{"podcast":{"title":"Digital Social Hour","slug":"digital-social-hour-6161133","podcast_index_feed_id":6161133,"rss_url":"https://feeds.simplecast.com/gVWKQwJq","website_url":"https://digital-social-hour.simplecast.com/","image_url":"https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/96a10b54-3566-4ae1-87fd-fd8bff7bd182/715b32cf-a932-44ce-be6a-786731c62380/3000x3000/whatsapp_image_2026_03_18_at_125501_pm.jpg?aid=rss_feed","author":"Sean Kelly","episode_count":200,"summary":"Step into the world of unfiltered conversations with Digital Social Hour, the podcast where host Sean Kelly dives deep with some of the world's most controversial and thought-provoking figures. From trailblazing entrepreneurs to polarizing cultural icons, no topic is off-limits as Sean explores the stories, challenges, and triumphs that define their lives. Get ready for bold questions, unexpected insights, and raw, authentic dialogue that challenges conventional thinking. Whether you’re seeking inspiration or just want to hear what others are too afraid to say, Digital Social Hour delivers the conversations that others won’t.","last_synced_at":"2026-09-20T00:18:27.334680+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/digital-social-hour-6161133"},"episode":{"title":"Michael Shermer Vs. Sean McDowell On Does God Exist? | DSH #2117","slug":"michael-shermer-vs-sean-mcdowell-on-does-god-exist-dsh-2117","published_at":"2026-08-26T17:00:16+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/digital-social-hour-6161133/michael-shermer-vs-sean-mcdowell-on-does-god-exist-dsh-2117","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/digital-social-hour-6161133","url":"https://digital-social-hour.simplecast.com/","audio_url":"https://pscrb.fm/rss/p/https://pdcn.co/e/podgo.simplecastaudio.com/3cc8a577-57bc-473b-8cc8-358a1c940782/episodes/df6167e7-f461-4497-94c8-bab17cdef3e6/audio/128/default.mp3?aid=rss_feed&awCollectionId=3cc8a577-57bc-473b-8cc8-358a1c940782&awEpisodeId=df6167e7-f461-4497-94c8-bab17cdef3e6&feed=gVWKQwJq","summary":"Does God exist, and can either side actually prove it? In this episode of Digital Social Hour, skeptic Michael Shermer and Christian apologist Dr. Sean McDowell face off in a 45-minute debate recorded at FreedomFest, tackling one of philosophy's oldest and most contested questions. McDowell opens by arguing that consciousness, the origin of the universe, and the fine-tuning of physical constants all point beyond a purely naturalistic explanation. He lays out his case for an intelligent agent behind the universe and challenges Shermer to explain where a materialist worldview accounts for these same phenomena. Shermer pushes back point by point, arguing that the mind is simply what the brain does, questioning claims around near-death experiences and terminal lucidity, and pressing McDowell on how a creator could implant consciousness in the first place. The two also spar over free will, the Big Bang as a possible beginning, and how someone could ever adjudicate between competing religious claims. Watch until the end to hear Shermer put a number on exactly how confident he is that God doesn't exist, and to hear McDowell make his closing case for the resurrection of Jesus as a historically testable claim. CHAPTERS 00:00:00 – Cold Open: Does God Exist? 00:00:26 – Setting the Prompt at FreedomFest 00:00:36 – McDowell's Opening: Consciousness and Fine-Tuning 00:02:19 – Shermer's Response: The Case Against 00:05:38 – The Mind-Brain Problem 00:13:15 – Near-Death Experiences and Terminal Lucidity 00:17:47 – Dualism: Is the Mind More Than the Brain? 00:20:37 – Could God Implant Consciousness? 00:27:52 – The Big Bang and Inflation 00:30:39 – Free Will and Determinism 00:40:06 – Fine-Tuning and Multiple Gods 00:44:18 – Shermer's Confidence Number 00:45:37 – The Resurrection as a Hi…","meta_description":"Does God exist, and can either side actually prove it? In this episode of Digital Social Hour, skeptic Michael Shermer and Christian apologist Dr. Sean Mc…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":2872,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/digital-social-hour-6161133/episodes/michael-shermer-vs-sean-mcdowell-on-does-god-exist-dsh-2117/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/digital-social-hour-6161133/michael-shermer-vs-sean-mcdowell-on-does-god-exist-dsh-2117.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}