Atheistville with Mike Smithgall

Atheistville Media

Hosted by Mike Smithgall, Atheistville explores atheism, deconversion, and secular life through open, respectful conversation. The channel features two signature shows: Mike Drop – weekly commentary on religion, politics, and culture from a reasoned, secular perspective. Breakfast with a Heathen – a relaxed Sunday Q&A that tackles listener and Reddit questions about belief, honesty, and living without faith. Together, they create a space for candid dialogue about leaving belief behind, thinking for yourself, and building a meaningful life grounded in evidence, empathy, and ethics rather than dogma.  Podcast Creator Bio: Mike Smithgall Mike Smithgall is the creator and host of Atheistville, a podcast and YouTube series exploring atheism, deconversion, and secular life through real conversation instead of confrontation. Drawing on his background as a financial professional and lifelong skeptic, Mike focuses on how people think, what leads them to question faith, and how they rebuild meaning without religion. He interviews former believers, secular thinkers, and progressive voices to highlight shared values of empathy, critical thinking, and human connection. His mission is simple: belief should be personal, not political, and every story deserves to be heard. Follow his work on YouTube (@Atheistville) or at Atheistville.com. 

  1. Tithing Pressure, “Christian Love” Toward LGBTQ People, and Why God Stays Silent

    FEB 15

    Tithing Pressure, “Christian Love” Toward LGBTQ People, and Why God Stays Silent

    This episode tackles a set of questions that sit at the intersection of money, family pressure, identity, and belief. We start with the ethics and power dynamics of tithing, especially when a young person has limited control over their own income and faces pressure from a prosperity-gospel megachurch. We also address what “love” looks like when religion treats LGBTQ people as a problem to be fixed, and why that framing causes real harm even when someone claims good intentions. From there, we shift into the evidence questions. Why did miracles and divine “activity” appear concentrated in ancient stories but seem absent now? Why do intelligent people still believe, even while applying strong critical thinking in other areas? We also explore the logic of heaven only being available after death, and the credibility problem created by a resurrection story followed by a quick exit instead of public, sustained verification. The thread running through all of it is the same, what do these beliefs demand from people, and what level of evidence should match those demands. 💬 Viewer Question If a belief system asks you for obedience, money, or life-changing sacrifices, what level of evidence do you think it owes you?  📑 Relevant Topics or Chapter Headings   Tithing Under Family Control  Prosperity Gospel and Financial Pressure  When “Love” Treats LGBTQ People as a Project  Why Divine Activity Looks Like It Stopped  Evidence, Verification, and Public Miracles  Why Smart People Still Believe  When Deconstruction Collides With Marriage  Why Heaven Only Starts After Death  Resurrection, Ascension, and the Credibility Gap  Visit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville 💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com 🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable, Breakfast With a Heathen © 2025-2026 Atheistville Media

    53 min
  2. Is Belief a Choice? Deconstruction, Doubt, and Living Without Faith (BWAH Ep 10)

    FEB 8

    Is Belief a Choice? Deconstruction, Doubt, and Living Without Faith (BWAH Ep 10)

    In this episode, the conversation centers on one core question, is belief something you choose or something you become convinced of over time? The discussion explores doubt, deconstruction, and why some people seek belief yet struggle to force it. Topics include fear-based religion, the difference between atheism and agnosticism, and how personal experience shapes conviction. The episode also looks at real human challenges, family pressure, relationships across belief lines, emotional reactions to religion, and the search for peace after leaving faith. Listeners hear reflections on evidence, anecdotal belief, and why some people feel calmer once they no longer believe. This is a thoughtful exploration of belief, identity, and intellectual honesty. 💬 Viewer Question Do you think belief is a choice, or does belief only follow when you are convinced by evidence or experience? 📑 Relevant Topics or Chapter Headings Is Belief a Choice  Wanting to Believe but Not Being Convinced  Fear of Punishment and Fear-Based Religion  Atheism vs Agnosticism Explained  Faith, Evidence, and Personal Experience  Religion and Relationships  Family Pressure and Coming Out as Nonreligious  Anger, Identity, and Deconstruction  Finding Peace After Leaving Faith Visit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville 💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com 🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable, Breakfast With a Heathen © 2025-2026 Atheistville Media

