eX-skeptic

• Seeing Through Atheism – Caleb Ball’s (aka Aspiring Christian) Story

  What happens when the “certainty” of atheism collides with evidence pointing to something more? Caleb Ball’s (YouTube’s Aspiring Christian Channel) story begins in small-town Pennsylvania, where childhood faith gave way to mocking Christianity and embracing naturalism. For six years, he lived as a convinced atheist, creating YouTube content ridiculing God, convinced that science had all the answers. But one book, on quantum physics and consciousness, began to dismantle his worldview, forcing him to ask deeper questions about truth, meaning, and the existence of God. Guest Bio: Caleb Ball is a former atheist turned passionate Christian communicator. Once a vocal critic of Christianity, known online as “Crazy Caleb” during his atheist YouTube years, he now uses his platform to share testimonies of skeptics who found faith in Jesus. Through his YouTube channel Aspiring Christian, he curates conversion stories and apologetics content to help others wrestle honestly with life’s biggest questions. Caleb holds a degree in history and is pursuing a Master’s in Biblical Studies at Colorado Christian University. He and his wife live in Montana, where they are active in their local church and community. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana YouTube: Aspiring Christian, https://www.youtube.com/@AspiringChristian Substack: https://substack.com/@aspiringchristian Quantum Physics, Near Death Experiences, Eternal Consciousness, Religion, and the Human Soul: William Joseph Bray: 9781478176435: Amazon.com: Books • Book: Ecclesiastes (from the Bible) • Book: A Grief Observed, C.S. Lewis • YouTube: Daily Dose of Wisdom, https://www.youtube.com/@Daily_Dose_Of_Wisdom • YouTube: Sean McDowell, https://www.youtube.com/@SeanMcDowell • Book: Seeing is Believing, Michael Guillen • Michael Guillen’s interview on eX-skeptic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UWW3JbYZSQI&t=1s • Author: John Lennox • Book: More than a Carpenter, Josh and Sean McDowell • MIT Professor: Rosalind Picard Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

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• The Long Way Back to God – Jason Holloway’s story

  Jason Holloway grew up in a small, conservative church where faith seemed simple—until his honest questions about suffering, contradictions, and the Bible met unsatisfying answers. At 18, a conversation with a trusted professor left him believing he lacked “enough faith,” prompting him to walk away from Christianity for the next 25 years. In that time, Jason explored atheism, agnosticism, Buddhism, and nearly every “ism” he could find, searching for meaning and truth. Eventually, he returned to the Bible—not just as literal text, but as boundless truth, rich with meaning, depth, and beauty. Guest Bio: Jason Holloway is a creative and strategy director in marketing and advertising, and co-host of The Boundless Bible podcast. Raised in a Christian home, Jason left the faith for over two decades., exploring philosophy, psychology, world religions, and secular worldviews in search of truth. Jason now shares his story to encourage skeptics and believers alike to ask hard questions and discover the richness of God’s Word. Resources Mentioned: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana The Boundless Bible Podcast – Hosted by Jason Holloway, David Shapiro, and Javi: https://theboundlessbible.com/ “The Hero with a Thousand Faces” by Joseph Campbell The Bible – Especially the Gospels for those exploring Christianity Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]

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• Doubting Naturalism – Dr. Michael Egnor’s story

  Dr. Michael Egnor spent decades trusting science to answer life’s deepest questions. As a neurosurgeon and professor, he believed the brain held the key to understanding everything — including who we are. But over time, he encountered things science couldn’t explain: children thriving with missing brain structures, moral truths that couldn’t be reduced to biology, and a growing sense that materialism had serious gaps. Dr. Egnor shares how philosophical honesty, scientific curiosity, and a surprising moment of divine encounter opened him to a new possibility that God not only exists, but that the Christian story offers the best explanation for the human mind, moral law, and the universe itself. Guest Bio: Michael R. Egnor, MD, is a Professor of Neurosurgery and Pediatrics at State University of New York, Stony Brook, has served as the Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery. He received his medical education at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons and is an award-winning brain surgeon. His new book, The Immortal Mind: A Neurosurgeon’s Case for the Existence of the Soul, explores the scientific and philosophical evidence for the soul, arguing that the human mind possesses faculties such as consciousness, free will, rational thought, and self-awareness that cannot be reduced to physical brain activity alone. Resources Mentioned: Check out our Sponsor: America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): https://americaschristiancu.com/jana/ Blog: https://www.discovery.org/p/egnor/ Book: The Immortal Mind: A neurosurgeon’s case for the existence of the soul (2025) “Mystery of the Mind” by Wilder Penfield “Witness” by Whittaker Chambers Works by Ed Feser on Thomistic philosophy St. Thomas Aquinas’ Five Ways Augustine’s argument from universal concepts The Principle of Sufficient Reason (Leibniz) Immanuel Kant’s argument from moral law Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected] Episode Transcript

