Shows
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E19 - LA Riots Over ICE DeportationsWe tackle just a single topic in this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds - the recent riots in Los Angeles that started as a result of the ICE raids and deportations. We find a lot of common ground in this one. We agree that riots are bad (phew). We agree that Trump and his administration over-reacted and were extremely heavy-handed in their response. We agree that the Trump administration's approach to deporting immigrants has been problematic. We even agree that Stephen Miller looks a lot like Goebbels, but only Ryan and Tom admit it as Josh doesn't want...2025-06-121h 02
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E18 - Musk Leaves DC and American ExceptionalismIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom tackle four topics. We start with a discussion of Elon Musk leaving Washington DC, something Ryan partially predicted in November. We explore why and what it means. We then do some rapid fire questions on Biden's cancer diagnosis and Ukraine's sneak attack inside Russia. After that, we discuss whether America is exceptional, particularly as relates to its culture. We all agree that Americans are not morally or biologically superior to anyone else and have no greater moral worth, but Josh is insistent that American culture is superior...2025-06-041h 54
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E17 - Trump's New Plane and a Biden Spending Spree?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we start with a discussion of the new luxury plane the Qatari government has promised to Donald Trump. It takes a while, but eventually we all agree that if Donald Trump gets to keep a $400 million luxury plane after he is no longer president, that is clearly bribery and corruption. Josh insists that, even though that is true, it's not like this isn't "business as usual" in politics. We then turn to a NYPost article claiming Biden went on a spending spree right before leaving office. The article doesn't provide sufficient...2025-05-131h 23
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E16 – Trump’s Tariffs and Stock Market VolatilityIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom talk about how Trump's tariff chaos tanked the stock market. Josh was supposed to join us, but he ended up bailing at the last minute (leading us to speculate as to what he was doing instead). Tom and Ryan agree on most everything in this episode. They agree that the market was ripe for a correction and that Trump's tariffs were the catalyst. They also agree that there are indications that Trump may have been engaged in market manipulation and probably should be investigated for what he has...2025-04-151h 03
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E15 - Tesla Terrorists and Signal StupidityIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Josh hold down the fort without Tom, who’s mysteriously absent—prompting wild speculation about his whereabouts, from fighting in Ukraine to joining Elon Musk’s secret DOGE team. The duo dives into a discussion about recent left-wing criticisms of Tesla and Elon Musk. Josh questions the strategy of targeting Tesla to hurt Musk, arguing it's both ineffective and misguided given Musk’s vast resources. Both agree that targeting Tesla owners isn't a great idea, especially since most of them are left-leaning individuals who bought Teslas to be environmentally conscien...2025-03-2959 min
Gospel Tangents Podcast*Is 2 hr Church Hurting LDS Church? (Ryan Cragun 4 of 4)The LDS Church recently changed from 3 to 2 hour church. Is 2 hr church destroying community? Dr Ryan Cragun answers. We'll also discuss whether religious or non-religious are more healthy, wealthy, and wise. Check out our conversation...
https://youtu.be/moBMOw1jjdU
Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission2025-03-0800 min
Gospel Tangents PodcastWhat Pushes/Pulls People from Churches? (Ryan Cragun 3 of 4)What pulls people from Church? Dr Ryan Cragun from Univ of Tampa says there are 2 things that lead people to leave religion: Push factors & Pull factors. What pushes people away from Church? Check out our conversation...
https://youtu.be/A18Umb_xxlg
Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission2025-03-0543 min
Gospel Tangents PodcastWhy People Stay/Leave Religion (Ryan Cragun 2 of 4)Why does one person leave religion, while another person leaves? Dr Ryan Cragun discusses his own faith crisis and Rick shares why he stays. Check out our conversation...
https://youtu.be/2qQ1dzvyalA
Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission
0:00 Ryan's Mission
11:21 Ryan's Deconversion/Betrayal
17:41 Why People Stay or Leave
25:01 Hard Exits
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission2025-03-0229 min
Gospel Tangents PodcastTriggered vs Calm ex-Mormons (Ryan Cragun 1 of 4)Some ex-Mormons leave religion with an noisy exit and are angry. Others walk away with little fanfare. What is the difference between these people? In his new book called "Goodbye Religion," University of Tampa sociology professor Dr Ryan Cragun discusses why people are leaving religion at higher rates. Check out our conversation...
