Atheistville: Conversations Beyond Belief

 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.  Visit us at www. Atheistville.com...

If morality comes from God, why do moral progress and religious doctrine so often collide? Mike Smithgall breaks down the myth that we need divine authority to be good. This episode examines empathy’s evolutionary roots, the failures of fear-based morality, and the evidence that secular societies thrive without divine command. It’s a reasoned and candid look at what truly drives human ethics. Visi...

A counselor in Colorado claims her “sincerely held beliefs” give her the right to counsel LGBTQ+ minors out of who they are. The state says that’s harmful pseudoscience. She says “First Amendment.” And now, the Supreme Court will decide. Host Mike Smithgall breaks down Chiles v. Salazar , exposing the tactics behind the legal argument, the misuse of science by religious law groups, and the broader...

In this candid conversation, Mike shares his path from a devout Lutheran youth leader and Boy Scout to an openly bisexual atheist who rebuilt his life after addiction, prison, and deep personal conflict. We discuss the pressures of growing up in a conservative religious environment, wrestling with questions about faith and morality, and the cost of living a double life. Mike opens up about the rol...

Religious faith often leans on mysteries as proof of God. But when science explains those mysteries, faith loses ground. In this episode, I trace the history of the god-of-the-gaps argument, from Zeus’s lightning to modern debates over consciousness. I show why this strategy fails, and why atheism is better framed as trust in curiosity and evidence.  -Which scientific discovery do you think most c...

Church attendance is plummeting, yet calls for America to be a “Christian nation” are growing louder. In this Mike Drop episode, we unpack the paradox: why Christian nationalism is gaining steam even as religion fades. It’s not about faith, it’s about identity, fear, and power. From empty pews to political pulpits, we explore how branding, nostalgia, and fear drive the movement, and what it means...

This week's failed rapture prediction joins a long list of embarrassing doomsday dates, but it reveals something deeper about human psychology and social media manipulation. We explore the 200-year history of rapture theology, the pattern of failed predictions from 1988 to today, and why TikTok has become the new frontier for apocalyptic anxiety. From Edgar Whisenant's mathematical certa...

🎙 Podcast Description What happens when faith unravels? In this episode, former pastors and believers reflect on the loneliness of leaving religion, the emotional toll of deconstruction, and the importance of finding community. You’ll hear stories of loss, resilience, and the shift from magical thinking to evidence-based reality. Whether you’re questioning, deconstructing, or supporting someone wh...

 In this episode, we focus on why many secular and humanist meetups don’t last. We hear from longtime organizers about how they rebuilt the social network that people lose after leaving religious institutions. They share how snacks, casual brunches, movies in the park, and simple conversation act as the glue. We look closely at the Black atheist experience and how leaving church means leaving a br...

The U.S. government is testing the limits of the First Amendment. In one week, Pam Bondi promised prosecutions for “hate speech,” the FCC threatened ABC over Jimmy Kimmel’s jokes, and Trump labeled Antifa a terrorist organization. In this Mike Drop, I argue why labeling ideas as terrorism is a dangerous precedent. We explore the irony of targeting antifascists, the hypocrisy around January 6, and...

This week’s Mike Drop examines Attorney General Pam Bondi’s claim that the Justice Department will “target hate speech.” Mike Smithgall unpacks what the law actually says, highlights the hypocrisy of both left and right on free expression, and explains why consistency is the only real protection for free speech. With Trump’s rhetoric, Charlie Kirk’s provocations, and Bondi’s dangerous framing in t...

 This week, we tackle the assassination of political commentator Charlie Kirk and its broader implications for American democracy. Our discussion covers Kirk's rise as a major figure in Christian nationalist movements, the immediate political reactions to his death, and the troubling patterns of political violence in the United States. We examine how martyrdom functions in modern politics, th...

For centuries, religious leaders have predicted the end of the world — and for centuries, they’ve been wrong. In this episode, our panel discusses failed prophecies, the cultural fascination with apocalypse narratives, and the political consequences of end times obsession. We also explore how these beliefs fuel dangerous thinking, from support for apocalyptic foreign policy to the normalization of...

