The Atheist Experience TV Show

Atheist Experience 22.24: God has a purpose for you

Don unpacks the bad logic behind the assumption of individual purpose.

This episode aired on June 17, 2018.

Recent audio podcasts

What is the Atheist Experience?

The Atheist Experience is a weekly Internet television show based in Austin, Texas geared at a non-atheist audience. Every week we field live calls from atheists and believers alike, and you never know what you're going to get! Sometimes it can get quite feisty indeed! You don't want to miss it.

The Atheist Experience is produced by the Atheist Community of Austin. The Atheist Community of Austin is organized as a nonprofit educational corporation to develop and support the atheist community, to provide opportunities for socializing and friendship, to promote secular viewpoints, to encourage positive atheist culture, to defend the first amendment principle of state-church separation, to oppose discrimination against atheists and to work with other organizations in pursuit of common goals.

See Frank's "You're the Devil!" promo, right, or all our promos.

If you'd like to check out other "bite sized" nibbles of The Atheist Experience, check out our fan appreciation page which has lots of clips extracted by our fans.

"You're the Devil" Promo

What's the upcoming schedule?

06/24/18: Host Matt Dillahunty and guest Seth Andrews
Topic: Join us in celebrating our 1000th episode with special guest Seth Andrews!
07/01/18: Host Russell Glasser and co-host Phil Session
07/08/18: Host Tracie Harris and co-host John Iacoletti

How do I catch it on TV?

We are no longer on in the Austin TV market. We are currently an Internet-only show.

Can I see or hear the show some other way?

Yes, watch us live on our YouTube channel. Tune in Sundays around 4:30 to 6:00 pm Central US Time. Check the clock at the right for Austin's current time.

We also have most of our episodes on YouTube and Google Plus. We provide MP3 files of our shows for download. You can even subscribe to these via RSS audio syndication (e.g. Podcast). We also sell DVDs of the show and audio compilations in the ACA's products area. See our show archive page for more information.

Austin Time

How do I call in?

You can phone 1-512-686-0279 or

How do I get on the show if I'm an atheist?

We get frequent complaints from atheists that they can't get on the air when they call into the show.

We get A LOT of calls from atheists and we try to balance atheist callers with theist callers. On average, 4 out of every 5 callers is an atheist.

We know via feedback from our viewers that the calls that best help people navigate themselves out of their religious dogma are the discussions with theists. For that reason, we prioritize the calls.

We have a 6 line phone switch and we've set up a guideline that at no time will there be more than 3 atheists in the call queue. Those 3 "atheist slots" fill fast.

As an atheist it's easy to get on the show, provided you're willing to call about half an hour before the show starts and are willing to stay on hold for an indefinite period of time. The good news is once the show starts you hear the show through your phone while you're on hold.

The bad news is that once those three "atheist slots" are full it's very hard to get on as an atheist because we don't have an open phone line for you to wait on.

So if you're an atheist and you're determined to get on the air, please call about a half hour before the show starts and be willing to wait on hold for an indefinite period of time.

Want to help us continue our work?

Consider making a donation to the general fund of the Atheist Community of Austin. The donation will help keep the show on the air (and your computer) with high quality content each week.

Can I come watch the show live at the studio?

Yes! Please see http://freethoughtblogs.com/axp/how-to-visit-the-show for information and directions.

Where is the dinner meet-up after the show?

We have the meet-up after the live TV show on Sunday. We are meeting at Star of India (2900 W Anderson Ln Suite 12D) around 6:30 pm.

We change restaurants periodically and we try to meet at various locations around Austin. We're always looking for suggestions for good places to eat. If you have a favorite spot you would like to meet, send us an e-mail.

Dinner after the September 9, 2007 show

Viewers and listeners, give us your feedback.

E-mail us your feedback or questions. We will try to respond to you in e-mail or on the air. Due to our now international audience, we're sometimes not able to respond to all e-mails. All e-mails to us are read by the hosts and crew.

ACA members, want to help?

The Atheist Experience can always use extra helping hands in the studio. Tasks involve screening phone calls, manning the communication with the host so Matt will know who the heck's on the phone, running Camera 2, or just being a cheering supportive studio audience member (we love those!). Talk to Matt, Steve, or any ACA board member at one of our gatherings if you'd like to help us on the show, and they'll give you directions to the studio.

Still have more questions?

See our technical FAQ page or the ACA's atheism FAQ (frequently asked questions).