menu Home chevron_right
PHILOSOPHY

Christian Debaters and Atheist Discuss Bible Slavery, Women, and the Unforgivable Sin

Alex O'Connor | December 25, 2025



Get all sides of every story and be better informed at https://ground.news/AlexOC – subscribe for 50% off unlimited access during the holiday season.

For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack: https://www.alexoconnor.com

To donate to my PayPal (thank you): http://www.paypal.me/cosmicskeptic

– VIDEO NOTES

Cliffe and Stuart Knechtle run the extremely popular online Christian ministry @givemeananswer. In this episode they discuss troubling passages in the Old Testament, New Testament sexism, Job, doubting Thomas, the unforgivable sin (blaspheming the Holy Spirit), and more.

– TIMESTAMPS

00:00 Christianity’s Primary Message
03:28 Is Lack of Religion Causing the Meaning Crisis?
17:00 The Book of Job
23:37 Doubting Thomas
34:09 Slavery in the Old Testament
47:58 The Treatment of Women in the New Testament
59:00 Who Wrote Paul’s Letters?
1:12:30 Do You See God’s Grace or Anger in the Old Testament?
1:21:20 Genocide in the Old Testament
1:41:24 What if You Were a Canaanite?
1:48:17 The Value of Human Life
1:57:03 Is Christian Forgiveness Immoral?
2:07:17 Can God Forgive on Our Behalf?
2:12:39 Does Repentance End at Death?
2:23:32 The Only Unforgivable Sin: Blaspheming the Holy Spirit
2:38:02 What Troubles Cliffe Most About Christianity?

– CONNECT

My Website: https://www.alexoconnor.com

SOCIAL LINKS:

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/cosmicskeptic
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cosmicskeptic
Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/cosmicskeptic
TikTok: @CosmicSkeptic

The Within Reason Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/within-reason/id1458675168

– CONTACT

Business email: contact@alexoconnor.com

——————————————

Tagged as , , , , , , , , , , .

Written by Alex O'Connor

Comments

This post currently has 44 comments.

  2. @willtuckey3424

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    To those saying how lovely the debate is, Alex O’Connor is always like this. The fact that the Cliffes are being polite because they are against someone they can’t bully, like usual, is no compliment.

  5. @monkeytime9851

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    On Job, I always though it odd that God gives him a new wife, new kids, etc… as if they are interchangeable with the ones God took away. He couldn't have just brought them back to life?

  7. @Warriorking.1963

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Alex O'Connor is the only atheist I can think of, that I have some respect for. He always comes across as someone who genuinely seeks answers and is willing to listen to people who don't share his opinion. Dillahunty could learn a great deal from him.

    I believe that if he keeps looking, one day Our Lord will present him with the proff he needs that will convince him the message found in the Gospels, is true and he'll turn to Jesus.

  8. @VargasElMusico

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    We often misunderstand the ‘unforgivable sin’ in Luke 12:10. Contextually, blaspheming the Spirit isn’t a slip of the tongue; it’s a deliberate misrepresentation of God’s character. When the Pharisees called Jesus’ healing 'demonic,' they were labeling Light as Darkness to protect their power.

    We see this same sin today when people use the name of Jesus to justify cruelty. If you advocate for harming the poor or stripping assistance from the sick in the name of Christ, you are committing a 'linguistic slander' against the Holy Spirit, the very Spirit Jesus said was sent to 'bring good news to the poor.'

    Furthermore, if we claim that the genuine goodness of a Buddhist or an outsider is 'evil' or 'worthless' because it's outside our tribe, we are turning a blind eye to the literal work of God. To call the 'fruit of the Spirit' (love, peace, kindness) 'evil' just because of the person's label is the ultimate hardening of the heart. It is the sin of claiming God is only as big as our own prejudices.

  13. @smalltown2223

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Idiots. Believing in essentially a comic book is tantamount to never having grown up. These two should be transported to Edwardian England and made to work in a ditch over flowing with infected silage until pustules totally populate their epidermis. Then and only shall they be strapped to giant spike and left.

  14. @atrueself

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    I find people like these two men disturbing. They remind me of abusers that blame the victims. "Their" interpretations are so convenient and….evil.

  17. @Szadols

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    These guys are so stuck up, alex is giving them the least controvertial wersions of his arguemtn and they wont budge a notch, just switch a topic

  18. @isaacmarch2730

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    @14:00 I'm really struggling to listen to this guy and take his opinion seriously. In his mind an atheist wouldn't comfort a child? You believe in a suffering God that made a cure to all sickness and misery but only in the afterlife and that somehow makes it okay that your same God made a child be born with am affliction that wouldn't let him survive past birth??? Huh?
    Seriously, if anyone Christian or otherwise can please make sense of this mindset please explain.

