LIVE DEBATE [Pick Your Poison Topic] 5-13-2026 (Justin at DZ Debates on YouTube)

TIMESTAMPS

1:52 Meta Trash - A nice, quick crash out

10:25 Steph - Could people seeing a resurrected Jesus be hallucinating? What other accounts of missing bodies or empty tombs can we trust? What does Zechariah say about the end times?

46:05 Papa Bless - M’s joins; Can thoughts be accounted for in a materialistic worldview? Determinism and causality

1:16:35 God’s Sword - Do we have proof of evolution leading to new species? Some bad biology from caller

1:40:30 John Doe - Has Justin ever approached the Bible from a mythological or esoteric POV? Caller claims we all are gods and God is consciousness

2:01:35 Myke - Not a Christian and wants to just argue against abortion

2:11:05 Avail - Is it okay for God to unalive babies? Are Christian morals objective?

2:51:35 Yankee - Caller thinks aliens brought life to Earth a long time ago

3:04:10 PseudonymouslyBob - Does homosexuality break from the norm? Caller resorts to the dictionary definition of “wrong”

3:14:00 Constantine Chronicles [Philbro] - Caller is insulting and bad faith from the start; Justin and caller try to work through a syllogism but don’t get past P1

3:36:40 Justeen - Can premonitions be proof of God? What about Revelation and the mark of the beast? Do we have proof of miracles or possessions?

4:25:15 Catholic Thinker -Caller joins to help Justin clean up one of Justin’s arguments about James 2:10 and harden it against Catholic doctrine

5:16:00 alethia - Venus joins; If you abort a pregnancy, can you get forgiveness still? How did Jesus view the Mosaic Law? Caller questions the translations of the Bible

6:06:40 Superchats and wrap up

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/live/AXLNtQfNaHo?si=GKbH5yLrhV48zSHX

No Prophets: A Chat with Reps. Jared Huffman and Mark Pocan (video from the 2026 National Convention of the Freedom From Religion Foundation)

In this discussion, Jared Huffman shares his insights on Christian nationalism, its implications on American politics, and the role of secularism in countering these movements. The conversation delves into the theological underpinnings of Christian nationalism, its factions, and how it influenced events like January 6th.

Interview: 

https://freethought-tv.maz.tv/apps/846/3135159-3236191/f7e90d9405c12540676b2c5b4657399f-3386461-3488138/59877387c271d941cb09635a08420c06-4529874-4648558?

John’s Jesus Didn’t Pre-Exist. The Word Did. (w/ Dustin Smith) (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

"In the beginning was the Word," but what if the Word wasn't Jesus?

New Testament scholar Dustin Smith (Spartanburg Methodist College, host of the Biblical Unitarian Podcast) joins us to unpack his book Wisdom Christology in the Gospel of John, showing how John's prologue takes what Jewish tradition said about personified Wisdom (present at creation, tabernacling among humans, offering bread, wine, and life) and applies it to Jesus.

Along the way: why "monotheism" once meant the doctrine of the Unitarians, why the women in John understand Jesus better than the Twelve, and why John's Jesus may be more human than you were taught.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
0:38 Meet Dustin Smith
1:38 Monotheism once meant Unitarianism
2:59 What is Unitarianism?
4:06 Wisdom Christology in John
5:39 Christology 101
7:00 Lady Wisdom in Proverbs
8:37 Proverbs 31 embodies Wisdom
10:05 Wisdom made flesh in Judaism
12:14 Word, Wisdom, and Spirit
13:46 Wisdom in John's prologue
19:02 Did John read Philo?
20:36 Why "Word," not "Wisdom"?
21:49 Not a conscious Logos
23:06 The Word at the baptism
26:32 Did Jesus pre-exist?
33:34 Wisdom, Torah, and John 10
35:31 John's misunderstanding motif
37:47 "You are gods"
39:02 Why is Wisdom a woman?
44:24 Women as ideal disciples
47:32 The Samaritan woman
49:21 John vs. the Synoptics
51:09 John's very human Jesus
53:44 Can disciples share divinity?
57:20 Why this matters today
1:00:52 Wrap-up and new website

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/YYjWcwsPZtM?si=krhS4-K3X5m9BQUe

Was Mary a Virgin? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code Ep. 207

"Was Mary a virgin?" 

Dan Miller unpacks the question in layers. 

First, the textual evidence: the Greek word parthenos and its relationship to the Hebrew alma; plus Mary's line in Luke 1:34, which together explain why the tradition reads her as a virgin. 

