Voices of todayMatt Dillahunty

Matt Dillahunty

American atheist debater, long-time host of The Atheist Experience; former Baptist who asks for evidence.

YouTuberPodcasterborn 1969 United States

18 videos analysed · 91 quotes checked word for word · updated 2026-10-18

In 30 secondsDillahunty was raised Southern Baptist and thought of becoming a minister. After about a year and a half of prayer and study, he decided he had no good reasons for his beliefs. He now argues that claims about gods need evidence like any other claim, and that faith is not a way to truth. He says he would believe if given solid evidence. He also argues that morality does not need a god, using the Euthyphro dilemma. In May 2026 he said he had changed his mind and now holds that morality has an objective foundation.
Key facts

Positions

click a row to see the evidence
Does God exist?God
AtheismTheism
Stated explicitly
Position

He is an atheist activist. He says rejecting the claim "there is a god" is not the same as claiming there is none, and that solid evidence would change his mind. In 2019 he said he had "no idea if the Christian God exists" but found the case unconvincing; in a 2021 debate he took the stronger line "no, there is not a god", like leprechauns, while keeping the burden of proof on believers.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
B

The universe began to exist, so it needs a cause, and that cause looks like God.

Dillahunty

He answers that the kalam argument is not an argument for God: God is neither a premise nor the conclusion. He adds that we do not know enough to say how the universe began.

Z

The universe looks fine-tuned for life, which fits a perfect mind better than chance.

Dillahunty

He doubts that an imperfect human mind can judge that this is more likely with a perfect mind than without one.

See 1 more objections
R
Ray Comfort

Deep down you already know God exists; you simply refuse to believe.

Dillahunty

He answers that belief is not a choice, and that if God exists, God is the one who chose a universe in which he is not a believer.

Defends : Against miracles, Why would God hide?, Eternal punishment for the faults of one life: the problem of hell, If God knows everything in advance, am I free?, Religions contradict each other: why believe your own?Criticizes : Whatever begins has a cause: the universe too, The fine-tuning of the universe: too perfect a coincidence?, Freedom has a price: evil does not contradict God, That than which nothing greater can be conceived exists, The moral law points to a lawgiver

Can we reach certain truths?Certainty
SkepticismCertainty attainable
Stated explicitly
Position

He rejects absolute certainty and says all knowledge is probabilistic: a level of confidence on which we act.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
J
Jay Dyer

Logic and knowledge only make sense if God grounds them, so an atheist cannot explain how he knows anything.

Dillahunty

He answers that these are presuppositions, which are not justified by definition, and says he is only not convinced that God exists. For him knowledge is what would change your worldview if you found out you were wrong.

Is the mind more than matter?Mind and body
MaterialismDualism
Stated explicitly
Position

He says there is no evidence for a soul and good evidence against it. In 2026 he called the soul one of the most obviously false ideas in religion, while staying open to proof.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
O

Consciousness cannot be explained by physical processes alone: why does brain activity feel like anything?

No known reply from them.
O
Objection

You cannot prove there is no soul, so you should stay neutral.

Dillahunty

He calls the soul one of the most obviously false ideas in religion, but says he is open to someone proving it.

Are we truly free?Freedom
Determinism (no free will)Free will
Stated explicitly
Position

He says he is a compatibilist: "I don't accept that we have anything like libertarian free will".

Why
What is objected, and the reply
O

If our choices are fully determined, no one is really free and no one is responsible.

No known reply from them.
What makes an action good?Basis of morality
Duty (deontology)Consequences (consequentialism)Character (virtue ethics)Other (divine law, relationships, value creation…)
Stated explicitly
Position

In a 2013 lecture he said morality is derived from empathy, fairness and cooperation, together with facts about living in this universe. In 2021 he put it simply: "I define morality as the well-being of thinking creatures", and actions are judged by their effects on that goal. He calls infinite punishment for finite deeds "morally inferior".

Do good and evil exist objectively?Status of morality
2021
Anti-realism (morality is human-made) changedMoral realism (objective moral truths)
Stated explicitly
Position

On 31 May 2026 he said he had recently changed his mind and now holds that morality has an objective foundation: "I do now adhere to objective morality". He added that his earlier attempt to solve the is-ought problem had made a mistake, and that a video explaining his new view was coming. The details are not yet public.

2021 Until at least 2021 he denied that moral laws exist apart from minds. He compared morality to chess: the rules are made up, but once chosen, actions can objectively be against them. Video 2021 · Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty…

Why
What is objected, and the reply
M

Without God there is no objective moral law, so atheists cannot say anything is truly good or evil.