https://youtu.be/z7p-j-3YrJ0
Don't miss our other conversations with Ryan: https://gospeltangents.com/people/ryan-cragun/
transcript to follow
Copyright © 2025
Gospel Tangents
All Rights Reserved
Except for book reviews, no content may be reproduced without written permission
0:00 Avalanches, Alligators, & Hurricanes
4:21 Educational Background
10:18 Intro to Goodbye Religion
16:29 T...2025-02-2727 min
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E14 - Immigrants and CultureIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss immigration. The launching point for our discussion is a recent increase in murders and shootings in Sweden that are mostly stemming from gang battles between immigrants from Eastern European and predominantly Muslim countries. We discuss the violence and then explore to what extent that violence is tied to the cultures of the immigrants. That leads us to a general discussion of culture and whether some cultures are better than others. Josh and Tom ultimately argue that US culture is superior to those of all other countries while Ryan rejects...2025-02-231h 35
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E13 - Musk Destroys USAIDIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom explore one of the initiatives of the Trump administration and DOGE - Elon Musks destruction of USAID. We examine what happened - that their expenditures were put on hold and the roughly 10,000 employees were told they were going to lose their jobs. Josh celebrates this. Tom points out some of the programs that USAID was funding appeared to have a left-leaning bias. Ryan supports cutting out wasteful spending, improving government efficiency, and even firing people who aren't doing anything. But suggests that there are better ways to...2025-02-091h 46
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E12 - Are presidential pardons out of control?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom discuss the recent spate of Presidential pardons - Biden's pardon of family, friends, and people in his administration and Trump's pardon of nearly 1,500 people who were involved in the January 6th riot. We pretty much agree, though how fun would a podcast be if we all just agree and don't fight over the details?!? We all agreed that Biden should not have felt like he needed to pardon the people he did. Josh insists he pardoned his crime family but Ryan argues that he was protecting people...2025-01-261h 00
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E11 - Was the Killing of United Healthcare's CEO the Government's Fault?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom, Josh, and Ryan discuss the killing of United Healthcare's CEO, Brian Thompson, by Luigi Mangione. Josh starts out by saying that it is murder and wrong. Tommy and Ryan agree that it was murder but also recognize that many see Mangione as a "folk hero" because they are so upset with health insurers who deny coverage a lot to maximize profits. We wrestle with who is at fault here. Tommy and Josh argue that this was inevitable because of crony capitalism and the government not doing a better job of...2025-01-051h 23
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E10 - Did Dating Norms Swing the 2024 Presidential Election?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Tom, and Ryan explore new gender/dating norms. We focus on a recently published editorial in the New York Times that argues the advances women have made in education, income, and independence have resulted in men feeling confused about how they are supposed to interact with women and how to be a "man." Women in the US increasingly have more education than men. They are also more likely to be homeowners and some are making more money than men. Dating norms have grown rather complicated, with highly successful men being...2024-12-1254 min
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E09 - Dissection of Trump's Victory and Identity PoliticsThe 2024 Presidential election just occurred and Donald Trump won convincingly against Kamala Harris. In this episode, we examine reasons people gave for voting for Donald Trump, including: immigration, wages, funding for the military, the federal deficit, government bloat, stock market volatility, and identity politics. We spend a fair amount of time discussing identity politics, which we ultimately conclude is privileging minority candidates over majority candidates despite their qualifications and, importantly, if someone doesn't vote for a minority candidate (or disagrees with their policies or views), accusing them of some form of bigotry. We also discuss briefly how the media...2024-11-132h 08
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E08 - Government and Disasters and Is Trump a Fascist?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle two topics. First, we discuss whether the government should help people rebuild if their homes are in zones that will continuously flood, burn down from forest fires, or be destroyed by natural disasters. We all agree that the government should not and that people should assume that risk at their peril. The government's role should be to help those who were caught by surprise at no fault of their own. We then turn to Trump's recent comments about "enemies within" and using the military to imprison political opponents and...2024-10-262h 00
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E07 - Independent Voters in the Presidential Election and a Crisis in ScienceIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we are joined by Vance Reavie from the Independent Center. We start with a lengthy discussion about independent voters - how many there are, what they want in candidates, what issues are important to them, and why they often feel marginalized in US elections. We then turn to the primary question of whether independent voters will decide the Presidential election in 2024. The answer is likely "Yes," but it's complicated because neither of the two major party candidates is particularly appealing to independent voters and hasn't done much to make themselves more...2024-10-031h 45
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E06 - Harris Baits Trump and Brazil Censors XIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Tom, and Ryan discuss the presidential debate between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris and the instances of censorship taking place around the world. Amazingly, we have clear agreement on the debate - Harris won by baiting Trump and then letting him lose the debate by looking like a fearmongering crazy old man. The memes that resulted from Trump's false claims about Haitian immigrants eating pets were pretty amazing. We go into more detail about the debate, but that's the short version. On censorship, we all agree that censoring free speech...2024-09-141h 17
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E05 - Kamala Harris Enters the Race and Ukraine Takes it to RussiaIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan, Tom, and Josh start with a discussion of Kamala Harris's entrance into the Presidential race in the US. Josh and Tom aren't fans. They argue that Biden was forced out of the race, that Kamala isn't competent, and that the media has basically been working for Harris to remake her image and give her a boost. Ryan disagrees with most of this. He isn't ecstatic about Harris but thinks she'll be fine. We then turn to Ukraine's push into Russian territory. Josh and Tom both noted that invasions into Russia...2024-08-291h 13
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E04 - Assassination Attempt on Trump and Outing Transgender Kids to Their ParentsIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom tackle two topics. First, we start with the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Tom asks Ryan a number of questions related to the attack, from whether he thinks the attack was staged (as some conspiracy theorists have started to argue) to whether this was a massive failing on the part of the Secret Service to whether Donald Trump is divinely protected. Ryan's answers to these three questions were all "No," but there are a number of additional questions. We mostly agree on the responses, though Tom notes at...2024-07-181h 30
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E03 - Elite's Controlling Biden's Election and the UK's Turn to LabourIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle two topics. Joe Biden's poor debate performance has been in the news a lot as of late. Rather than examine that, specifically, we discuss who is "pulling the strings" in the Democratic Party: who ultimately picks the candidates and who helps them get the nomination and get elected. This was spurred by a video clip from congressional representative Adam Smith (D-Washington), who argued that Biden was the beneficiary of the unnamed power brokers in the Democratic Party in 2020 but now may be playing defense against them as they try...2024-07-131h 17