In this episode, we reflect on growing up without the language or community to identify as an atheist — a reality that left many of us isolated before the internet connected like-minded people. Our conversation explores how religious communities reinforce their beliefs weekly, while atheists lack the same infrastructure or political representation. We also compare the atheist movement’s visibility...

Mike examines Florida's groundbreaking decision to eliminate all school vaccine mandates, exposing how genuine religious concerns have been hijacked by political movements. With vaccine exemptions at record highs and measles cases surging, this episode unpacks the dangerous intersection of Christian nationalism, selective bodily autonomy arguments, and partisan public health policy. From Idah...

This segment explores one of the most difficult questions atheists face: what do you say to someone who is dying when you don’t share their faith in heaven or an afterlife? Our panel shares personal experiences with parents and loved ones, the challenge of offering comfort without false promises, and why listening often matters more than words. It’s a candid conversation about compassion, authenti...

What does the concept of sin mean if you remove God from the picture? In this episode, atheists wrestle with the idea of sin, exploring whether it should be redefined or abandoned altogether. They discuss cultural norms, ethical responsibility, and the role of sin as a tool of control in religious communities. The conversation also dives into institutional abuse, forgiveness at the “11th hour,” an...

This episode examines prayer from a psychological rather than theological perspective. While prayer doesn't produce supernatural results, it does provide genuine benefits through mechanisms like structured self-reflection, ritual comfort, and social connection. We explore the placebo effect in religious practice, the neuroscience of repetitive ritual, and why understanding prayer's natur...

This Roundtable asks big questions about life after faith. What does “sin” mean when you leave religion behind? How do atheists define morality, deal with religious influence in medical spaces, and navigate the pain of deconstruction? The panel unpacks hypocrisy, cultural double standards, and the struggle to speak openly about unbelief. Topics Covered: Redefining sin through secular ethics Religi...

In this powerful conversation, we explore the deep contradictions between Christian scripture and the lived Black experience, especially when it comes to slavery. Our guest shares her personal journey from belief to atheism, shaped by critical questioning within the church and a confrontation with biblical passages that justified slavery. What happens when a faith tradition used to oppress is also...

Meet Larry Warren, a man whose journey from Episcopalian choir boy to confident atheist mirrors the experience of countless Americans who quietly questioned their faith for decades before the internet gave them the tools to understand their doubts. Larry's story is refreshingly relatable—no dramatic deconversion moment, no religious trauma, just a gradual realization that began in his teenage...

This episode examines the tragic Catholic school shooting and the reactions that followed. We unpack the immediate framing of the suspect’s identity as trans and atheist, and the way partisan lines shape the headlines. We also reflect on questions of justice, punishment, and personal morality in the aftermath of violence.  Viewer Question: Do you think the media focuses too much on a suspect’s ide...

In this Mike Drop episode, Mike Smithgall explores Penn Jillette’s sharp observation that courts recognize insanity as a defense, but never “God told me to do it.” Why? Because the law must rest on evidence, not revelation. Mike unpacks the secular foundation of law, the distinction between mental capacity and religious belief, and the dangers of allowing divine authority into legal defenses. Draw...

What happens when faith and identity collide? Cynthia McDonald shares her powerful journey from Christian belief to unapologetic atheism—and how that decision sparked unexpected reactions within her community. In this episode of "Ask an Atheist," we talk about religion in Black culture, breaking free from indoctrination, and what it really means to be true to yourself. Cynthia also share...

In this episode, we explore the question many wrestle with while deconstructing: What if I’m wrong? We look at Pascal’s Wager, the idea of being deceived by Satan, and how authoritarian religious systems discourage critical thought. The discussion ranges from absurdities like Noah’s Ark to the deeper problem of outsourcing reasoning to leaders who claim to speak for God. This is a raw, thoughtful,...