Dillahunty

In 2021 he answered that nobody has shown an objective, universal moral law, and compared morality to chess: the rules are made up, yet a move can still objectively break them. In 2026 he said he now holds an objective foundation for morality.

M
Michael Egnor

Why should well-being be the goal? That starting point is arbitrary.

Dillahunty

He compares morality to chess: the rules are ultimately arbitrary, but it is still objectively against the rules to move wrongly. He defines morality as the well-being of thinking creatures.

Defends : The Euthyphro dilemma

Can reason judge everything, faith included?Faith and reason
Primacy of faith / the heartReason alone judges
Stated explicitly
Position

Religious claims should be judged by the same standards as any other claim, and each claim has its own bar of evidence. In 2019 he defined faith as "the excuse people give for believing something when they don't have a good reason". He says he wants to believe as many true things and as few false ones as possible.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
B
Blake Giunta

The first disciples were willing to die for their claim that Jesus rose, so it must be true.

Dillahunty

He answers that being willing to die for something shows sincerity, not that it is true.

M
Mike Winger

You cannot say what evidence would convince you of a resurrection, so your standard is unfair.

Dillahunty

He answers that not being able to say what would establish a resurrection is not a flaw in his method but a problem for the resurrection claim.

See 1 more objections
J
Jay Dyer

Everyone needs starting assumptions to reason at all, so demanding evidence for every belief is itself a faith.

Dillahunty

He answers that presuppositions are by definition not justified, and that saying we do not need a justification is a way to hide that there is none.

Does life have a given meaning?Meaning of life
No given meaning (absurd, to be created)Objective meaning (nature, God, the Good)
Stated explicitly
Position

He said he would not want his purpose handed to him by something outside himself, and that he sees no rational reason to think God has a plan. In 2013 he said we can give our lives whatever meaning and purpose we want; in 2021 he added that not every atheist agrees.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
C
Cliffe Knechtle

A meaning you give yourself is not real meaning; without God, life is empty.

Dillahunty

He accepts that there is no ultimate meaning without God, but says he can give his life whatever meaning and purpose he wants.

O

Only a purpose given by God can fulfil us.

Dillahunty

He says he would not want a purpose imposed from outside: he needs no externally imposed purpose or meaning from a god.

No sourced position yet on: Source of knowledge, Human nature.

On the big questions

Does God exist?Atheism

Raised Baptist, he rejected Christianity and then all religion.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
B

The universe began to exist, so it needs a cause, and that cause looks like God.

Dillahunty

He answers that the kalam argument is not an argument for God: God is neither a premise nor the conclusion. He adds that we do not know enough to say how the universe began.

Z

The universe looks fine-tuned for life, which fits a perfect mind better than chance.

Dillahunty

He doubts that an imperfect human mind can judge that this is more likely with a perfect mind than without one.

See 1 more objections
R
Ray Comfort

Deep down you already know God exists; you simply refuse to believe.

Dillahunty

He answers that belief is not a choice, and that if God exists, God is the one who chose a universe in which he is not a believer.

Defends : Against miracles, Why would God hide?, Eternal punishment for the faults of one life: the problem of hell, If God knows everything in advance, am I free?, Religions contradict each other: why believe your own?Criticizes : Whatever begins has a cause: the universe too, The fine-tuning of the universe: too perfect a coincidence?, Freedom has a price: evil does not contradict God, That than which nothing greater can be conceived exists, The moral law points to a lawgiver

The question on the site: all the arguments
Does life have a meaning?A meaning to create

He prefers a purpose that comes from himself rather than from a divine plan.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
C
Cliffe Knechtle

A meaning you give yourself is not real meaning; without God, life is empty.

Dillahunty

He accepts that there is no ultimate meaning without God, but says he can give his life whatever meaning and purpose he wants.

O

Only a purpose given by God can fulfil us.

Dillahunty

He says he would not want a purpose imposed from outside: he needs no externally imposed purpose or meaning from a god.

The question on the site: all the arguments
Are we free?Free without absolute free will

He calls himself a compatibilist and rejects libertarian free will.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
O

If our choices are fully determined, no one is really free and no one is responsible.

No known reply from them.
The question on the site: all the arguments
Can we be certain of anything?Through experience, with care

No absolute certainty: all knowledge is a level of confidence proportioned to the evidence.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
J
Jay Dyer

Logic and knowledge only make sense if God grounds them, so an atheist cannot explain how he knows anything.