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E02 - Elon Musk's Pay and Hunter Biden's ConvictionIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom are again joined by Josh who may be more of a permanent fixture on the podcast. We tackle two topics. First, we explore Elon Musk's pay package which was recently approved by Tesla shareholders and would net him tens of billions of dollars. Ryan argues that his opinion isn't worth anything as he is no longer a shareholder, but he does think it's excessive. Tom and Josh argue that Elon delivered so he deserves it. This leads us down many other meandering paths before we get to our...2024-06-191h 46
Finding Common Battle GroundsS04E01 - COVID lab leak and Iranian Nuclear WeaponsIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we're joined by a special guest - Josh Cragun is back after a nearly two-year hiatus. (And he has hair!) We cover two topics in this episode. First, we start with the COVID-19 lab leak theory. We read an editorial from the New York Post editorial claiming that it is now definitive that COVID-19 leaked from a lab in China. Tom and Josh are now convinced that it came from a lab. Ryan is not convinced, even though he agrees that there is circumstantial evidence supporting such a claim. We then...2024-05-301h 09
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E20 - RFK Jr., Declining Homicide Rates, and White Christian NationalistsIn this episode of Finding Common Battlegrounds, we start the podcast with a discussion of Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his candidacy for President. We discuss whether he will be more detrimental to Trump's campaign or Biden's. We also talk briefly about his anti-vaccination views and his advocacy for free speech. Tom concludes he'll vote for him over Biden or Trump but Ryan is discounting him because he's anti-vaccines, so we don't agree there. We then turn to recent news articles suggesting there has been a decline in homicide rates this year and discuss why this may be happening...2024-04-251h 25
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E19 - Norwegian JWs Defunded and Trump's BloodbathIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we start with a discussion about a recent court case decided in Norway that resulted in the federal defunding of Jehovah's Witnesses because of their ostracism practices. We both agree that the Norwegian government is well within its rights not to give JWs money if they engage in practices that are deemed to be coercive. We then turn to a recent incident in which Donald Trump suggested that there would be a "bloodbath" for the American automotive industry if he isn't elected, which was deceptively framed by the mainstream media as...2024-03-281h 09
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E18 - A Solution for Israel & Palestine(?) and a Crusader Against Big Tech Consciousness HackingIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we are joined by a new guest, Sean Patrick Tario, who now runs https://mark37.com/ and advocates for security and privacy from "big tech." But before we discuss big tech, Tom wanted to discuss efforts by the US to get Israel to accept a ceasefire agreement with Gaza/Hamas. In the process, we find common ground that there is no "good" solution for the Israel/Palestine situation, including Ryan's suggestion of massive bribes to relocate Palestinians which he suggests would be marginally better than the genocide we're observing but admits...2024-03-071h 35
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E17 - Bail Bonds, a Texas Lawyer, and Google GlitchesIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we have another guest: Ken W. Good, an attorney who specializes in bail bonds. We take advantage of Ken's expertise to discuss a movement spreading across the US to end bail bonds under the premise that bail bonds can result in poor people being imprisoned because they cannot afford even low bail amounts. We discussed a Politifact article that investigated (and rated mostly true) a claim by Governor Gavin Newsom that only the US and the Philippines use for-profit or corporate bail bond systems. We used this as a launching point...2024-02-281h 26
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E16 - Greg Abbot Defies the Feds, Trump Kills Immigration Reform, and a Senate CandidateIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom are joined by Sarah Sun Liew, a Republican candidate for US Senate for California. We discuss two articles related to immigration. First, we examine Governor Greg Abbott's violation of federal law in putting up barriers (i.e., razor wire, sawblades, etc.) at the US/Mexico border. We all agree that there are issues with immigration and the border but are rather conflicted over whether what Governor Abbott is doing is ethical and how the federal government should respond. The second article we discuss is about the bipartisan effort...2024-02-1559 min
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E15 - Utah University Diversity Statements and Goodbye Sociology in FloridaIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle two legislative/governmental issues related to higher education (article 1 and article 2). First, we discuss the recent legislative initiative in Utah to ban requiring diversity, equity, and inclusion statements as part of the hiring process at public universities in Utah. As we dug into the details on this topic, it became clear that this was a Republican dog-whistle issue. The diversity statements are not about forcing new hires to sign a statement agreeing to adhere to a specific liberal ideology but rather to make sure that they are willing to...2024-01-311h 03
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E14 - Child Labor Laws and Religious Commencement SpeechesIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom tackle two topics. First, thanks to legislation under consideration in the Florida House and Senate, we discuss rolling back regulations protecting children (really 16 and 17-year-olds) when it comes to the number of hours they can work while school is in session and the tops of jobs they can do. We agree that these laws are problematic and will likely have detrimental effects on young people. We then turn to an incident that happened at Ryan's university: A faculty member in the College of Business who moonlights as a...2024-01-181h 08
Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E13 - Progressives Supporting Hamas and Security Versus FreedomIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Ryan tackle two topics. First, we discuss the fact that some individuals and groups have effectively been showing their support for the people of Gaza by calling for violence and even genocide against Israel. Tom pointed out that this seems to be a double standard on college campuses as they would not allow similar calls for violence against Black individuals. Ryan, while condemning the calls for violence, raised the question of whether this isn't an instance of free speech - though perhaps run amuck or gone too far. They...2023-12-091h 32Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E12 - Trigger Warnings and the Military Industrial ComplexIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tommy tackle two topics: trigger warnings and the military industrial complex. On the first topic, a review article examining the efficacy of trigger warnings was just published illustrating that they often have the opposite of the intended effect, increasing people's anxiety and making it more likely people will watch the content. The general recommendation is that they shouldn't be used. We discuss our takes on this (shocker - we agree). We then turn to some recent news clips about the war in Ukraine and the war between Israel and...2023-11-041h 02
From the Square: An NYU Press PodcastThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1135 min
The Future of . . . with Owen Bennett-JonesThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1135 min
New Books in SociologyThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1135 min
New Books in SecularismThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1133 min
New Books in World AffairsThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1135 min
New Books in ReligionThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1135 min
NBN Book of the DayThe Future of Secularization: A Discussion with Ryan CragunThe statement ‘we live in a secular age’ is open to the obvious challenge that in some parts of the word, religion is a growing force in society. And even in places such as the US, religious activists seem to have growing influence – as the recent US Supreme Court decision about abortion suggests. So, is this actually a secular age? Ryan Cragun is a co-author (with Isabella Kasselstrand and Phil Zuckerman) of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society (NYU Press, 2023) – listen to him in conversation with Owen Bennett Jones.Owen Bennett-Jones is a freelance journalist and writer. A former BBC co...2023-09-1135 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS03E11 - Elites and the Disenfranchised, the Florida State Guard (jk), and the FBI Kill a Provo ManIt's been a few weeks, but we're back. We talk about some of what we've