For Dan, the bigger question is why the claim matters theologically. He traces how it underscores the miraculous nature of Jesus' birth, how it ties female virginity to purity, and how the doctrine expanded into the perpetual virginity of Mary (before, during, and after the birth). That expansion goes back to at least the second century, was affirmed at the Second Council of Constantinople, and was held by reformers like Luther, Calvin, Zwingli, and Wesley, despite New Testament references to Jesus' siblings. 

The episode argues that the doctrine's staying power, even against that counter-evidence, shows how much is riding on it. It becomes a flashpoint for critics because it encapsulates the tradition's ties to purity culture, patriarchal assumptions, and the devaluation of embodiment and sexuality. 

Listeners are invited to send more questions and topic ideas for the series.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-ep-207-was-mary-a-virgin/id1441649707?i=1000792444640

Why Couldn’t God Just Forgive Us? Why Did Jesus Have To Die? (Brandon / Mindshift on YouTube)

Josh Howerton’s viral explanation of why Jesus had to die has been praised by millions but does it actually answer the question? In this video, I break down the story, the logic behind penal substitution, and the massive assumption hiding at the center of the argument.

Chapters:
0:00 Why Did Jesus Have To Die?
1:23 The Clip
3:43 Initial Thoughts
5:00 Does Justice Require Suffering?
8:02 2 Huge Issues
13:49 How Is This Just?
17:22 Who Is Actually Responsible
22:18 Final Thoughts
25:38 Patron Thanks

Interview:

https://youtu.be/9-vlye75LBo?si=iCJKstcxtaaGZ3j_

What Happens to People Who Have Never Heard the Gospel? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's in the Code Ep. 208

What happens to people who have never heard the gospel? 

It's one of the most common questions people raise in church, and one of the most uncomfortable: how can God be just if he condemns people who never had the chance to respond to the message that could save them? 

In this episode of It's in the Code, part of the series Questions I Wasn't Supposed to Ask in Church, Dan Miller walks through three broad Christian answers that stretch back nearly to the beginning of the tradition. 

Exclusivism, the historically dominant view from Augustine and the Protestant Reformers, holds that salvation comes only through explicitly accepting the gospel. 

Inclusivism, associated with Justin Martyr and more common among Catholics, holds that people can receive Christ's saving work through responding in faith to general revelation. 

And a third category, miraculous revelation, includes the "harrowing of hell" (Jesus preaching to the spirits in prison), as well as the idea, associated with Thomas Aquinas, that God provides a way for sincere seekers to encounter the gospel. 

Along the way, Dan explores why this question has troubled believers for centuries, how the answer often depends on the kind of church you grew up in, and how it differs from the separate question of what happens to Jews who lived before Jesus. 

He also invites listeners to keep sending in the questions they weren't supposed to ask in church.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-ep-208-what-happens-to-people-who/id1441649707?i=1000793796540

 

Still searching… Funny how it’s never there. (Jon Cohen, Unconvinced)

All believers seem to have their own ideas about which parts are metaphorical and which are to be taken literally. Of course, the book itself has nothing to say on the matter. 

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MIbNqd67x4g?feature=share

  

Does God Change His Mind? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code Ep. 207

Does God change his mind? 

CAN God change his mind? 

The traditional theological answer to both of these questions is “no.” 

But what if the answer is “yes”? Why would this represent such a threat to high-control religion and traditional Christian teaching? Check out this week’s episode to find out!

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-ep-207-does-god-change-his-mind/id1441649707?i=1000791464937

Who Really Wrote The Bible? Documentary Hypothesis Explained (Justin on Atheist Experience show on YouTube)

Anne asks about Bible authorship and history. Justin provides detailed academic explanation of documentary hypothesis, multiple sources, editing over time, and political motivations behind compilation.

Interview: 

• YouTube video: https://youtu.be/r7wgK9ZsP4o?si=aJkgf1F9gx6nMcy5

• Audio podcast: (Ann's question starts at 23:00): https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-atheist-experience-30-28-with-justin/id118720919?i=1000776539232

The Christian Conspiracy That Ruined My Childhood (Genetically Modified Skeptic on YouTube)

"The CIA wrote my family's theology."

Interview: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3j4jf03Row&t=10s

Megachurch Pastor "Debunks Atheism" with Misinformation (Frank Turek/Josh Howerton response)(Paulogia video podcast)

Pastor Josh Howerton and apologist Frank Turek met to discuss some of the biggest questions about Christianity. They decided that God's truth just wasn't enough for their liking.

Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/megachurch-pastor-debunks-atheism-with-misinformation/id1518399038?i=1000784120395

What is Zion ACTUALLY? (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

It's a word you've heard your whole life, on hymn sheets, on maps, and in some very heated arguments — but what is Zion?

