Is there a ghost in my house? Is there a ghost in any house? What are ghosts? On this show we have a ghosthunter turned skeptic as our very own Todd Torkelson explains the answers to these questions and more. Todd spent his teens and early twenties renting "haunted" hotel rooms, leading ghost tours and investigating the paranormal in his hometown of Albuquerqe, New Mexico. Somewhere, he took a left turn and turned skeptical of the paranormal. He became skeptical of many things and is now an active member fo the Minneapolis Skeptics, the Humanists of Minnesota and the Minnesota Atheists.
Todd is a speaker on the subject of skepticism; he explains how it works and how to approach claims critically. We want to know whether or not atheists are all good skeptics and whether or not all skeptics are atheists. Please listen to learn what we say is the truth.
"Atheists Talk" is produced by The Minnesota Atheists. August Berkshire is the director and Mike Haubrich
is the host for today's show.
Links for you on Skepticism:
Links on Ghosthunting and the Parahormal
Ghosthunters (SyFy Channel Show)
Haunted Houses
The Parapsychology Foundation
John Funk Interview for Halloween, 2008, "Ghosts of Minnesota"
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By James Zimmerman
 In novels, plays, and motion pictures, it’s always the same. From Star Wars to the Matrix, Lord of the Rings to Battlestar Galactica to Harry Potter and even Julius Caesar, there’s a prophecy, and the characters have been holding to it for many years, generations even. The problem is, the prophecy is so vague, no one can agree on its meaning. Even when the prophecy’s fulfillment is readily apparent to some of the characters, others balk. In the rare cases there’s a general consensus regarding the prophecy’s fulfillment, it’s only post-fulfillment that such agreement arises, thereby rendering the prophecy sterile.
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By Eric Jayne
 Looking for a cult-like experience without the dangerous mind control, cyanide laced Kool-Aid,* and pungent commune? Allow me to introduce you to Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros. Besides my childhood experience at Bible camp, their June 6 performance at First Ave. in Minneapolis was the closest I have come to encountering a cult experience.
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By Grant Steves
 Leadership: From the Inside Out, Kevin Cashman.
© 2008, 215 pages.
Perhaps the pastoral setting of Minnesota inspired Kevin Cashman to reflect on what makes a leader. His own experience has grounded him in the practical aspects of leadership. What he discovered in his reflection on leadership was that it comes from the inside. As Socrates said, “know yourself.” His conclusion is that you must first know who you are before you can lead.
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Lucy, Ardi, Frodo, and us: what old bones and new genetics are revealing today .
Who
are these people and can we call them family? Listen to Greg Laden and
Lynn Fellman discuss how recent fossil and tool discoveries are changing
the shape of our family tree.
A
report earlier this week showed evidence for stone tool use at 3.39
million years ago — much earlier than previously thought.
In
addition to ancient bones and tools, genetics is filling some of the
pre-historic knowledge gaps. For instance, genetic material from 40,000
year old bones show that some of us are one to four percent
Neanderthal.
As
a biological anthropologist, Greg Laden has insight into how the recent
finds are challenging intrenched ideas. He'll talk about what new
trends are changing our understanding of human evolution. Taking us
through past and recent discoveries, Greg's engaging way of thinking
critically about the mixing of bones and genes reveal a remarkable and
controversial family story.
Lynn
Fellman is a member of Minnesota Atheists and an independent artist
inspired by evolution and genetics. You can see her work on display at
UROC now through December. Commissioned by the University of Minnesota,
the exhibit are DNA portraits of Native American, African American, Laos
and others from the Northside community. See the art online at:
http://www.fellmanstudio.com/
http://www.deepancestryportrait.com/
The Human Family (Graphic)
Further Reading:
Fossil Skull Fingered as Ape-Monkey Ancestor
Australopithecus sediba
Ancient Foot Bone May Change Filipino History
Greg Laden:
Why The Hobbits of Flores Were Probably not Broken People
The Hobbits of Flores Were Members of a Separate Species
Discovering Ardi
Science Blogs
Quiche Moraine
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By George Kane
 I have for many years held that it is more important to listen to media commentators who are direct ideological opponents than those with whom I am likely to agree. To that end I try to arrange my weekday schedule so that I am in my car driving off to a restaurant for lunch during the half hour following 11:00. That way I can listen on KKMS 980 to Jay Sekulow Live, a production of Pat Robertson’s American Center for Law and Justice. It is the best opportunity that I’ve found to stay up-to-the minute on events related to the separation of church and state. I’m sure that it is not good for my blood pressure, as the purpose of the program is for Jay Sekulow and his son Jordan to roil the passions of their conservative Christian audience against strict separationists. It doesn’t matter if I only catch 5 minutes of the program, as that is all that it takes to understand the events covered that day. The program is little more than two minutes of news followed by a succession of callers venting about it.
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Conversion is the process through which a person's orientation on reliigion changes. How do people turn from and to new religious groups, ways of life, systems of belief and modes of relating to a deity or a the nature of reality. Dr. Grant Steves will be with me in the studio to discuss faith, conversion and deconversion with a dollop of religious indoctrination.
Dr. Grant Steves is a member of the Minnesota Atheists. He has a doctorate in Theology, and is an atheist. Mike Haubrich is a director on the board of the Minnesota Atheists, a former Catholic and deconverted evangelical Christian.
For more informaton on deconversion:
"Atheists Talk" is produced by The Minnesota Atheists. August Berkshire is the director and Mike Haubrich
is the host for today's show.
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By August Berkshire
 This year, 41 people took part in our annual participation in the Twin Cities Gay Pride Booth and Parade. We would especially like to thank Matthew Richardson for coordinating the booth volunteers; Steve Petersen, Shirley Moll, Rachel Wilson, and August Berkshire for setting up and tearing down the booth; and Richard Trombley for his photography.
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By Steve Petersen
 "Summer Reading Suggestions"
For the first June show, host James Zimmerman interviewed MNA member Ryan Sutter on ideas for what to read while on vacation this summer. Ryan suggested an eclectic range of texts, including God, by Alexander Waugh, which consists of hundreds of vignettes on humans' depiction and beliefs in supernatural beings; and the Godhead Trilogy, by James Morrow. Morrow's work is a fictitious tale that asks the "big questions" set against a curious story. For those who don't have that much time this summer, Ryan recommended a 19th-century essay authored by William Clifford titled "The Ethics of Belief." Ryan claimed this essay was notable both for being ahead of its time and for its ability to cause even the modern reader to rethink their view of the world. Though out of print, Ryan pointed out that the essay is available online at sites including Infidels.org .
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Lee Strobel wrote his book The Case for Christ, masquerading as a skeptic, back in 1998, Strobel talked to theologians and biblical scholars to come to the conclusion there is sufficent extra-biblical support for the existence of Jesus Christ Robert M. Price read the book and found the evidence to be shy of convincing. He found the reasoning weak, the facts sketchy and a great deal to counter Rev. Strobel's conclusions.
Price wrote a chapter by chapter refutation, The Case Against the Case for Christ, and is going to discuss the book.
"Atheists Talk" is produced by The Minnesota Atheists. August Berkshire is the director and Mike Haubrich
is the host for today's show.
Weblinks for the show:
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