been up to over the last month, then jump into two news items. First up
is an opinion piece by NYTimes contributor David Brooks that suggests
professionals (or the professional class) are condescending and
dismissive of the working class, which has led them to feel
disenfranchised and choose as their representative Donald Trump, who
they think sticks it to the professional class (or elites). We discuss
this op-ed, tackle the issue of elites again, and then wonder why these
individuals chose a billionaire, elite-educated...2023-08-111h 04Finding Common Battle GroundsAI Sex Bots, Trump's Second Indictment, and Reddit BlackoutIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackled three topics. We started with the news that a social media influencer worked with a company to create a chatbot for her followers that, when prompted, turned into a sex chat bot. We then discussed the implications of sex chat bots and eventually sex robots for humans, with a little disagreement about the negative outcomes for humanity. We then turned to a discussion of Trump's latest indictment for the mishandling of classified documents. Again, we generally agreed but Tom is confident that the indictment isn't worth the hassle and...2023-06-151h 22
American Freethought PodcastRyan Cragun (Beyond Doubt)I interview Ryan Cragun, co-author of Beyond Doubt: The Secularization of Society, a new book that makes a compelling argument that secularization has indeed been happening, both in the United States and around the world. You can buy a copy of Beyond Doubt for yourself. Theme music courtesy of Body Found. Follow American Freethought on the intertubes: Website: AmericanFreethought.com Twitter: @AMERFREETHOUGHT Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/21523473365/ Libsyn Classic Feed: https://americanfreethought.libsyn.com/rss Contact: john@americanfreethought.com Support the...2023-05-2954 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS03E09 - Trump Loses, the FBI, and DebtIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we (Ryan and Tom) tackled three topics. We started with a discussion of Trump's recent civil lawsuit by E. Jean Carroll, which ended with a verdict against him suggesting the jury was convinced that Trump sexually assaulted (i.e., raped) Ms. Carroll. Ryan was wondering how it is that people can support a rapist as President of the US, and Tom responded that it was less about Trump and more about the American populace - they want a win and will take it at any cost, regardless of the (im)morality...2023-05-291h 26Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E08 - Fox News settlement and confidential document leakIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we started with two topics but then led us off on two tangents. First, we discussed the Fox News settlement with Dominion Voting machines and Fox News's firing of Tucker Carlson. Tom wasn't as familiar with all of the revelations that resulted from the discovery part of the lawsuit that illustrated that the Fox News administration, personalities, and staff knew that they were lying about Dominion but did it anyway in order to maintain high ratings. Even so, Tom thinks that the dishonesty of Fox News is the same with all...2023-05-021h 14Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E07 - Trump Indictment and Social Media Laws for Kids in UtahIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Ryan tackle two topics. First is the impending arraignment of Donald Trump in New York City. We both agree that Trump likely broke the law. But we also agree that this kind of media attention really only helps Trump as he works to destroy trust in American institutions in the US, like the media and the legal system. We also agree that Trump is unlikely to serve time in prison because different rules apply to wealthy individuals. We then turn to the recently passed legislation in Utah - the...2023-04-041h 13Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E06 - Blasphemy in England, ESG, SVB, and Florida Higher Education LegislationIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Ryan tackle four topics. First up is a case of alleged blasphemy in a high school in England where four students were accused of desecrating a copy of the Quran. We both agree that blasphemy laws are outdated and shouldn't exist. We then turn to a discussion of ESG and the recent federal legislation on this. ESG is Environment, Social, and Corporate Governance and became an issue when Republicans passed legislation prohibiting Wall Street fund managers from considering ESG factors when making investment decisions. Both of us agree this...2023-03-171h 40Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E05 - Marrying Kids, the 2024 Election, and MigrationIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Tom chat about several topics. First, we examine the initiative to raise the age at which young people can marry to 18 and a push against this by Republicans in the state of Wyoming. We then turn to the 2024 Presidential election and Joe Biden's continued insinuation that he plans to run for office. We consider whether Biden's approach is helping to keep a media frenzy at bay. Finally, we discuss various developments in migration policy - the transportation of migrants from one state to another and of migrants inside the...2023-02-221h 04Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E04 - George Santos and US Tanks in UkraineIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle two topics. First up is "How is it acceptable for a pathological liar like Republican George Santos to retain his House seat?" Both Tom and Nate agree that politicians aren't known for their honesty. George Santos differs in degree, not in kind, from other politicians. They also agree that this boils down to entrenched political power; Republicans cannot afford to remove him from office as he is key to helping them hold their slim majority. The second topic is, "How is it problematic for the Biden administration to agree...2023-02-011h 05Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E03 - How capitalism is both the problem and the solutionIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Tom and Nate tackle capitalism. The first question they address is: "How is capitalism the solution?" Tom argues that capitalism has ushered in an era of prosperity for many people and that the invisible hand of the market is a highly efficient and fair system for setting prices. Nate argues that capitalism has helped develop the means of production, which is a necessary step toward a future where people do not have to work as hard. There is general agreement between Nate and Tom on these points. The second question is: "...2023-01-031h 41Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E02 - Busting Unions and a Failed Red WaveIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Nate and Tom tackle two topics: (1) Why was the Biden Administration wrong to bust the railroad workers union? (2) How are Republicans responsible for the smaller-than-expected mid-term red wave? On the first topic, Nate argues that the Biden Administration revealed that their allegiance really lies with corporate profits rather than the unions. This was particularly galling since Democrats tend to side with unions - in principle - and unions often tend to vote for Democrats as a result. Tom argued that unions have now become part of the economic marketplace and strikes...2022-12-201h 02Finding Common Battle GroundsS03E01 - Voting Felons and Meanie MuskIn this new episode and format of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we introduce a new member of the podcast team, Nate Triplett, and mix up the structure and format a bit. Ryan moves to the moderator role, Tom dons the conservative hat, and Nate steps in as our resident progressive. Also, instead of coming prepared with questions to try to get the other person to agree, both the conservative and progressive critique two topics to see if we can find common battlegrounds. First, we discuss Ron DeSantis's efforts to arrest former felons in Florida who were approved to vote...2022-11-291h 05Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E21 - Why Josh needs a break from Finding Common Battle GroundsIn this final episode of Season 2 of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we have a big announcement: Josh is stepping away from the podcast for a while. We discuss what led to this. Josh doesn't feel like we've made much progress in finding common ground or understanding each other's perspectives. This came to a head in the last few episodes. Josh is also no longer enjoying making the podcast and wants to prioritize the relationship between Josh and Ryan over the podcast. We discuss what this means for the bigger political conversation in the US.