This week, we trace the meaning from a rocky outcropping the Jebusites held in 2 Samuel to God's holy mountain, then watch what happens to a "this city cannot fall" theology after the city falls.

Along the way: the City of David, the steps Jesus may have been dragged up, why Zion had to become portable, and why Dan M will talk about Christian Zionism but stays firmly out of his lane on everything else. 

Chapters:

0:00 What is Zion?
1:34 How do you even say it?
2:53 An etymology of dryness
3:42 The stronghold in 2 Samuel 5
4:38 The City of David
6:08 A name older than Israel?
6:34 Ark, temple, holy mountain
7:37 Zion theology
8:42 When Jerusalem fell anyway
10:52 Zion expands and moves
11:38 The steps up Mount Zion
12:28 Zion in Latter-day Saint tradition
15:37 Zion and Jerusalem
17:22 Daughter of Zion
18:28 The word nobody wants to touch
19:16 On Christian Zionism
22:08 Zion in the New Testament
24:12 Thanks for listening

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/3obKhKGoSEs?si=U8pzMBPpo_1hUgce

Does the Bible Actually Condemn Masturbation? (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

Does the Bible say anything at all about masturbation? Short answer: no — and this episode's Data After Dark digs into why. We take on Onan (not your guy), Matthew 5:30, the "wasting seed" argument, and the crucial difference between ritual impurity and sin, before tracing how a whole lot of Greco-Roman philosophy — not ancient Israelite thought — shaped the shame so many of us grew up with.

Chapters:

0:00 Intro
1:01 Data After Dark
1:44 Onan & Genesis 38
3:18 The Levirate Duty
4:16 "Cut Off Your Hand"
6:35 Prohibited Unions
8:36 The Wasted-Seed Argument
9:05 Impurity vs. Sin
12:02 Ancient Ideas About Semen
13:15 "Pearls Before Swine"?
16:05 She Contributes Half
18:41 But... Song of Songs
18:59 Greco-Roman Influence
21:36 Purity as Boundary Marker
24:25 The Verdict

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/-brX_NV8uww?si=D-I_z_oUGEfAslsM

Jesus' Wedding Parable Makes No Sense (Dan McClellan and Dan Beecher; Data Over Dogma podcast on YouTube)

The parable of the wedding banquet might be the most baffling story Jesus ever told: a king incinerates a city, packs his hall with strangers off the street, then hurls one guest into outer darkness for showing up without the right robe.

This episode, we trace how Matthew, Luke, and the non-canonical Gospel of Thomas each tell the parable differently — and how each version quietly rewrites the villain, from the Jewish people to the merchant class itself. Turns out "many are called, but few are chosen" is attached to a far stranger tale than anyone taught you in Sunday school.

Chapters:

0:00 Cold Open & Comics
0:51 A Terrible Parable
1:43 Reading Matthew 22
4:19 Where It Breaks Down
4:34 Q and the Sources
6:18 The Missing Wedding Robe
8:17 Many Called, Few Chosen
9:14 Decoding the Allegory
10:34 Burning Jerusalem, 70 CE
13:09 What the Robe Means
15:37 Luke's Gentler Version
19:49 The Gospel of Thomas
23:24 Murky Waters
24:08 Support the Show

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/F4CjNLk5rDw?si=bnpvzROx7i46gat-

“What Do We Love When We Love God?” (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's In the Code 200

How much love is enough? In this episode of It’s In the Code, part of the series “Questions I Wasn’t Supposed to Ask in Church,” we examine one of the most influential teachings in conservative Christianity: that Christians must love God or Jesus more than anyone and anything else. What happens when this teaching becomes an impossible demand? Drawing on a listener’s powerful experience, we explore the connection between the love of God, religious trauma, Christian deconstruction, and the damaging effects that toxic religious teachings can have on relationships with parents, children, partners, and family. For many people leaving high-control religion or evangelical Christianity, questions about how to love God—and whether loving God requires loving other people less—can become central to the process of religious deconstruction.

This episode also explores the history of Christian theology and the influence of Greek philosophy on Christian ideas about God, love, the body, the material world, mortality, and human relationships. Is loving God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength really the same thing as loving God more than everyone else? Can love of God and love of other people exist in harmony? And what if the things we love most are precisely the things that are finite, temporary, and mortal? This conversation about conservative Christianity, religious trauma, spiritual abuse, Christian deconstruction, and the meaning of love ultimately asks whether we need to rethink both love and God.
Interview: 

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/its-in-the-code-200-what-do-we-love-when-we-love-god/id1441649707?i=1000777922663

He Tried to Defend Old Testament Violence… Scholars Push Back (feat Dr Kipp Davis & Dr Joshua Bowen) (Paulogia podcast)

In a recent interview with Melissa Dougherty, Christian apologist Paul Copan attempts to defend the violence of the Old Testament—arguing that passages about conquest and destruction are widely misunderstood. 

