(November 14, 2025 at 2:12 pm)emjay Wrote: This may be the wrong thread for this, but what does anyone think of the 'atheist' YouTuber Alex O Connor? Seems like a total sellout to me, or a wannabe, or both. In one of his latest videos he claims in it's title "Christianity is more plausible than I thought", but the content of the video just came across to me as wishful thinking on his part, rather than any real argument for it.

(November 15, 2025 at 12:26 pm)Mr Greene Wrote:

(November 14, 2025 at 2:12 pm)emjay Wrote: This may be the wrong thread for this, but what does anyone think of the 'atheist' YouTuber Alex O Connor? Seems like a total sellout to me, or a wannabe, or both. In one of his latest videos he claims in it's title "Christianity is more plausible than I thought", but the content of the video just came across to me as wishful thinking on his part, rather than any real argument for it.

Can't say I've heard of them, but in what sence would this individual (or any of us) be considered a 'sellout'? It isn't like we've declared loyalty to 'Atheism' or anything?

(November 15, 2025 at 1:06 pm)emjay Wrote:

(November 15, 2025 at 12:26 pm)Mr Greene Wrote: Can't say I've heard of them, but in what sence would this individual (or any of us) be considered a 'sellout'? It isn't like we've declared loyalty to 'Atheism' or anything?

I just personally think his bias towards Christianity has become very clear lately, and that really put me off watching any more of his videos. Granted I didn't watch that much of him in the past either, but I knew he was a reliable atheist channel, that made some good arguments... but I just don't trust the neutrality of it any more.

(November 15, 2025 at 1:17 pm)Mr Greene Wrote:

(November 15, 2025 at 1:06 pm)emjay Wrote: I just personally think his bias towards Christianity has become very clear lately, and that really put me off watching any more of his videos. Granted I didn't watch that much of him in the past either, but I knew he was a reliable atheist channel, that made some good arguments... but I just don't trust the neutrality of it any more.

Presumably it's just a reflection of where their personal beliefs are now. We're all free to believe or not believe what we do or don't.
A youtuber isn't going to decide whether I view monotheism as something to believe or as a pile of lies, scams, frauds or other forms of deception.

Quote:Self-styled miracle worker whose followers claimed could multiply gnocchi charged with fraud

For years, faithful Catholic pilgrims flocked to a field outside Rome, belonging to Gisella Cardia – born Maria Giuseppa Scarpulla – and her husband Gianni Cardia, to pray in front of the statue of the Madonna of Trevignano. The statue was said to weep blood and transmit messages Gisella Cardia claimed were both from God and Satan, according to court documents.

The couple also collected nearly €400,000 ($465,000) between 2018 and 2024 from those who came to pray in front of the statue, promising that the money would go to children’s hospital, the prosecutor’s office in Civitavecchia, which has charged them with fraud, confirmed to CNN Thursday.

The prosecutor’s office has alleged that the money was used to spruce up the pilgrimage site and for a $40,000 car, and was not taxed in accordance with religious donations.

The couple, who will face trial in April, are accused of staging “apparitions” to make it seem that blood was flowing from the Madonna statue’s eyes for money.

Police launched an investigation, testing the blood which turned out to match Gisella Cardia’s DNA, geneticist Emiliano Giardina of the public prosecutor’s office in Civitavecchia said in a court report.

One woman told a local news channel in an interview later broadcast by RAI that she witnessed Gisella Cardia multiplying pizza.

“We were at her house for a rosary, and there were about 20 or 25 of us. After the rosary, we decided to stay there for a while to talk. At one point, someone brought a box of pizza. A person near us cut it and each of us went over there and took a little piece at a time… We all ate it. The pizza was never ending and this is all the work of Divine Providence through Gisella,” the woman said.

Gisella Cardia herself also recounted a similar instance in an interview with La Repubblica newspaper when allegations of into fraud first surfaced in 2023.

“There was lunch left over, consisting of gnocchi and a bit of rabbit,” she said. “Everyone ate the gnocchi and rabbit, 15 people, and it’s incredible. While I was dishing out the gnocchi, the food didn’t get any smaller, nor did the pot.”

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/11/13/europ...-intl-scli

(November 15, 2025 at 1:38 pm)emjay Wrote:

(November 15, 2025 at 1:17 pm)Mr Greene Wrote: Presumably it's just a reflection of where their personal beliefs are now. We're all free to believe or not believe what we do or don't.
A youtuber isn't going to decide whether I view monotheism as something to believe or as a pile of lies, scams, frauds or other forms of deception.

Maybe. If it's just honesty, great. But I personally don't trust his channel in the slightest any more.

(November 15, 2025 at 3:02 pm)Mr Greene Wrote:

(November 15, 2025 at 1:38 pm)emjay Wrote: Maybe. If it's just honesty, great. But I personally don't trust his channel in the slightest any more.

Given the frequency such turn out to be liars, frauds, scammers etc. probably wise.