Also, a bidet...2022-11-0959 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS02E20 - What is the correct direction for the country?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we think about the common survey finding that people don't think the US is headed in the right direction (as of August 2022, about 74% of Americans think it is headed in the wrong direction). We do find a fair amount of agreement. Both agree that it would be nice if the country tried to reduce poverty and hunger, if we reduced pollution, and if people were less dogmatic and more open to seeing other people's perspectives. We also agree that people continue to be worried about inflation. We also agree that there...2022-10-121h 35Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E19 - Truth and Reconciliation on RaceIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, all three of us wrestle with how to discuss race and racism. We agree that discussions about race are fraught because people equate accusations of racism with evaluations of the morality and self-worth of the individual, particularly if someone is called a racist rather than calling their idea, statement, or perspective racist. To that end, we agreed that discussions about race and racism have to focus on ideas and perspectives rather than on whether an individual is a racist. We also discuss the idea that calling an idea or perspective racist...2022-09-231h 41Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E18 - Is The Rings of Power too woke?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss the claims that Amazon's new series, The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power, is too woke. We return to our traditional format this time and each poses the other three questions, trying to find common ground. We agree from the outset that the "wokeness" claims center on gender (powerful female leads) and race (a racially diverse cast). We don't agree on Josh's question that "woke scolds" ruin everything. We also agree that Tolkien wrote race into his universe and that, as a product of the late 19th...2022-09-152h 04Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E17 - Biden's student loan plan, racism at BYU volleyball game, and the direction of AmericaIn S02E17 of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we tackle three questions. First up, we discuss whether Biden's plan to forgive $10k in student loan debt ($20k for Pell Grant recipients) makes sense. We agree that it doesn't solve the problem and is a political move to gain favor with specific voters. We then discuss the recent incident of racist behavior toward a black Duke volleyball player at BYU. There is a lot of disagreement here, including over whether it even happened. Finally, we discuss recent polling data suggesting close to 80% of Americans think the country is headed in...2022-09-021h 02Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E16 - grab bag - mandatory reporting for clergy, Liz Cheney, censorship, and fertilityIn Episode 16 of Season 2, we once again employed our grab bag approach as moderator Tom came prepared with four questions (and a bonus question at the end). The first question we discussed was whether the LDS Church should require all clergy to be mandatory reporters when it comes to sex abuse, meaning they would have to report people who confess to abusing others to the police. We agree on that one. We then discussed what it means that Liz Cheney lost her primary race in Wyoming, with varied thoughts on what this says about the Republican Party in the...2022-08-191h 27Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E15 - facial recognition, Dutch farmers, elitists, Putin, San Francisco & Seattle + bonus contentIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we went with a grab bag approach where the moderator, Tom, posed a number of questions and Josh and Ryan addressed them in turn. First up was whether facial recognition software that is being used by some corporations to track shoplifters is okay. We all agree that is a bit complicated, but probably okay for private corporations, less so for governments. We then discussed Dutch farmers and their protests against the changes that their government is forcing on them to address climate change. We agree that the intent of the politicians...2022-08-061h 32Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E14 - masks, DeSantis, China, and working from homeWe went with a rapid-fire, multi-topic approach this week. We started with whether people should still be wearing masks. We agreed that people should wear masks if they are sick, but wearing masks to avoid getting sick, unless done properly, isn't really effective. We then turned to a discussion of Ron DeSantis and whether he would win the Republican primary and the general election. Ryan doesn't think Trump will run; Josh isn't sure. If Trump runs, it will be competitive and we were mixed on who would win. If it is DeSantis versus Biden, we agreed DeSantis would probably...2022-07-2755 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS02E13 - Should the US government urge corporations to drill for more oil?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether the US government should urge corporations to drill for more oil in light of currently very high gas prices. Josh and Ryan agree that pollution is bad! (That was a really tough point of agreement!) They also agreed that drilling for oil is not going to solve the immediate problem since developing oil fields and drilling platforms can take years or decades. They agree that, while green energy can still have some harmful environmental impacts, it is "greener" than fossil fuels and that the ultimate goal of any...2022-07-141h 11
Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E12 - Did the Supreme Court's decision in Hobbs move the court into activism?In light of the recent decision by the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade (and Casey), we discuss the Dobbs decision and whether this indicates that the Supreme Court is made up of activist judges. Josh and Ryan agree that the Dobbs decision undid prior legal precedent legalizing abortion and that the Dobbs decision does not comment on whether abortion should be legal at the federal level but rather moves the legality of abortion to the states. Josh and Ryan also agreed that the legal justification for Roe was not particularly strong (arguing for abortion on privacy grounds...2022-07-011h 13Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E11 - Is the great replacement conspiracy theory real?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss the great replacement conspiracy theory that was influential in a recent race-based mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. We agree that the racial and ethnic makeup of the US is changing and we agree that the changes that are happening are due to fundamental demographic forces - births, deaths, and migrations. We also agree that there is no secret cabal behind these changes, though Josh (and Tom) suggest that progressives may be more open to migration than are conservatives because migrants are more likely to vote Democratic than Republican...2022-05-251h 42Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E10 - Will Trump be President again in 2024?In this short episode, we discuss whether Donald Trump will be elected to the presidency again in 2024. All agree that Trump now has a stranglehold on the Republican Party and that he is still very relevant to politics in the US. Ryan pushes Josh and Tom to examine whether Trump will win the Republican primary, assuming he runs. The other front-runner, Ron DeSantis, seems like the only possible candidate who has a chance against Trump at the present. None of us feel certain that Trump would beat DeSantis, but it is definitely possible given how sycophantic Trump's followers