Listen, obey, submit. Many religions teach from a young age to ignore your wants and needs to submit to the hierarchy without further question in exchange for the promise of safety and security that you won't receive until after you go to heaven. Hebrews 1317 in the NIV says, have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority because they keep watch over

you as those who must give account. Do this so that their work will be a joy, not a burden,

for that would be of no benefit to you. Other translations escalate this further. Obey your leaders

and submit to them, for they're keeping watch over your souls and will give an account. Let them do

this with joy and not with

sighing, for that will be harmful for you. Religious leaders take passages such as this to assert

expertise over topics such as medicine, psychology, law, and even more. They have no training in these

subjects, but demand control over who receives medicine as if they're equally or more qualified

than physicians, they claim that the study of religion should grant them the authority of an expert

without any responsibility. Furthermore, they convince people that they aren't smart enough

or capable enough to make decisions about their own bodies. Religion maintains its power

by infantilizing adults so that they doubt their own

capabilities and remain submissive to them.

If you believe religious leaders should be obeyed without question, stay tuned and call

in because the show is starting now.

Yes, yes. What an intro. What an intro to take us into today's show, which already has a bunch of callers on the line waiting to comment on what we're doing. Good afternoon, everyone, depending on where you are. My name is Jimmy Jr. Today with me is the wonderful Dr. Ben, and this is Talk Heathen, a product of the atheist community of

Austin, a 501C3 nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion of atheism, critical thinking,

secular humanism, and the separation of religion and government. My personal favorite,

that last part.

But Ben, man, I have not worked with you in a while.

How the hell are you doing?

Yeah, it's been a long time, and I won't belabor everybody with everything that's going on.

...