Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
Ethan Muse and I spar over the problem of evil, cosmic fine-tuning, infallible popes, and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment.
This interview is also available as a podcast:
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/90-a-heated-debate-on-hell-catholicism-and-fine/id1776277450?i=1000775374131
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1UC5Ig0jxB6lnsjZN7mrCs?si=WNhLvErdRDGnfLlmIfahsA
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/mileskdonahue/p/90-a-heated-debate-on-hell-catholicism?r=1pf1v9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Check out my Substack where you can get a paid membership because you're awesome: mileskdonahue.substack.com
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/mileskdonahue.
Follow me on X: twitter.com/PhilosopherMKD
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:08 Rutgers, philosophy, and Catholic apologetics
00:05:32 Ethan’s path into philosophy
00:10:16 The goal of doing philosophy
00:14:16 Ethan’s conversion to Catholicism
00:18:19 Doubts, confidence, and the problem of evil
00:24:09 Miracle evidence and outweighing evil
00:25:28 Fine-tuning and theism
00:29:12 Frequency data, design, and Bayesianism
00:34:07 Mini-verses and apparent design
00:38:44 What fine-tuning means
00:41:28 Apparent design and fragile harmony
00:47:02 The infrared bullseye analogy
00:51:53 Design, stalking horses, and naturalism
01:00:20 Priors, bare theism, and Bayesian machinery
01:05:17 Papal infallibility and alleged counterexamples
01:12:00 Eternal hell and Catholic doctrine
01:20:10 Moral intuition against eternal torment
01:23:06 Saints, sin, and moral authority
01:30:36 Moral progress and Catholic tradition
01:33:21 Moral disagreement and final thoughts
Ethan Muse and I spar over the problem of evil, cosmic fine-tuning, infallible popes, and the doctrine of eternal conscious torment.
This interview is also available as a podcast:
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/90-a-heated-debate-on-hell-catholicism-and-fine/id1776277450?i=1000775374131
Spotify: open.spotify.com/episode/1UC5Ig0jxB6lnsjZN7mrCs?si=WNhLvErdRDGnfLlmIfahsA
Substack: open.substack.com/pub/mileskdonahue/p/90-a-heated-debate-on-hell-catholicism?r=1pf1v9&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true
Check out my Substack where you can get a paid membership because you're awesome: mileskdonahue.substack.com
To support the channel, do please oh please consider donating via Buy Me a Coffee: buymeacoffee.com/mileskdonahue.
Follow me on X: twitter.com/PhilosopherMKD
EPISODE CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Introduction
00:02:08 Rutgers, philosophy, and Catholic apologetics
00:05:32 Ethan’s path into philosophy
00:10:16 The goal of doing philosophy
00:14:16 Ethan’s conversion to Catholicism
00:18:19 Doubts, confidence, and the problem of evil
00:24:09 Miracle evidence and outweighing evil
00:25:28 Fine-tuning and theism
00:29:12 Frequency data, design, and Bayesianism
00:34:07 Mini-verses and apparent design
00:38:44 What fine-tuning means
00:41:28 Apparent design and fragile harmony
00:47:02 The infrared bullseye analogy
00:51:53 Design, stalking horses, and naturalism
01:00:20 Priors, bare theism, and Bayesian machinery
01:05:17 Papal infallibility and alleged counterexamples
01:12:00 Eternal hell and Catholic doctrine
01:20:10 Moral intuition against eternal torment
01:23:06 Saints, sin, and moral authority
01:30:36 Moral progress and Catholic tradition
01:33:21 Moral disagreement and final thoughts