are...2022-05-1618 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS02E09 - Should the federal government ban menthol cigarettes?In another short episode, we discuss a recent proposal by the FDA to ban menthol cigarettes. Menthol cigarettes are more addictive than regular cigarettes, and they are the most common type of cigarette smoked by Black Americans. Josh argues that banning drugs is rarely a successful approach and agrees with the concerns raised by many Black smokers that this will essentially criminalize behavior that is more common among Black individuals, resulting in the criminalization of Black individuals in the US. Ryan pushes Josh and Tom on whether it is the federal government's responsibility to restrict harmful substances. In general...2022-05-1418 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS02E08 - Should the federal government ban ghost guns?In this short podcast, we discuss briefly whether we think the federal government should ban ghost guns. Ghost guns are typically a reference to guns that were created using a nontraditional manufacturing process, like a 3D printer, that do not have a serial number and for which the government has no registration information. Josh and Ryan agree that this is probably a non-issue, though for somewhat different reasons. Josh argues that most 3D-printed guns are not strong enough to shoot more than one round and that these are typically just novelty items. Ryan argues that, once the designs for...2022-05-1216 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS02E07 - Open Discussion: Disney and Don't Say GayIn this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we had originally intended to have another open discussion (our approach when one of us doesn't have enough time to research an issue). Tom had several questions lined up, but we ended up spending over an hour on the first question: Is Disney's opposition to the recently passed "Don't Say Gay" legislation in Florida going to have harmful consequences for Disney? Additionally, is Disney's embrace of progressive values for employees and in some of its media beneficial or detrimental for the company? Our discussion is wide-ranging, but the focus is on...2022-04-201h 17Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E06 - An Open Discussion of: A New Twitter, Biden's Brain, and Will Smith's SlapA little pressed for time this week, we opted for a different format. Moderator Tom came prepared with three questions. First up was a question about whether Twitter needs a competitor due to its growing level of censorship on the social media platform. Second was a question about whether Joe Biden's gaffes and evidence of his cognitive decline are cause for concern. Finally, we discuss Will Smith's slap of Chris Rock at the Academy Awards and whether it was immoral and inappropriate. Despite the different format, we actually agree on many points.2022-03-301h 00Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E05 - Should there be race or gender quotas for supreme court justices?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether it makes sense to have a race or gender quota for supreme court justices. In a weird twist, Josh adopts a strawman pseudo-progressive persona for the entire episode and argues that the only criteria we should use for selecting supreme court justices is whether they are racial minorities or women and that we should completely disregard any qualifications. Rather than find common ground, we spend the majority of the episode trying to determine what Josh's actual point is. We also watch a clip of the confirmation hearing for...2022-03-241h 23Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E04 - Should the federal government delay student loan payments again?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether the federal government, which began delaying payments for student loans early in the pandemic, should again delay payments for student loans which are scheduled to resume in May 2022. Josh and Ryan agree that, in hindsight, a lot of what the government did for COVID-19 was problematic, though whether delaying the repayment of student loans is complicated. They also agree that, in general, people should pay back loans. They also agree that not every college major or undergraduate or graduate degree has the same earning potential. Josh and Ryan...2022-03-151h 27Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E03 - Should the US send soldiers to Ukraine?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether the US should send soldiers to Ukraine. We agree that what is happening in Ukraine is awful and that this is Putin's doing. Josh tried to put some of the responsibility for Russia invading Ukraine on the policies of left-leaning administrations in the US but did not get agreement from Ryan. We all agreed that the US should do as much as possible to support Ukraine in this invasion - from sending weapons and "advisors" to cyber warfare and severe sanctions - but the risk of nuclear weapons...2022-03-021h 29Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E02 - Was the January 6th attack on the US Capitol a threat to American democracy?In this episode, we discuss the January 6, 2021 attack on the US Capitol. We largely agree. Josh initially disagrees with Ryan's claim that it was an attack, instead preferring the term "riot" instead. However, Josh recognizes that there was a small minority that planned to attack the Capitol. Josh also agrees with the intent behind the attack and that it may have succeeded in making legislators fearful. Ryan agrees with Josh that progressives don't want to stop talking about this issue because it makes conservatives and the right look bad. There is some disagreement over what percentage of conservatives actually...2022-02-171h 30Finding Common Battle GroundsS02E01 - Should Joe Rogan be censored?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss whether Joe Rogan's podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, should be censored because of COVID-19 misinformation. We actually struggled to find common ground in this episode, which surprised us. To begin with, Josh argued that the attempts to censor Joe Rogan were rooted more in what was perceived to be vaccine hesitancy rather than misinformation, but this required clarification. We did agree that we should listen to experts, though skepticism is warranted when listening to everyone, including experts. Josh suggested that the individuals who questioned whether Joe Rogan should be...2022-01-261h 40Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E20 - What's going to happen in 2022?In this final episode of Season 1, we start off 2022 with our predictions for what we think will happen during the coming year. We generally agree that Republicans will gain ground in the Senate and probably the House. We also agree that pandemic fatigue will spread and an increasing number of people will return to pre-pandemic behaviors. We also agree that our current political situation is likely to lead to serious economic consequences in the long run but potentially in the short run with Tom predicting a looming economic crash. We also worry about the state of our democracy since...2022-01-111h 17Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E19 - Should prostitution be legal?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds we discuss whether prostitution should be legalized. As a baseline, both agree that forced prostitution, sex trafficking, and underage sex work should be illegal and is morally wrong. That then leaves the question of whether individuals who choose to sell sex should be allowed to. Josh wants to allow his inner Libertarian to come out and agree that it should be legal but is hesitant because there is evidence that even when it is legal, illegal sex work continues and those working illegally are subject to exploitation, abuse, and violence. Despite...2021-12-111h 06Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E18 - Should Kyle Rittenhouse have been convicted?