last.
Nice one! Welcome. Facts and evidence are your new ones :-)
Jez French Guys I am a born again Atheist! Thanks to the truth being revealed through various videos of Dan I have seen the bullshit in religion! Thanks and it is a pleasure to be here!
KidWithACamera
You've opened the door and stepped through. A whole new world awaits you :-))
Jez French And, of course, those one time atheists who found religion would argue the same but from the opposite perspective
wolves201
Yes but the opposite perspective is a whole new world of woo. :-)
Such a great guy Dan is thought provoking too
It's very pleasing and relaxing to hear an adult talk about religion in a mature fashion on the logical side of things, like our minds finally matter for the first time. Thanks.
Everyone should listen to this perfect explanation of the consequences of any God belief and faith
Dan is my new favorite Atheist!
Hes an idiot just like you
Collin Pearson how so?
Because he doesn't understand fully about the bible or the history and deny evidence you know just because you're an atheist doesn't mean you're special
@@collinpearson5456God does,n Exist for sure. in my country the Netherlands We have 60% atheïst...In Amerika you are living in the middle ages..special the southern states. Read a book of Mister Swaab about brains very interesting!
Does that mean anything most people in Europe actually believe in God and you have no proof that he doesn't exist because there already is proof that he exists you dumb ass even the Chinese know
Dan, u r a true eye, mind & a heart opener of the reality we need.
I LIKE DAN ! HE IS A GOOD, SINCERE AND LOVING HUMAN BEING THAT ENDEAVORS THRU IS LACK OF BELIEF IN A DEITY TO SHARE HIS WORLDVIEW WITH OTHERS AND WAKE UP TO WHATS REAL !
Good interview. Dan is an excellent speaker, debater, writer, composer and performer. He is a fine representative of us non-believers.
I love this guy.
Thank you so much for the interview. I really enjoyed it.
When Dan Barker became an Atheist he'd never even met one! Dan is so amazingly eloquent.
I want his courage to speak out to family and friends. Its been a year of deconstruction. Thank you Dan for being a reason for my freedom
This interview ought to be viewed by all people who believe in a deity and all those who consider themselves agnostic but not atheist. Thank you Dan and Scott for a most important video.
Fascinating insight into the strongly religious mind and how perceptions can change.
He had the spiritual awakening we had to have.He's blessed and lucky.
Thanks for the video! Excellent! As a lifelong atheist/igtheist I did not go through the nonsense and had not seen a bible until bible history at a Baptist college!!! Uhmm? In class I was the only one chuckling as I didn't realize they were serious.
Thanks for the reminder to stay humble in my religious disbeliefs. I am so fortunate that my husband and I both became atheists around the same time.
Everyone is trying to earn their way into heaven, when all they are doing is digging themselves deeper into their own hell.
Excellent video. Mr. Barker nails it. I'm mortified that I was a believer. I'm disgusted with myself that it took so long to see the truth. If I had the platform, I'd say the same things to a huge degree. His views are so genuine.
Why would you be disgusted with yourself? Don't. Your consciousness expanded or shifted. Embrace as much of yourself as you can.
@@samreh6156 Thanks, but it can't be helped. I go back and read stuff I wrote, and it is just cringe worthy. The embracing you speak of, and the forward movement make me proud, but the monkey brain just never lets you forget the most embarrassing moments of your life. I'm good though. I feel like my recovery from addictions, physical and mental, means I'm kind of a bad ass. I won.
I have been studying linguistics since 1968, and I love speaking in an invented language.
Hey, that "speaking in tongues" is something my wife and I practise sometimes! It does indeed feel good and relaxing. Quite out of any religious context. Never thought of it as anything "spiritual"... Maybe it is just a sort of babble that takes you back to the times of early childhood: Free and creative and without any pre-built how-tos...
LOL--- that's great!!
Lots of people feel something similar at rock concerts or in any crowd wit the same goal.
@@ggrthemostgodless8713 - Yep. Making the 'mystical' connection is as absurd as Sufi whirling in Islam; dervishes spin round and round and round to achieve oneness with their God. The devout and deluded think that whirling, like chanting or deep-breathing or singing hymns or self-flagellating or howling like a wolf makes them feel weird, so it MUST be validating their religious beliefs.
But it's just a natural 'high'. Whatever releases endorphins - surfing, yoga, jazz drumming, dancing, taking drugs, running - has exactly the same effect. How you interpret the experience depends on whether those priests and imams got to you early enough.
If they did, and if you practise your spinning diligently, you desensitise the brain and don't get dizzy [just like any pirouetting infidel dancer, but never mind that], which proves that Allah is in direct contact with you. Apparently. Experts can keep it up for a couple of hours, thus proving that... that... Er...