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• The Will to Believe – Dr. Molly Worthen’s Story

  Molly Worthen is an academic, a historian of religion, a Yale-educated professor at UNC-Chapel Hill, and was an agnostic for decades. She studied Christianity, wrote about it, and even lived alongside devout believers. But belief itself? That always felt just out of reach. In this conversation, Molly shares how God gently disrupted her intellectual framework, used unexpected relationships (including Pastor J.D. Greear), and led her on a rigorous investigation of the resurrection that changed everything. Listen as she unpacks: Why she resisted religion growing up How studying Orthodoxy and evangelicalism fed her curiosity Why most scholars don’t take the resurrection seriously, and why she did How she moved from detached study to full surrender If you’re a skeptic, seeker, or a believer walking with one, this is an invitation to deeper reflection. Guest Bio: Molly Worthen is a professor of history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a freelance journalist. She received her BA and PhD from Yale University. Her research focuses on North American religious and intellectual history. Molly writes about religion, politics, and higher education for the New York Times and has also contributed to the Atlantic, the New Yorker, Slate, and other publications. Resources Mentioned: Molly’s Resources: • Website: mollyworthen.com • Book: Spellbound (2025) • Book: Apostles of Reason: The Crisis of Authority in American Evangelicalism • Book: The Man on Whom Nothing was Lost: The Grand Strategy of Charles Hill • Great Course: “History of Christianity II: From the Reformation to the Modern Megachurch,” • Course on Audible: “Charismatic Leaders Who Remade America.” Molly’s recommended resources: • Reasons for God, Tim Keller • Resurrection and the Son of God, NT Wright • Jesus and the Eyewitnesses, Richard Bauckham • Language of God, Francis Collins • Author, David Bentley Hart • A Severe Mercy, Sheldon Van Auken America’s Christian Credit Union (ACCU): AmericasChristianCU.com/Jana Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic

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• Looking for Meaning – Allison Leonhardt’s story

  Can reason, morality, and public good stand without God? Allison Leonhardt once thought so. An atheist from her teens, she was convinced religion was outdated, the Bible unreliable, and morality explainable through modern thought and politics. With The God Delusion in hand, she challenged religious teachers and built her worldview around science, social justice, and self-made meaning. But when the pandemic forced her into isolation in a foreign country, and a friend casually invited her to watch an online church service, something unexpected happened. Curiosity gave way to conviction, not through pressure or platitudes, but through Scripture that spoke directly to her experience. Guest Bio: Allison Leonhardt is a Senior Communications Advisor in the housing industry. Her career has taken her around the world as she spent several years working in finance and management in the United Kingdom. She is a sought-after Campaign Manager for all three levels of government in Canada, most recently having run a campaign in the 2025 Federal Election. She has a diploma in Public Relations from the University of Victoria. Allison has recently been announced as one of the 2025 Cardus NextGen Fellows. Resources Mentioned: Alpha Course – A safe space for exploring the basics of Christianity: https://alpha.org Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis – Introductory apologetics from a former atheist Return of the God Hypothesis, Stephen Meyer The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel – Investigative journey of a skeptical journalist John Rylands Library – Home of the oldest known fragment of the Gospel of John: https://www.library.manchester.ac.uk/rylands/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allison-leonhardt-7a75b377/ Connect with eX-skeptic: Website: https://exskeptic.org/ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/exskeptic Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/exskeptic Twitter: http://x.com/exskeptic YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@exskeptic Email info: [email protected]

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