Dillahunty

He answers that these are presuppositions, which are not justified by definition, and says he is only not convinced that God exists. For him knowledge is what would change your worldview if you found out you were wrong.

The question on the site: all the arguments
What makes something right?Consequences

He defines morality by the well-being of thinking creatures. In 2026 he said he now holds an objective foundation for it, without yet giving details.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
M

Without God there is no objective moral law, so atheists cannot say anything is truly good or evil.

Dillahunty

In 2021 he answered that nobody has shown an objective, universal moral law, and compared morality to chess: the rules are made up, yet a move can still objectively break them. In 2026 he said he now holds an objective foundation for morality.

M
Michael Egnor

Why should well-being be the goal? That starting point is arbitrary.

Dillahunty

He compares morality to chess: the rules are ultimately arbitrary, but it is still objectively against the rules to move wrongly. He defines morality as the well-being of thinking creatures.

Defends : The Euthyphro dilemma

The question on the site: all the arguments
Is the mind the brain?The mind comes from matter

He sees no evidence for a soul and good evidence against it.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
O

Consciousness cannot be explained by physical processes alone: why does brain activity feel like anything?

No known reply from them.
O
Objection

You cannot prove there is no soul, so you should stay neutral.

Dillahunty

He calls the soul one of the most obviously false ideas in religion, but says he is open to someone proving it.

The question on the site: all the arguments
Should we fear death?Nothing to fear

He does not know whether there is an afterlife but is fairly sure there is none.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
O
Objection

Everyone longs for life after death; such a universal desire suggests it is real.

Dillahunty

He answers that this is evidence of desire, not of an afterlife, and that there is no good evidence for an afterlife.

The question on the site: all the arguments
Should we believe without proof?No belief without evidence

He asks that claims about gods rest on evidence, and says solid evidence is all it would take to make him believe.

Why
What is objected, and the reply
B
Blake Giunta

The first disciples were willing to die for their claim that Jesus rose, so it must be true.

Dillahunty

He answers that being willing to die for something shows sincerity, not that it is true.

M
Mike Winger

You cannot say what evidence would convince you of a resurrection, so your standard is unfair.

Dillahunty

He answers that not being able to say what would establish a resurrection is not a flaw in his method but a problem for the resurrection claim.

See 1 more objections
J
Jay Dyer

Everyone needs starting assumptions to reason at all, so demanding evidence for every belief is itself a faith.

Dillahunty

He answers that presuppositions are by definition not justified, and that saying we do not need a justification is a way to hide that there is none.

The question on the site: all the arguments

In their words

I didn't have good reasons for my Christian beliefs.
faith is the excuse people give for believing something when they don't have a good reason because if you have a good reason you just state the reason
That's all it would take for me to believe—solid evidence.
If there was a sound argument for the existence of God, I'd believe in a God
1 more quotes
I do now adhere to objective morality

How the ideas evolved

Click a step for details
  1. 2005Joins The Atheist Experience

    He first co-presents the Austin call-in show in March 2005. Callers bring arguments such as the kalam, the anthropic principle and moral arguments.

  2. 2006President of the Atheist Community of Austin

    He leads the group that makes the show until 2013.

  3. 2013Debate with Cliffe Knechtle: does God exist?

    He answers a string of apologetic arguments with the rule that what can be asserted without evidence can be rejected without evidence. He says we can give our lives meaning ourselves and that morality needs no god.

    In their words
    « that which can be asserted without evidence can be rejected without evidence »Answering a string of apologetic arguments, he borrows Hitchens' razor and refers to the Iron Chariots wiki for the replies. watch
    « we don't need some Transcendent mind to dictate what is true we discover what is true about the reality that we inhabit »He says morality rests on discoverable truths about how actions help or harm beings in a physical universe, with no need for a god. watch
    « there's no evidence for a soul in fact there's good evidence against it »He says there is no evidence for a soul and good evidence against it. watch
  4. 2016Resurrection debate with Blake Giunta

    He argues that the willingness of early believers to die proves sincerity, not truth. He says a God who left a sincere believer without answer to his prayers is not one he wants anything to do with.