Or you could just spin round and round like young chimpanzees sometimes do because it makes them feel dizzy. 🐵They fall over, which is fun when you're young. 6 year-old humans do it, too, for the same endorphin rush. Whee. Not exactly divine.
Perhaps it's time for the dervishes and the tongue-gabbling God-botherers to grow up instead of throw up. 🤭
I do it to liven up parties, and it makes for good comedy! I also get down with the convulsions n' all, and a rubber snake just adds to the attraction!! I can also do "the possessed one", but trying to twist your head 180 deg for added effect, can get painful!
Speaking in tongues..Fake it they all do !!!
what a great interview, thanks a lot!
If you are a believer, and plagued by doubts, listen to Dan and consider what he has to share. He'll speak from your worldview--which was fully his world for all of his life into his 30s... and help you understand that it's OK, it is good, to question and think for yourself based on knowledge and science. There is light at the end of the tunnel. Real light, not religious delusion, is the way forward.
I love this guy. I've never met Dan Barker, but I can relate to some of what he's talking about.
freedom from religion. says it all.
Dan, I believe everything you say.You are the best example of a very honest and humble atheist.
thank you for those interviews, you ask very thoughtful questions.
A truly wonderful interview.
Really great video. I liked his balanced and thoughtful answers.
7:10 That is actually what broke my conditioning: That god is a liar. When I caught jeezus lying I knew I had been duped and left my faith. Sadly it took me 35 years to put it together. Life would have been so much better if I had figured it out sooner.
Ive never been as frightened about what i used to believe, and grateful i no longer do. No more judgement, no more condemning anyone... aaahhhhh.
***** I am back to believeing a universal conciousness, or a living universe, 20 years as a christian, was in ministry, travelled with a minister to africa, india, etc. and filmed gospel meetings of up to 150,000 people was going tobe a preacher but i had to start asking serious questions. George Carlin answered a few lol
love bill hicks and been listening to Alan Watts for years now, Buddhism being the science of mind, i gravitate towards metaphysical philosophy
I think finding a sense of spirituality for the individual is great, as long as its open to accepting new data, facts, as mankind grows in understanding. So too, should people accept and grow with it. Not stay stuck in some stone age myths, or any myths rigorously and inflexible.
It's good to hear that you are all now bereft of a religious sort of faith. However, simply out of curiousity, what keeps you believing in other forms of deductive conclusions that also have a lack of evidence to support them (akin to religion)?
***** All humans are capable of experiencing what some may call "spiritual" things, its part of the human experience. Sam Harris says there are a range of human experiences that are beyond the realm of normal thinking however, this doesn't necessarily mean anything supernatural.
By default, any atheist/agnostic takes the obvious and only honest position able to take... we don't know.
Maybe there is an afterlife, maybe not. who knows. Lets not live under the assumption there is a god, which is pretty much the atheist position.
I found this interview very good and informative. Thanks!
Great interview...love your music!
Thanks! I look forward to it :)
I sure enjoy listening to Dan Barker. He is so articulate and honest about his past evolution. What I would like to ask him is how can you explain the phenomena of near death experiences which are very common. I have read and listened and interviewed many of these people ... even those who were once staunch atheists. To a person they are in no question whatsoever that consciousness extends not only after death but also before birth. It is a huge universe out there folks. Unfortunately the earnest Christians have become childish about the way they believe. They are hard pressed to really be truly honest. It would threaten the very suppositions they project their beliefs out onto the world with. Dan brings it all down to behavior which is so right on.
Great interview. Surprised to read it was recorded in my hometown.
Just such a great interview
Great job Scott. Fantastic interviews from not only Dan but the believers. Hearing how they would kill their own children if they heard gods' voice telling them to was astounding and horrific. However, the why was just as revealing. Following orders. That's how you can mobilize otherwise moral people to commit inhuman immoral acts just as the Nazi's did. That was eye-opening for me.
Thanks, Bill. I was pretty surprised the first time I asked that question, but once I realized the thought process behind it, there's almost no other answer they can give. Scary, indeed.
the Nazi analogy to my mind works better than Soviets mainly because Nazi's were brainwashed more into the ideology and when asked why they did it they all defaulted to "it was my job". Some Soviets were brainwashed but so many didn't believe it but did things because of fear. Both were mass murderers but the Nazi's seem more apropos (also because they were religious, like the subjects in the Burdick interviews).
Dan Barker for president. I love this man. I hope there are women like this out there.
He would certainly be a great president, and yes, there are women like him out there, sharpen your senses :) (but i admit, it's not an easy task to find such company, no matter if female/male or friend/partner)
A fair point and I don't blame him. I'm reading his book right now, and I'm surprised at how good it is. I thought it would essentially be a memoir, but it really is well-argued. A very good read.