    Edit: for spelling.

  26. @Popgirllilykitty

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    I think the Paul scripture talking about women asking for their husband's permission and to stay silent is also setting a precaution for women would use their education and speech for authority or independence and also the permission from husband's could also indicate that whether the couple wants both to focus on career or family as I believe if a woman is studying then she has no time or energy to look after children which is why it's important the husband has a say in this

  27. @Popgirllilykitty

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Around 40 minutes in when he talks about why the slave husband can't take his wife AND kids makes me think about how slavery became a thing, they were poor people that became servants and people leftover from their destroyed lands so when god promotes this he might be implying that the slave has no where to go and especially not enough money to look after the kids, so the best interest that god might see best for the husband slave is to instead have the kids be raised with a proper home from their slave owner then on the streets

  32. @howtoobeygod4384

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Oh foolish atheists, who made that first star? Did it decide to appear by itself? Does it have a brain, mind, or heart to make such a decision? Does it have flesh to clothe humans with? Did it know about sexual pleasure for humans?
    How can something with no thought create beings with thought? How can the mindless create the mindful?

    Gravity is a law. Who made it? Does it have a mind to decide to be a law?

    Is it logical to think no one made the universe? I find that extremely disturbing. Look at our world we see that nothing makes itself. Why can't we recognize this spiritual truth: someone made the universe. Those elements that existed in the beginning didn't decide to exist themselves. Tell me they have minds to make decisions. I dare you.

    How can you claim to be smart while exposing your utter ignorance? When you state there's no God, you're claiming a house made itself. You're saying a child created itself. It's dizzying.

  34. @daneworwood2131

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Latter Day Saints watch this and appreciate Alex’s genuine thoughtful questions. It’s exciting because we have the answers. For example on the question of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. It’s the willful, complete, and persistent rejection of the Holy Spirit's witness of Jesus Christ after gaining a sure, personal knowledge of Him. That sure witness is beyond what creedal Christian’s would consider being saved. It’s having seen the face of God and no longer needing faith.

  37. @missbugs6539

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    The Buddha didn’t teach that suffering is an illusion. In the First Noble Truth he explicitly affirms that dukkha exists. What he said is that suffering is conditioned, it arises from impermanence and clinging, and that there is no permanent self who “owns” it. The story we tell about suffering is mistaken, not the experience itself.

  39. @DragonGuardian18

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    Although it is perfectly fine to use the tools of man to find God (and would be the intention of a just God in our creation), it is not the only tool in town. Secularists love to use tools of philosophy, and science to confound the basic truths of faith. But we know that faith itself is not simply proven by reason and tools. Faith exists for the good of faith‘s sake, and we know that without it, we are doomed to self self-destruction. Which means that silly human beings need to put down our tools sometimes in order to find faith reasonable and rewarding. Simply admitting that we are not God and that no amount of knowledge can get us there is a statement of faith so profound that it sets things right in the world. So in essence, the point of faith is not to prove it, but to admit its value to us, live it and enjoy its outcomes. This is a great example of a brilliant man trying to find faith with philosophy and two brethren, trying to show the man that is philosophy, can’t find it.
    A great discussion.

  40. @taylorallred

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    O'Conner at 19:00–22:00, God doesn't condemn Job for the questions but for the answers. He's not saying your questions are wrong, but rather your answers are wrong. And the love of God is shown in Job 39 when he points out the fragility of life that he has created. That and the Book of Job has +300 questions throughout it – the author clearly thought questions were useful, but that the only acceptable answer was God himself. The nature of some questions is that the answer comes in a whirlwind … it's difficult, the answer, but for the author of Job, it's as if "Don't worry, I AM in the whirlwind as well."

  41. @taylorallred

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    3 points about "ha satan" The Accuser:

    The author of the book of Job does an interesting thing , in the first chapter, when God asked the accuser where he's been and if he is aware of Job. He's showing us the Quality of the accuser – he's not novice.

    On two occasions he walks into the throne of God, and is not banished by the angel standing guard of God's kingdom or throne or by His presence.

    He allows the "sons of God" to watch the dialogue between them, as if it's part of their education.

    In a just court neither the accuser nor defendant is good or bad, but rather, both are required for justice, and the lack of one would lead to injustice. For a religion, Judaism, that is religiously based in The Law, The Divine Law, this court scene is no side-effect.

    Notice that along with 2 other facts 1) Job blames God, not the accuser for his suffering and 2) God shows up unapologetically and doesn't not deny who caused the suffering.

