Answering 7 Arguments For Atheism | Joe Schmid | Last Call Ep. 30
September 3, 2026
AI Summary
5 min readJoe Schmid, a former atheist YouTuber who converted to Catholicism, fields eight common arguments against God's existence in a lightning-round format. Rather than dismissing the objections, he meets them with philosophical rigor, arguing that theism—and Catholicism in particular—offers the best explanation for the world as we actually find it.
The Problem of Evil and Divine Hiddenness
Schmid begins with the most powerful objection: if God is all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing, why does pointless suffering exist? He distinguishes between the logical version of the problem (which he says philosophers no longer take seriously) and the evidential version. For the logical version, he notes that a perfectly good parent can allow a child to suffer for a greater good, like inoculation—so there is no strict contradiction between God and evil. For the evidential version, he offers two responses. First, God has an infinite intellect; we should not be surprised if we cannot see the reasons behind particular evils. Second, suffering enables profound goods: forgiveness requires wrongdoing, courage requires danger, and virtue requires hardship. These goods may reap infinite benefits in an eternal relationship with God.
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What you'll learn
- 1 (02:00) **Introducing Joe Schmid and the Lightning Round Format** - Matt introduces Joe Schmid, a former atheist/agnostic YouTuber who converted to Catholicism, and explains the format: seven atheist arguments in a lightning round.
- 2 (02:47) **The Problem of Evil** - The first and most famous argument: if God is all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing, why does pointless suffering exist?
- 3 (06:21) **The Problem of Divine Hiddenness** - Why do sincere, open-minded people fail to believe in God if He wants a relationship with everyone?
- 4 (09:05) **The Success of Naturalism** - Science has explained phenomena once attributed to God, reducing the need for a divine explanation.
- 5 (11:04) **The Argument from Religious Diversity** - Thousands of contradictory religions suggest belief is cultural, not from divine revelation.
- 6 (14:39) **The Incoherence of Divine Attributes** - Traditional attributes like omnipotence, omniscience, timelessness, and human freedom cannot all be true.
- 7 (18:54) **The Argument from Parsimony / Occam's Razor** - If the universe can be explained without God, adding God is an unnecessary entity.
+ Full timestamped outline available in the app
Show Notes
It’s Last Call! Joe Schmid returns to the show as a CATHOLIC arguing for the winning team this time.
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Pints: Last Call Ep. 30
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📚Resources:
Joe's Conversion Vid Part 1: https://youtu.be/erpKBoPQxN0?is=Gf47NrHPrKsKP-aY
Joe's Conversion Vid Part 2: https://youtu.be/Lk2W9mKTzIQ?is=ce1zw0VVSHapKiK-
Majesty of Reason: https://www.youtube.com/@MajestyofReason
Ethan Muse on Pints With Aquinas: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tp1ivUSSz2s&t=3783s
The Marian Apparitions: An Evidential Inquiry: https://a.co/d/0cDR6xTP
The Catholic Guide to Miracles: https://a.co/d/0d10PWcW
Demonic Foes: https://a.co/d/00h6AW73
Theotokos Rosaries: https://dwplus.shop/TheotokosRosaries
Truthly 30 Day Free Trial: https://get.truthly.ai/TlbX/MATT30
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