    40 min
  3. Florida’s "God Grades," The Charlie Kirk Analogy, & Black Atheism (BWAH Ep 9)

    JAN 25

    Florida’s "God Grades," The Charlie Kirk Analogy, & Black Atheism (BWAH Ep 9)

    In this episode of Breakfast with a Heathen, we break down a proposed Florida bill (SB 1006) that could force schools to pay out $25,000 if they fail a student for citing religious beliefs in academic work. Is this protecting speech, or rewarding students for ignoring assignments? I also tackle the "Historical Jesus" debate with a controversial modern analogy: looking at the deification of Charlie Kirk to understand how myths form over time. We also discuss: Black Atheism: Why leaving the church is often seen as "betraying your race" and the need for secular outreach at HBCUs.Tax The Churches: I break down the numbers from my own zip code—7 churches, $31 million in property, and $0 in taxes.Misogyny in the Pulpit: Reacting to Doug Wilson’s patriarchal theology and the idea that women shouldn't vote.Coming Out: A listener story about why coming out as gay at 13 was actually easier than coming out as an atheist.💬 Viewer Question "I used the deification of Charlie Kirk as an analogy for how the 'myth' of Jesus might have formed from a real person. Do you think modern celebrity worship is the same mechanism that created ancient religions? Let me know in the comments." 📑 Relevant Topics or Chapter Headings Intro: Brunch with a Heathen (Jan 2026)Advice to a 16-Year-Old: "Am I Wrong for Doubting?"Response to "Atheists Obsess Over God"Florida Bill: $25,000 Fines for Failing "God Answers"Responding to Carl: Is Evolution Just "Secular Dogma"?Did Jesus Exist? (The Charlie Kirk Analogy)Respecting People vs. Respecting ReligionWomen Pastors & The "No Voting" TheologyBlack Non-Believers & The Stigma at HBCUs"Taxation is Theft" Deflection vs. Church Property TaxListener Story: Coming Out Gay vs. AtheistVisit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville 💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com 🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable, Breakfast With a Heathen © 2025-2026 Atheistville Media

    1h 3m
  4. Your Taxes Are Higher Because Religion Pays Nothing

    JAN 14

    Your Taxes Are Higher Because Religion Pays Nothing

    Mike takes a drive through his hometown and counts the true cost of religious property tax exemptions. In just one ZIP code, he identifies 7 religious parcels representing $31 million in assessed value—all exempt from property tax. Drawing on data from the Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, the IRS and his local tax assessor, Mike explores how this "tax base erosion" shifts the financial burden of local services onto residents. He challenges the "charity defense," notes the lack of IRS Form 990 reporting for churches, and argues that public subsidies should require public evidence of community benefit. Links: IRS Exempt Organizations  Research Report: How Secular Humanists (and Everyone Else) Subsidize Religion in the United States Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: "Reexamining the Property Tax Exemption" Lincoln Institute of Land Policy: "Significant Features of the Property Tax"  Listener Question: Do you think churches should be required to file public financial disclosures (Form 990) just like secular charities? Visit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville 💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com 🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable, Breakfast With a Heathen © 2025-2026 Atheistville Media

    11 min
  5. "I'm Not Homophobic, It's Just God", Purity Culture, Gas Station Epiphanies, & The Judas Paradox (BWAH Ep 8)

    JAN 4

    "I'm Not Homophobic, It's Just God", Purity Culture, Gas Station Epiphanies, & The Judas Paradox (BWAH Ep 8)

