Mr. Diety

I have not seen "Nonstampcollector" mentioned. I don't know if he is still making videos.

My favorite Atheist is Christopher Hitchens, but a person that we should all know is Sarah Haider. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0plC24YuoJk&t=1259s. Sarah Defected from Islam - which takes a bit more courage than defection from Christianity.

i prefer Sam Harris. his calm, measured discussions appeal to me. "The End of Faith" and "Letter to a Xtian Nation" were my introduction to the online atheist community, and i still love them best. IMO he is all politeness, even in the face of a royal jerk like Ben Affleck or Deepak Chopra -- i'd like to hear him debate the insufferable Rick Warren. his sincerity and obvious earnest desire to clarify his thoughts and ideas resonate with me.

Hitchens is a delight to hear in a contentious debate -- he can be civil as anything or scathingly sardonic, to the point where no flesh remains and his opponent is forced to call for an ambulance. plus, he's so damn literary (we -- he and i -- have read so many of the same books and both have a high regard for Orwell). he is sorely missed. there may be another like him, but s/he would still be very young now. there still hasn't been another Socrates, and it's been a while.

i appreciate the talents and insight of DarkMatter 2525 and QualiaSoup. the AE people are very good but too biting for my taste; they are severe on the unfortunate, unwitting sheeple, and it hurts my soul a bit ... or more. i like a gentler approach, although i find Hitch in beast mode very satisfying when applied to the so-called theological "experts."

Hemant Mehta is very effective, without being impolite; that appeals to my sense of civility. his book, "I Sold My Soul on eBay," is a favorite of mine -- i've attended church services with my xtian/spiritual friends, and his criticisms are insightful and valid -- a book every church attendee should read.

the rest are, for the most part, all quite good in their way.

i confess to not being a Dawkins fan -- his approach is extremely elitist (e.g., referring to non-theists as "Brights" -- them's fightin' words), but i enjoy very much wearing my tee shirt with his first sentence of "The God Delusion," Chapter Two imprinted thereupon. still, he's an evolutionary biologist who debates in favor of atheism, and i don't think he's sufficiently trained in either Philosophy or Debate. as an atheist debater, he's a great scientist. but i appreciate all his energy and enthusiasm, nonetheless. he is impassioned and sincere.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a delight; she always says the right thing at the right time. it's very stimulating. her POV is refreshingly "other" than the traditional (to Americans) Western xtianity. i love listening to her narrate her books. it's like Being There. Sarah Haider, Armin Navabi, and Ali Rizvi also are revelations in this way. the more ex-muslims, the better, i say!

but at heart, i remain a Sam fan. "off" is not a tv channel; "bald" is not a hair color, etc. his cogency is pure enjoyment.