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, we discuss the exoneration of Kyle Rittenhouse in Wisconsin over the killing of two individuals and the shooting of a third. In what may seem like a surprise to some listeners, Josh and Ryan (and Tom) agree that Rittenhouse should have been exonerated given the details of the case and the statutes involved. Josh sees this as more black and white than Ryan does, but they both agree. Josh pushes Ryan to admit that this case was framed by the left as about race, which Ryan agrees to begrudgingly as he...2021-12-011h 14Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E17 - Is Critical Race Theory a big deal?In this episode of Finding Common Battlegrounds, we discuss Critical Race Theory (CRT). Josh argues that CRT is being taught. Ryan agrees that it is being taught in college, but not really in K-12. Josh also argues that CRT is influencing society and can lead some people to adopt a victim mindset. Ryan equivocates on the degree to which it is influencing society and also dislikes victim mindsets. Ryan takes a more meta approach in this episode and explains what Critical Theory is, then gives specific examples of Critical Race Theory and illustrates how it is used to analyze...2021-11-171h 12Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E16 - Was Trump on his way to becoming a dictator?In this episode of Finding Common Battlegrounds, we tackle the question of whether Trump was (or was going to become) a dictator. We agree on some basic definitions - dictator, authoritarianism, totalitarianism, and fascism. We then agree that Trump was not a dictator despite many dictator-like tendencies, but primarily because of the checks and balances that exist in the US government. We also agree that Trump was/is a terribly cruel, unkind, tyrannical human being. His moral character makes him a difficult political candidate for Josh to stomach. 2021-11-041h 03Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E15 - What's behind the gender pay gap?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom discuss the often-repeated finding that women are paid less money than men, which is commonly referred to as the "gender pay gap." There is general agreement that the gender pay gap exists, but disagreement about how big it is and what the cause is. We agree that other differences between men and women - like hours worked or years on the job - account for some of the differences in pay. Where the primary disagreement lies is in capturing what accounts for the remaining gap. Josh is...2021-10-151h 31Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E14 - Does the mainstream media have a liberal bias?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom explore whether there is a liberal bias in the mainstream media. We begin by detailing what we understand the mainstream media to be - major television networks ABC, NBC, and CBS, major newspapers and reporting agencies like Reuters, Associated Press, Newsweek, the New York times, and certain cable and radio stations. We note that there are different ways that bias can manifest in media - in how the news is reported and in what is considered important news. Josh argues that the news - at least political...2021-10-021h 10Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E13 - Are conservatives anti-science?In this episode of the Finding Common Battle Grounds podcast, we examine the question of whether conservatives are anti-science. We agree on what science is (a method for investigating the natural world), on the roles of conservatives and progressives, and that there are some scientific findings that are erroneous. But we also agree that science is self-correcting. Finally, we agree that both conservatives and progressives cherry-pick science, rejecting some scientific findings that disagree with their preexisting beliefs. This doesn't make either group entirely anti-science, but it does mean that both groups are accurately described as anti-science at times. 2021-09-241h 04Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E12 - Should abortion be legal?In this issue of Finding Common Battle Grounds we discuss abortion. We chose this topic because of the recently passed law in Texas (Senate Bill 8) restricting abortions to within the first 6 weeks. We find agreement that there should be access to abortions for women who have been raped or when a mother's life is in danger. We even agree that there should be abortions available for others, though we disagree over when access should be cut off. Most of the disagreement in this discussion lies in how abortion is framed by progressives and conservatives and when life begins.2021-09-0752 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E11b - Should the US have left Afghanistan - ADDENDUMIn our first addendum episode, Josh and Ryan revisit their discussion about Afghanistan and whether the US should be leaving. Both admit to being very conflicted about the whole situation. There is clearly a lack of information about what is happening and what has happened in Afghanistan. Josh raises some important questions: Was the Afghan military capable of fighting? And, if the US has hundreds of permanent military bases around the world, why couldn't they keep one in Afghanistan? We end with more questions than answers, recognizing that this is really a humanitarian disaster.2021-08-2624 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E11 - Should the US have left Afghanistan?In this episode, Josh, Ryan, and Tom discuss whether the US should have left Afghanistan. In a strange role reversal, Josh makes a plea to consider the atrocities that are going to result from the disastrous exit while Ryan insists that the Afghan people didn't stand up to the Taliban and it is not the US's responsibility to stay forever and protect the Afghan people from the Taliban. While we don't find a lot of agreement in this podcast, it's clear that both sides are sympathetic to the plight of the Afghan people and think the exit should have been m...2021-08-2452 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E10 - Should there be vaccine mandates?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh and Ryan discuss whether there should be vaccine mandates. Both agree that COVID-19 is real and serious and both are strong advocates for vaccines. While there is general agreement that giving up freedoms is never a good idea, there is subtle disagreement about actual mandates. The issue revolves around the harm that results from individuals who choose not to get the vaccine and whether they infect others who are more vulnerable. Ultimately, we conclude that private corporations should be allowed to require vaccinations. Josh generally agrees that other organizations...2021-08-101h 00Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E09 - Should transwomen be allowed to compete in sports?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Ryan, and Tom discuss whether transwomen should be allowed to compete in sports. There is agreement that there are biological differences between men and women (and even agreement that variation is a continuum and not a dichotomy). There is also agreement that there is a greater risk of physical harm to transgender individuals when marginalized and that physical harm is likely more detrimental than the emotional or psychological harm that ciswomen would experience if they lose a match to a transwoman. Lots of questions. Lots of nuance. This is a complica...2021-07-151h 03Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E08 - Should we build a border wall?Josh and Ryan, with Tom as moderator, discuss whether we should build a border wall with Mexico. The discussion is wide-ranging, covering immigration, global inequality, and political incompetence. There are some twists and turns in this one - Josh takes a meta approach while Ryan gets into the weeds. In the end, there is general agreement that a border wall isn't a solution to the real problems that are leading to the desire to migrate to the United States.2021-07-011h 05Finding Common Battle GroundsS01E07 - Is the two party system broken?