Dan Barker is AWESOME!!!!
This is awesome.
Ah! I am reading this right now and I am almost done. Product placement that I can get down with indeed! Cheers for spotting that great eye.
Excellent work!!!
Thank you
I agree. Love Dan Barker! He doesn't get the recognition that Hitch and Dawk do, but I think he does a better job at communicating to theists.
Thanks, I'll check out his youtube channel now. Sounds great, especially since I grew up Catholic myself.
Wow this was an amazing interview, as Dan Barker is an atheist who used to be a big time believer he really crystalises how/why christians think the way they do which gave me a fresh understanding that I never got from Dawkins/Hitchens (although they are good too)
Great interview
I love the song at the beginning!! People who play music in general look at the world differently. ;)
I’m an atheist but my favorite genre is traditional hymns
I am an atheist, but my favourite composer is Bach. One of the most religious composers ever I'd say. Lots of great art has been made for religious purposes.
Minus the Papyrus font choice at the beginning, I approve of this interview. At the very end, when that man read the tweet from Iran, my eyes teared up.
Haha. Did anyone else notice that Dan has his own book sandwiched between Dawkins' "The God Delusion" and Hitchens' "God Is Not Great"?? Very sneaky!
I second this, I'd love to see you do a long interview with Edward Tarte
That is funny, I'm glad you noticed it, since I didn't. I think Dan definitely does deserve to be on the same shelf!
Agreed, just discovered him yesterday.
Norway
I'm not an atheist but I understand totally where he is coming from. When I was evangelical I would go on the streets doing this same exact stuff and these days I regret it. I left Evangelicalism for pretty much the same reasons.
As a Christian I can respect Mr. Barker for his honest and direct answers. From a Christian perspective he is explaining the Christian experience like it is. His personal choice of course is his alone...
Dan Barker is the best!
I feel sorry for Joseph. He ended up married to a woman who, even after he married her would not allow him to have sex. She then had an affair and instead of admitting it she told her husband that it was a virgin birth.
Joseph, to keep his wife and keep the peace goes along with this, probably because he loved her. This resulted in Joseph and Mary bringing up Jesus from birth, all along the way telling him that he was the son of God.
They produced this precocious child who told anybody that would listen to him that he was the son of God. None of the religious people of the time believed him, he was rejected by them and the authority figures of the time crucified him.
The moral of the story is that you should not lie to children. I hope some religious people read this: Do Not Lie To Children!
Thanks for putting up this interview!
You might also want to interview Edward Tarte (he has a youtube channel under his real name) for a Catholic perspective-- he was formerly a Catholic priest in the 1960's and is now trying to leave a youtube legacy promoting atheism before he passes on... to make up for the shame of wasting his own and other's lives with religion.
It would be very illuminating to hear about the Catholic "do this, or else you go to hell" bubble from an ex-priest.
Dan's kindness and understanding is so warm. For anyone wondering about that Oprah show Dan mentions, it's here...
th-cam.com/video/i_t17c7Zkts/w-d-xo.html
I'll try and upload the half-hour segment I've edited together in the next few weeks.
Scott
"like a thief in the night!" I shouted at the screen when he said that
It is interesting to think that one can change from being religious to an atheist without learning about the mechanisms of evolution - which categorically make it clear that we have evolved over a period of millions and millions of years.
Dan Barker is the most convincing atheist to the believer.
Pascal's Wager is an attempt to pull the wool over the eyes of an all knowing and all seeing God. That should really piss him off.
😂
As far as I know, I've always been God free.
Thanks for switching cameras and turning to black and white every two minutes. Were you afraid we'd lose concentration otherwise?
❤❤❤❤
I was just like Dan. I want to get my story out there. Look me in the eyes
Dan barker is the best "atheist" there is because he didn't brought up this way. He had to use his own mind to break free.
So glad I'm free from religion.
I just can't get my head around religious thinking...it doesn't matter how it is explained to me I just can't get my head around it.
Great interview. I find the black and white face cam cuts a little jarring though.
That was very interesting to watch the actual AM Chicago program on TH-cam where Dan and Annie Laurie met. You are correct that Dan had slightly misremembered the exact quote, but it is a difference without a distinction. The woman said that the Devil had gotten hold of Annie Laurie, which is pretty much the same thing. After twenty years I think Dan's recollection was close enough that he conveyed the spirit of the exchange accurately. We all make slight errors, as you did with Annie's name.
Im happy he became atheist.. I looked at several atheist forums some are cruel to people callers and make fun. If I had not found someone like Dan and Friendly atheist I would probably still be a believer. I don't want to turn to abuse just because im an atheist ..