    Conclusion: The accuser is a just part of the justice of God. This is also shown during the dialogue between Job and his friends, all the while debating back and forth (the most unread section of Job haha), this is part of the spiritual process is the logical and rational debate with fellow Thous. And isn't this the proper way to Govern, to have opposition to one's own thoughts, not that God needs it, but he's showing us the proper way. Which dictator in the 20th century would have been better off having an "ha satan" to debate the other side and say, "what if you're wrong." Each of us is better off having a "ha satan" to accuse our own bad ideas (not that God has any bad ideas, but we do), but this is part of the divine justice and divine approach to truth that we need to have this opposing counsel as we approach God. If you think that I am wrong in this then you are being the "ha satan", the accusor, to my bad idea and thus agreeing with the philosophy of being able to debate and accuse of being wrong! Too many wrongly assume this "ha satan" THE accuser is the same as "Satan" in the new testament – this is a homonym only and assumes more from the book than what is written and was written at the time of it's authoring.

    But Job is unique in that his speech contains many prayers and supplications to God. Maimonides speaks of this combination of rationalism and prophesy that are useful together in our approach to understanding God.

    And no preacher can dispute this as every single one has provided their own commentary on "the proper meaning of this and that verse or section of scripture" and NONE have only read purely from the book as sufficient for their discourse.

    But, note, this conclusion isn't THE point of the book of Job for perhaps there are 10,000s to draw from.

  42. @Tovutaki

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    The only way we can really argue on the truth of Christianity is trying to understand the type of magic that Jesus did. And what type of life did ancient practitioners of this magic live? We have to compare ALL of that to how Jesus lived. His goal was to be a worker of the light, a global messiah, wandering the world as a teacher. This does not mean what he believed is what you should believe, but to believe in him is to keep his god alive. He’s telling you the mechanism of worship and why the old gods died out, because the Church replaced native cultures with monotheism! In a terrifying way Jesus’s God holds truth forever, in the same way that the Old Gods can’t ever be truly removed from our cultural memory, and all still hold truth to this day!

  43. @Tovutaki

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    I believe that Jesus Christ was our Lord and Savior, the Most High God! But first he was a human. This is so essential. He lived and suffered a human life. When he healed people, it was almost always misunderstood by the church that wrote the Bible after his death. He would not transmit energy directly, and he is not the creator of the universe, he was a wounded man who learned to command energy, not transmit it, and to heal people using his commanding voice and impossible will of his heart! I’d like to explain:🙏❤️‍🩹

    My father is a spirit worker and alchemist. He reminds me of Jesus—he showed me the madness in magical thinking, but also the raw truth in trauma-work & psychic healing. His genius could see into anybody’s abyss through mystical faith in himself. It’s always a poetic coincidence when his ‘magic’ worked, and he did not clearly transmit energy when he would do healings, he would ‘command it’ in the room. I had a DMT trip while my father was painting and witnessed his body was covered in light, which shimmered luminously on the canvases all over the room. He had his back turned, but the energy itself seemed to be possessing him before it looked at me and overwhelmed me, and I didn’t end up ‘blasting off’ into the DMT space, the energy in the room was strong enough for visuals.

    I believe Jesus Christ had a similarly powerful presence, was probably narcissistic, probably loud, and most likely abused by his family and by the world. 🕊️🐑

    This is the only way somebody becomes so powerfully commanding over the light. One must see the darkest depths of the human psyche that both my Father and Jesus would have had to go through. Maybe he died as a human, but he rose again as a God! And maybe this physical death was on the cross, but his spiritual death was the baptism when God covered him! I spoke to my father recently and he’s converted to being a follower of Jesus Christ, and it seems to have covered him, and also made him humble in his age. It’s a miracle to see a man like that change in God’s grace!

  44. @ExileOT

    December 25, 2025 at 1:21 pm

    The old guy reminds me of Joe Biden. All he's missing is "C'mon man" after everything he replied with. Why did they not answer the questions directly? We need a sharp young Christian to come show the world what's up but so far none of these guys are sharp like a lawyer.

Comments are closed.

Related
What Is Nostalgia & Why Is It So Important?
Pursuit of Wonder | April 17, 2026
Related
Steven Pinker on Language | Big Think
Big Think | April 17, 2026
Related
4 Ways of Thinking About Abstract Objects – Philosophy Tube
Philosophy Tube | April 17, 2026

This area can contain widgets, menus, shortcodes and custom content. You can manage it from the Customizer, in the Second layer section.

 

 

 

Go to album
  • play_circle_filled

    92.9 : The Torch

  • play_circle_filled

    AGGRO
    'Til Deaf Do Us Part...

  • play_circle_filled

    SLACK!
    The Music That Made Gen-X

  • play_circle_filled

    KUDZU
    The Northwoods' Alt-Country & Americana

  • play_circle_filled

    BOOZHOO
    Indigenous Radio

  • play_circle_filled

    THE FLOW
    The Northwoods' Hip Hop and R&B

play_arrow skip_previous skip_next volume_down
playlist_play