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh, Jake, and Ryan discuss first past the post or winner take all elections, why they tend to lead to a two-party system, and how two-party systems are ultimately bad for democracy and the United States. They discuss alternatives, like proportional representation and ranked-choice voting. And, they agree on practically everything - the two party system of the US favors the parties but doesn't benefit voters or the country.2021-06-2545 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E06 - Should there be more restrictions on guns in the US?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Ryan and Josh with Jake Cragun as moderator, consider whether there should be more restrictions on guns. There is a substantial amount of agreement on issues like: universal background checks (including on private sales), restricting gun access to specific people, more training for gun owners, that guns can serve as a form of protection and an equalizer for people, and even that homicides from guns are more common in larger, Democrat-led cities (though why that is the case is contended). Overall, we agree that there should be more restrictions on guns...2021-06-0959 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E05 - Is capitalism bad?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh and Ryan discuss capitalism and socialism. Both agree that laissez-faire capitalism (i.e., completely unregulated capitalism) and Soviet-style communism are not the answer. There is agreement that something in between those two economic systems is ideal. There is just minor disagreement about how much regulation and socialism should exist in the US.2021-05-1455 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E04 - Are voter restriction laws good?In the latest episode of the Finding Common Battle Grounds podcast, we discuss the push by Republicans across the US to enact stricter voter laws and voting regulations. While the focus is on voting laws generally, we also discuss some of the specifics, including requiring IDs and the laws enacted in Georgia. We ultimately agree that these laws are openly intended to benefit Republicans in future outcomes while also recognizing that fewer restrictions to voting benefit Democrats. We also agree that these laws are not being developed and passed to prevent fraud, as there is no evidence that voter fraud in...2021-04-2455 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E03 - Are Twitter bans good?In this episode of Finding Common Battle Grounds, Josh and Ryan discuss whether Twitter bans are good. Both agree that Twitter, as a private company, has the right to restrict speech on its platform. Both also agree that it seems as though conservatives have been more likely to be banned from Twitter. However, there is also general agreement that conservatives have long been the promulgaters of censorship, from banning and burning books to imprisoning communists, atheists, and LGBTQ individuals. There are a fair number of twists and turns in this episode.2021-04-1050 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E02 - Did the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests/riots help?In episode 2 of season 1 of the Finding Common Battle Grounds podcast, we tackle the question: Did the 2020 Black Lives Matter protests/riots help black people and communities in the US? On the major question, Josh and Ryan disagree. However, on a lot of other points, there is a lot of agreement - most of the protests were not violent, the media exaggerated the violence, riots in minority neighborhoods hurt those neighborhoods, and it appears as though racism, white supremacy, nationalism, and fascism are on the rise.2021-04-0347 minFinding Common Battle GroundsS01E01 - Is college worth it?In this inaugural episode of the Finding Common Battle Grounds podcast, Josh and Ryan Cragun try to find common ground over whether college is worth the expense. They are joined by moderator, Tommy Triplett.2021-03-2345 min
The Free Thought Prophet“Researching The Religious” Episode #78 with Ryan CragunRyan Cragun is a sociologist of religion. Originally from Utah, he now lives in Florida and works at the University of Tampa. His research and writing focuses on religion, with an emphasis on Mormonism and the nonreligious. His research has been published in a variety of academic journals, including: Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion, Sociology of Religion, Nova Religio, Journal of Religion and Health, and Journal of Contemporary Religion. When he’s not working, he’s spending time with his wife and son, watching science fiction or tinkering with open source software and computer hardware.
2018-03-0755 min
Mormon Stories - LDS690: LDS Church Growth or Decline in 2016? Featuring Dr. Ryan Cragun and Dr. Rick Phillips Pt. 2Is the LDS Church in decline, or one of the fastest growing churches in the world? Please join us today at Noon (Mountain) as sociologists Ryan Cragun and Rick Phillips review LDS Church growth statistics for 2016. We will be reviewing Matt Martinich’s recent article entitled “Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2016.”2017-01-181h 00Mormon Stories - LDS689: LDS Church Growth or Decline in 2016? Featuring Dr. Ryan Cragun and Dr. Rick Phillips Pt. 1Is the LDS Church in decline, or one of the fastest growing churches in the world? Please join us today at Noon (Mountain) as sociologists Ryan Cragun and Rick Phillips review LDS Church growth statistics for 2016. We will be reviewing Matt Martinich’s recent article entitled “Top 10 Encouraging and Discouraging LDS Growth and Missionary Developments in 2016.” (link below). 2017-01-1857 min
TheThinkingAtheistWhat You Don't Know About Religion (but should) with Dr. Ryan CragunSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR: http://www.naturebox.com/thinkingatheistDr. Ryan Cragun is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa, and he specializes in the sociology of religion. A former Mormon (now atheist), Cragun has released his new book for which this show is titled. Join us as we talk about religion around the world, its claims versus reality, and the stuff about religion which isn't known (or being taught), but should be.Link to Dr. Cragun's book: http://www.amazon.com/What-Dont-About-Religion-Should/dp/0985281537Dr. Cragun's website: http://www.ryantcragun.com2014-12-161h 20The Thinking Atheist PodcastWhat You Don't Know About Religion (but should) with Dr. Ryan CragunSUPPORT OUR SPONSOR: http://www.naturebox.com/thinkingatheist
Dr. Ryan Cragun is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of Tampa, and he specializes in the sociology of religion. A...
A former Christian of 30 years, I've joined countless others in breaking the bonds of fear and superstition to live a truthful, fulfilled, exciting life.2014-12-161h 20
Mormon Stories - LDS417: What You Don't Know About Religion (But Should) with Dr. Ryan CragunToday we interview Dr. Ryan Cragun who is an expert in the sociology of religion. In this episode we discuss his perspective regarding why people are religious and how religion affects peoples' lives and society at large.
2013-05-021h 49Mormon Stories - LDS319: Changing Mormon Demographics in the U.S. with Dr. Ryan CragunIn this episode Scott Holley and I interview sociologist Dr. Ryan Cragun about his newly published report called,"Mormons in the United States 1990-2008: Socio-demographic Trends and Regional Differences."
2012-01-291h 51