But when those claims are examined alongside the work of biblical scholars like ‪@DrKippDavis‬ and Joshua Bowen of ‪@DigitalHammurabi‬ , serious questions arise. Do Copan’s explanations actually hold up?

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/xK_QByqlRRs?si=BKnMcy608OEQ7oe_

Weekly Roundup: Leo Destroys Trump and Vance on Just War Theory + Pete's Pulp Fiction (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

What happens when a U.S. president publicly attacks the Pope—and tries to justify war using theology?

In this episode of Straight White American Jesus, Brad and Dan break down the escalating clash between Donald Trump and Pope Leo, and why it’s about much more than a political disagreement. From the Pope’s condemnation of violence to reactions from figures like JD Vance and Mike Johnson, this episode traces how religion, war, and power are colliding in real time.

We take a deep dive into just war theory—what it actually is, where it comes from, and why its misuse matters. Along the way, we analyze viral moments (yes, including the Pulp Fiction references), unpack the theological claims being made by political leaders, and examine how Christian nationalism reframes power as divine authority.

This isn’t just about one news cycle. It’s about a larger shift: Who gets to define Christianity in America? What happens when political leaders claim moral authority over religious ones? And why are some Christians being told to “stay out of politics” while politicians take over theology? 

⏱️ Timestamps 

• 00:00 Intro 
• 02:15 What sparked the Trump vs. Pope conflict 
• 08:40 What is Just War Theory? 
• 18:30 JD Vance, Mike Johnson, and the political response 
• 32:10 Christian nationalism and power 
• 45:20 The “Pulp Fiction” moment explained 
• 55:00 Why this matters going forward

Interview: 

https://youtu.be/GZvpN11fi7k?si=tGcaSRbnXbpTRAZ3

Why JD Vance Has The Nerve To Lecture Pope Leo On Theology. #jdvance

 https://www.youtube.com/shorts/RWgu1bFgEKY

Weekly Roundup: MAGA's Nuclear Brinksmanship: Is the Coalition Cracking? (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast)

In this week's episode, Brad Onishi navigates a high-stakes intersection of nuclear brinkmanship and theological crisis. 

The discussion centers on the fallout of Operation Epic against Iran, specifically Pete Hegseth's assertion that God deserves "all the glory" for the military strike. 

Brad deconstructs this "Fox News theology," forcing a confrontation with the classic problem of evil: if a victory is divine, how does one account for the collateral damage of a bombed girl's school? This moral tension coincides with a potential fracture in the MAGA coalition, as even staunch media allies like Joe Rogan and Alex Jones begin to voice public concern over Trump's threats to Iranian civilization and the looming specter of nuclear winter. 

The episode then shifts to an explosive diplomatic confrontation between the Pentagon and the Vatican. Guests Dr. Thomas Lecaque and Rebecca Bratten Weiss join the show to unpack a bombshell report detailing a meeting where Under Secretary Elbridge Colby allegedly pressured Cardinal Christopher Pierre to align with U.S. interests. By invoking the Avignon Papacy—a historical period where the papacy was essentially held captive by the French monarchy—the administration issued what Lecaque describes as a "mafia-style threat" to the Holy See. 

The panel explores the doomed fantasy of Catholic integralism and the burgeoning rift between those following the teachings of Jesus and those weaponizing faith for geopolitical dominance.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/weekly-roundup-magas-nuclear-brinksmanship-is-the-coalition-cracking?hsLang=en

"It's Important Work—As Long As Someone Else Does It" (Bradley Onishi and Daniel Miller; Straight White American Jesus podcast) It's in the Code ep 187

Josh Hawley tells us that blue-collar and manual labor are the domains of true masculinity. He tells us that they are the path to freedom, and meaning, and purpose. He tells us that men have no social value if they do not undertake this kind of work. 

But is any of this true? 

Does this kind of work bring us the freedom he claims? 

Is he really the voice of "working men?" 

Or is he another elitist who benefits from the exploitation of workers while masquerading as a liberator? Dan argues that this is the real story. Listen to this week's episode to find out why.

Interview: 

https://www.straightwhiteamericanjesus.com/episodes/its-in-the-code-ep-187-its-important-workas-long-as-someone-else-does-it?hsLang=en