    Welcome to the first broadcast of 2026. In this episode of Breakfast with a Heathen, we kick off the year by tackling the outrage over a New York mayor swearing in on a Quran and why Christian Nationalists ignore the irony when it comes to their own Bible. I share a personal story from my teenage years working at a Shell station in Jacksonville that shattered the homophobic stereotypes I was raised with, and I get open about mortality—and how an old crockpot reminded me to focus on the "dash" between birth and death. We also cover: The "No True Scotsman" Fallacy: Why saying ex-believers were "never real Christians" is a desperate defense mechanism.Toxic Family Dynamics: How to handle parents who force you to fake your faith and why "Woke" is being rebranded as "Satanic."The Judas Plot Hole: If the betrayal was necessary for salvation, did Judas ever actually have free will?💬 Viewer Question  "I discussed the 'Judas Paradox' at the end of the show: If Judas’s betrayal was required for the crucifixion and salvation to happen, was he just a puppet? Did he actually have free will? Let me know your theory in the comments."  📑 Relevant Topics or Chapter Headings 00:00 Intro: 2026, Venezuela, & Christian Nationalism03:15 The "Scary" Quran: Swearing in on Holy Books06:40 God of the Gaps: Why Geography Dictates Your Religion10:15 "Just Following Orders": The Cowardice of Religious Homophobia13:20 The Shell Station Story: Unlearning Stereotypes16:50 The "No True Scotsman" Fallacy21:30 The Crockpot Story: Coping with Death & The "Dash"27:10 In-Laws Who Force You to Fake Your Faith32:00 "Cafeteria Christians" & Cherry-Picking Scripture36:15 Purity Culture: The "Turn It Off" Light Switch42:00 Is Being "Woke" Actually Satanic?46:50 Responding to "Patterns Amazing" (The 4-Paragraph Sermon)49:30 The Judas Loophole: Predestination vs. Free Will Thank you to the following people for providing the questions: TiTok'rs Arthurmnizss Available-Page-4443 Bitter_Low_319 drphil07734 Even-Bid-2843 goobli3s Marcusmarcb0tI nanialk Objective_Nobody_734 patternsamazing  Rough_Damage8838 Visit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville 💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com 🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable, Breakfast With a Heathen © 2025-2026 Atheistville Media

    1h 8m
  6. The Wizard Was Just Loud: Pulling the Curtain on Christian Nationalism

    12/31/2025

    The Wizard Was Just Loud: Pulling the Curtain on Christian Nationalism

    The noise we heard in 2025 wasn't the sound of a giant conquering the land. It was the sound of a machine breaking down. In this episode of Mike Drop, we pull back the curtain on the Religious Right. 2025 felt like the walls were closing in—from the "Department of War" rebranding to mandatory Ten Commandments in schools. But when you look past the smoke, mirrors, and pyrotechnics, you find a movement that is terrified of its own demographics. We analyze the "Zombie Church" data that proves their pews are emptying, the desperate hypocrisy behind their "bodily autonomy" arguments, and why their authoritarianism is actually proof of their irrelevance. The Great and Powerful Oz isn't rising; he's just turning up the volume. Topics Discussed in This Episode: Why the "Department of War" rebranding is a sign of weaknessThe "Zombie Church" data explaining the decline of the Religious RightThe hypocrisy of "bodily autonomy" regarding vaccines vs. abortionPete Hegseth, Pam Bondi, and the "smoke and mirrors" of 2025 politicsSecular morality and the argument for a neutral governmentVisit us at www.Atheistville.com for more content from Mike Smithgall and the Atheistville team 📺 Subscribe on YouTube: youtube.com/@atheistville 💬 Want to be a guest or submit a question? Drop us a note at CONTACT Check us out at: https://atheistville.buzzsprout.com 🔥 New episodes weekly from Atheistville — Mike Drop with Mike Smithgall, Ask an Atheist, and The Unholy Roundtable, Breakfast With a Heathen © 2025-2026 Atheistville Media

    10 min

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About

Hosted by Mike Smithgall, Atheistville explores atheism, deconversion, and secular life through open, respectful conversation. The channel features two signature shows: Mike Drop – weekly commentary on religion, politics, and culture from a reasoned, secular perspective. Breakfast with a Heathen – a relaxed Sunday Q&A that tackles listener and Reddit questions about belief, honesty, and living without faith. Together, they create a space for candid dialogue about leaving belief behind, thinking for yourself, and building a meaningful life grounded in evidence, empathy, and ethics rather than dogma.  Podcast Creator Bio: Mike Smithgall Mike Smithgall is the creator and host of Atheistville, a podcast and YouTube series exploring atheism, deconversion, and secular life through real conversation instead of confrontation. Drawing on his background as a financial professional and lifelong skeptic, Mike focuses on how people think, what leads them to question faith, and how they rebuild meaning without religion. He interviews former believers, secular thinkers, and progressive voices to highlight shared values of empathy, critical thinking, and human connection. His mission is simple: belief should be personal, not political, and every story deserves to be heard. Follow his work on YouTube (@Atheistville) or at Atheistville.com.