Episode 40: Brian Dalton and Mr. Deity

What a great surprise this morning to find ME interview Brian Dalton. I have watched him for a few years and in one episode he was holding a LDS Quad and I wondered if was LDS at one time.

Now I get to know! Listening now.

Wow, I cannot believe that you got Mr Diety to do a podcast with you! Impressive. Loved it.

Just a few of the “Mr. D” references that are now part of my psyche because of this incredibly witty series:

“Wait for Lou” (from the brilliant first episode)

“Do we not lay out?” (Mr. D, referring to the absurdity of cursing by darkening skins)

“That’s not funny Sir!” (Larry, after the tumble in the dark from the clap-off firmament)

“We call it the hokey pokey” (Lucy, on the punishment for adulterers)

“Is she broken?” (Larry, referring to Eve)

And the forever classic, “It must be that time of the millenium.” (Mr. D, after a frustrating conversation with Lucifer)

As you can tell, I’m a big fan. Thanks John for inviting Brian on the podcast and thanks Brian for your insights into post-mormonism. Please, keep the episodes coming.

I loved, loved, loved this! And how funny that “Brother Dalton” had been promised he would be a General Authority one day. Well, who needs to be a GA when you can be a Deity!?!?

Good podcast. Thanks for the work, John.

Mr. Deity is awesome!!!! Thanks for introducing us to Brian Dalton and his show. I’ve been on a binge of MR. DEITY and WORDS ever since the interview. Thanks guys!!!

I been a Mr. Deity fan for a few years now— so I appreciate the chance to get to hear Brian share his story. Like Richard I saw him holding an LDS quad in an episode and wondered if he was LDS at one point or had just picked up the scriptures at the Goodwill store.

One of my favorite episodes is the one about the Bible. They refer to the Mormon book in it and the silly curse of dark skin. Too funny.

great podcast!!! I have been a fan of Mr. Deity from the beginning.

It was wonderful to hear Brian share his story. I was totally unaware that he was a “Formon,” as he called himself. The Mr. Deity episodes are hilarious and thought provoking at the same time. Thanks, guys, for getting him on the podcast!

How have I gone this long withut discovering Mr. Deity? Down syndrome… yeah, keep it. Hilarious. Thanks John.

Brian commented that the danger of religion is when people take it too seriously: that’s when you get violence. In my opinion, Dawkins and Hitchens aren’t the answer, because they *still* take religion too seriously. They also take *secularism* too seriously.

The value of Mr. Deity is that it gets people to laugh about religion. Even if these people are ultimately remaining religious, they are already taking it less seriously as a result of Brian’s good-natured sense of humor. That defuses the danger.

Actually, I think we could ALL benefit from learning to laugh at ourselves, whether we’re religious or not!

NightAvatar, I think you’ve misunderstood me. I mention Dawkins and Hitchens only because they are examples of a particular atheist rhetorical strategy: one that tends to be fairly negative and extreme. Dalton represents a different, more positive atheist rhetorical strategy: one that emphasizes fun and humor. I am merely suggesting that the latter strategy is probably more productive than the former.

Interesting episode! I’d never heard of this guy’s work before.

But did I hear correctly when he said, I think, that the first atheist book that really impressed him with its arguments was The Atheist Debater’s Handbook? I mean, seriously?