Not Everyone Believes, Ross Douthat

This podcast examines, page by page, the ideas proposed by Christian writer Ross Douthat in his book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious.

In his book, Ross Douthat claims that religious belief in general, and Christian belief specifically, is the rational choice. Do his arguments hold up to scrutiny?

Why make this podcast? Well, not everyone believes. We want to know why Ross Douthat thinks that’s so terrible, and why he’s using his power as a member of the media elite to try to get everybody in America to believe the same thing.

Clifford Cook 10/20/26 Clifford Cook 10/20/26

Sloppy Writing Isn’t Rational, Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat’s book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious is full of factual errors and dishonest partial quotes that break trust with intelligent readers. Ross Douthat couldn’t even get the year of his favorite Catholic miracle right, and didn’t do research into a well-known electrical problem that provides a rational, materialist explanation for smoking bicycle lights.

Clifford Cook 10/18/26 Clifford Cook 10/18/26

Repaired Radios That Play Music Are Not Proof Of God, Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat and Michael Shermer alike are completely unable to provide any reason to believe that dead people can turn on radios to communicate with living people. Douthat once again cannot justify his belief in religion.

Clifford Cook 10/5/26 Clifford Cook 10/5/26

You Can’t Blame Atheists For A Christian Disaster, Ross Douthat

Ross Douthat claims that loss of Christianity has ruined American society even as the USA remains majority Christian and the American government is exclusively controlled by Christian Nationalists.

Clifford Cook 9/29/26 Clifford Cook 9/29/26

Can Reason Ever Begin In Fear?

Ross Douthat, in the book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, claims that he will make a rational argument, but even in the acknowledgements, he tells his readers that they should BEGIN by being afraid of the Christian god, motivated by religion first, not by reason.

Clifford Cook 9/28/26 Clifford Cook 9/28/26

Should You Believe Ross Douthat?

Ross Douthat says that Everyone Should Be Religious, but not everyone believes, Ross Douthat. This podcast examines Douthat’s dubious book line by line.