    In their words
    « I'm entirely within the realm of my rights and so as anyone else with regard to reason to say these are not the most reliable sources »He says he cannot call the resurrection false, but he may reasonably say the sources are not reliable enough to establish it. watch
    « the fact that they were willing to die for something doesn't tell you anything at all about whether or not what they were willing to die for is true »He says that willingness to die for a belief says nothing about whether the belief is true. watch
    « it is an argument from ignorance fallacy it is simply saying that because we don't have a naturalistic explanation we can then be warranted in accepting a supernatural explanation »He calls the step from 'no natural explanation' to 'a supernatural one' an argument from ignorance. watch
  5. 2017On tour with Harris, Dawkins and Krauss

    He tours with Sam Harris, Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss for the Secular Student Alliance.

  6. 2018Making Sense live, and a talk on religion and values

    In January he joins Harris and Krauss on stage in New York to discuss, among other things, a universal conception of morality and free will. In 2018 he also discusses religion and values with Jordan Peterson.

  7. 2021Debates Michael Egnor, and Trent Horn on the resurrection

    Against Egnor he says there is no god, as there are no leprechauns, and compares morality to chess. Against Horn he applies Hume's rule on miracles.

    In their words
    « It has no bearing on whether or not it's actually true »He says that being willing to die for a belief shows sincerity, not truth. watch
    « You shouldn't take my word for anything »Asked why we should trust his claims, he tells the audience not to take his word and to follow the evidence. watch
    « I thought hey when I read the Bible I'm reading um reliable accounts that are necessarily accurate because there's a God who's preserved the word »He recalls that as a Southern Baptist he assumed the Bible was accurate because God had preserved it, until he saw otherwise. watch
  8. 2022Leaves The Atheist Experience

    On 2 October he announces his last episode as host, after 17 years. He moves to The Line, a YouTube channel on religious debates.

  9. 2025Debate: can atheism deliver a better world?

    With Glen Scrivener he discusses secular humanism and the foundations of morality. He argues for keeping the best ideas and leaving the "baggage" of religion.

  10. 2026 Change of mindSays he now holds that morality is objective

    On 31 May, on The Line, he says he recently changed his mind and now adheres to objective morality. He says his old attempt to solve the is-ought problem was a mistake. A video explaining the new view was due.

    In their words
    « you're basically claiming that you've detected a god. How did you do that? And how can we do it? »He says only gods people claim to detect are worth discussing, and asks believers how they detected theirs. watch
    « I also find it interesting that seemingly none of them believe in exactly the same god »Asked why billions believe in a god, he replies that they believe in wildly different, mutually exclusive gods, so they cannot all be right. watch
    « If there was a sound argument for the existence of God, I'd believe in a God »He says he has not met a sound argument for God, but would believe if one existed; he refuses to claim there is no evidence at all. watch

The arguments 11

The site's arguments they defend or criticize, and why. Click a title to see the full argument.

Defends · 6
The Euthyphro dilemmaPlaton · What makes something right?

He uses the Euthyphro dilemma against divine command theory: is something good because God says so, or does God say it because it is good?

Against miraclesHume · Does God exist?

He applies "extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence" to the resurrection, and Hume's weighing of miracles against error or deception.

Why would God hide?J. L. Schellenberg · Does God exist?

If a morally good God wanted people to know him, he says, he should provide compelling evidence and show what he expects.

If God knows everything in advance, am I free?Nelson Pike · Does God exist?

If God knew everything and could have made a world where he stayed a believer, God is responsible for the world where he is not.

Religions contradict each other: why believe your own?Herman Philipse · Does God exist?

Asked why billions believe in a god, he replies that they believe in different, mutually exclusive gods, so they cannot all be right.

Criticizes · 5
Whatever begins has a cause: the universe tooWilliam Lane Craig · Does God exist?

In a 2022 video he granted the premises but said the argument never mentions God and does not show the cause is a mind. He called it "deader than a dead thing" as a proof of God.

Freedom has a price: evil does not contradict GodAlvin Plantinga · Does God exist?

Against the free-will reply to evil, he says an all-powerful God who wanted to end evil would already have done it.

That than which nothing greater can be conceived existsAnselme de Cantorbéry · Does God exist?

Against the idea that understanding the word God proves God, he says having a concept is not the same as the thing being real.

Allies and opponents

Close, influences
David HumeInfluence

He says his closest motto is to believe as many true things and as few false things as possible, inspired by David Hume.

Sam HarrisClose

They toured together in 2017 and shared a stage in 2018.

Richard DawkinsClose
Lawrence KraussClose

Toured with him in 2017 and shared the 2018 Making Sense stage.

Disagree
Jordan PetersonDisagrees

They discussed religion and values in 2018.

Cliffe KnechtleDisagrees

They debated in 2013 (does God exist?) and 2023 (is Christianity true?).

Trent HornDisagrees

They debated in 2021 whether belief in the resurrection is reasonable.

Do you agree with Dillahunty?

Take the Compass: 5 minutes to find out which philosophers you are closest to.

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All sources (49)
  1. Pub talk with an atheist and an Anglican Eternity News *
  2. The End of the Kalam Cosmological Argument? Reasonable Faith · 2022
  3. Matt Dillahunty's Bad Arguments Bentham's Newsletter *
  4. Matt Dillahunty - Wikipedia Wikipedia · 2026
  5. The Atheist Experience - Wikipedia Wikipedia · 2026
  6. How Matt Dillahunty's Journey as Host of The Atheist Experience Shaped Online Atheist Activism In-Sight Publishing · 2025
  7. Matt Dillahunty (Open Doubt) Open Doubt
  8. Morality Debate, Part 1 (UMBC debate on the origin of human morality) ooblick.com *
  9. Making Sense #115: Sam Harris, Lawrence Krauss and Matt Dillahunty Sam Harris (Substack) · 2018
  10. Classic: Can atheism deliver a better world? Matt Dillahunty vs Glen Scrivener Premier Unbelievable? · 2025
  11. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle YouTube · 2013
  12. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle (morality, the soul) YouTube · 2013
  13. Does the Christian God exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Braxton Hunter (free will, kalam) YouTube · 2019
  14. Does the Christian God exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Braxton Hunter (true beliefs) YouTube · 2019
  15. Is belief in the Resurrection reasonable? Trent Horn vs Matt Dillahunty YouTube · 2021
  16. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Michael Egnor YouTube · 2021
  17. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Michael Egnor (the chess comparison) YouTube · 2021
  18. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (a sound argument) YouTube · 2026
  19. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (objective morality) YouTube · 2026
  20. Atheist Debates - Theism via Transcendental Arguments - Matt Dillahunty and Jay Dyer (presuppositions) YouTube · 2019
  21. Atheist Debates - Theism via Transcendental Arguments - Matt Dillahunty and Jay Dyer (what knowledge is) YouTube · 2019
  22. Does the Christian God exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Braxton Hunter (unconvinced) YouTube · 2019
  23. Does the Christian God exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Braxton Hunter (what faith is) YouTube · 2019
  24. Does the Christian God exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Braxton Hunter (free will, kalam) YouTube · 2019
  25. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle YouTube · 2013
  26. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle YouTube · 2013
  27. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Michael Egnor (the chess comparison) YouTube · 2021
  28. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Michael Egnor (morality) YouTube · 2021
  29. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs Michael Egnor (certainty) YouTube · 2021
  30. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (changed mind on morality) YouTube · 2026
  31. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (afterlife and soul) YouTube · 2026
  32. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (a sound argument) YouTube · 2026
  33. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (a sound argument) YouTube · 2026
  34. Matt Dillahunty vs Adherent Apologetics: Did a Perfect Mind Create the Universe? YouTube · 2022
  35. Matt Dillahunty vs Adherent Apologetics: Did a Perfect Mind Create the Universe? YouTube · 2022
  36. Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? Matt Dillahunty vs Blake Giunta YouTube · 2016
  37. Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? Matt Dillahunty vs Blake Giunta YouTube · 2016
  38. Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? Matt Dillahunty vs Blake Giunta YouTube · 2016
  39. Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? Matt Dillahunty vs Blake Giunta YouTube · 2016
  40. The Line, Sunday show 31 May 2026 (many gods) YouTube · 2026
  41. Christian YouTuber calls The Atheist Experience (presuppositionalist caller) YouTube · 2023
  42. Is Belief in the Resurrection Unreasonable? Mike Winger vs. Matt Dillahunty (hell) YouTube · 2019
  43. Is Belief in the Resurrection Unreasonable? Mike Winger vs. Matt Dillahunty YouTube · 2019
  44. Is Belief in the Resurrection Unreasonable? Mike Winger vs. Matt Dillahunty YouTube · 2019
  45. Ray Comfort vs Matt Dillahunty: Does God Exist? YouTube · 2020
  46. Is belief in the Resurrection reasonable? Trent Horn vs Matt Dillahunty YouTube · 2021
  47. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle (morality, the soul) YouTube · 2013
  48. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle (afterlife) YouTube · 2013
  49. Does God Exist? Matt Dillahunty vs. Cliffe Knechtle (afterlife) YouTube · 2013