The Godless Spellchecker Podcast

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) is joined by Dr. Lyell Asher. Dr. Asher is an American English teacher and has become increasingly concerned about the stifling of free expression on American campuses and the spread of illiberal ideologies. He’s recently fronted a documentary titled ‘Why colleges are becoming cults’ which can be found on YouTube. You can watch the video version of this interview on YouTube: www.youtube.com/gspellchecker Watch ‘Why colleges are becoming cults’ on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aAqDwn_Q-QQ 0:00 Intro 0:18 About Dr Lyell Asher 2:13 Why take the risk of speaking up publicly? 5:28 Which incidents inspired action? 08:37 The ‘N-word’ and a focus on ‘impact’ over ‘intention’. 15:31 How are you defining ‘woke’? 19:53 Why is progress not being acknowledged? Why is there a new obsession with race? 25:56 Why are students imposing speech codes and illiberal ideology on themselves? 30:49 How do we know we aren’t just grumpy old men that need to

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss all the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:27 Finally blocked by Owen Jones on Twitter 2:49 Reports of a school girl bullied for disagreeing with gender ideology 13:36 Covering a feminist free speech event in Manchester, death threats, counter-protests. 20:31 The Netflix memo: Has Netflix decided to push back to ‘woke’ employees? 26:00 The impending release of Ricky Gervais’s ‘Supernature’ special on Netflix 29:53 The white supremacist mass shooting in Buffalo, USA. 45:28 Should a terrorist’s manifesto be published by the news media? 47:43 The Taliban orders women to cover their face. 54:05 New UK police chief pledges to concentrate on real crime and not to be the ‘thought police’. 01:00:00 Audience Questions: Andrew Doyle’s new book? Elon Musk Twitter takeover? 01:04:19 A suspicious increase in Twitter followers for conservative and controversial accounts? Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspe

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss all the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:20 Iram and suspicious kitchen activities. 1:08 Stephen finally gets Covid 4:16 Will Smith assaults Chris Rock at The Oscars 11:12 Trans female police officers are authorised to strip search biological women. 22:21 Man gets suspended jail sentence for ‘offensive’ video of Grenfell Tower model 28:20 Women’s clothes shop Monsoon apologies for refusing a non-binary customer access to the changing rooms. 37:39 Elon Musk and the Twitter takeover bid 47:51 Islamist terrorist convicted for the murder of MP David Amess 58:20 Audience questions: Is Putin ill? What does Boris Johnson need to do to lose his job? Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker Also available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube & Spotify.  

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) is joined by Katy Montgomerie (@KatyMontgomerie) and Debbie Hayton (@DebbieHayton). Katy is an LGBT and atheist activist and Debbie is a journalist and physics teacher. They are both are transgender women; however they have very different opinions on the major talking points related to gender and trans rights. 0:00 Intro 1:11 What is a woman? Is there an objective definition? Should we be invoking intersex people in this argument? 21:34 Is sex binary? 23:20 Is Katy male or female? 29:06 What rights would trans people lose if they identified as ‘gender non-confirming’ instead of the opposite sex?   31:47 Why does this conversation always focus on women? Are women justified to fear an encroachment on their rights? What are the safeguarding concerns? 37:27 Can you change your sex? 40:12 The problem of men talking about what it means to be female 41:02 Is it mostly men that have concerns with self-ID/trans issues? 43:34 The WDI declaration and use of

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss all the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:16 The Weather…. 1:38 The Russian invasion of Ukraine 9:36 Jussie Smollett sentenced for hate crime hoax 16:28 Transgender swimmer Lia Thomas winning competitions 30:05 Maajid Nawaz continues down the conspiracy rabbit hole with Ukrainian ‘crisis actors’ tweet. 41:35 Ofsted downgrades school for too much of a focus on ‘social justice’. 44:59 The New York Times podcast series on the Islamist ‘trojan horse’ school controversy in the UK. 55:13 Ofcom banning Russia Today in the UK Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker Also available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube & Spotify.

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes Dr. Sohom Das (@Dr_S_Das). Sohom is a Consultant forensic psychiatrist. They talk about mental illness and ideology. 0:00 Intro 0:22 What does Sohom do? 1:30 What is schizophrenia? 3:07 Can people recover from schizophrenia? 4:08 The difference between psychologist and psychiatrist. 5:50 Psychiatry as a science and its dark past 8:17 Society’s attitudes to mental illness 11:25 Why pursue this type of career? 14:11 Religious ‘delusion’ and mental illness. 16:33 Mental illness and suicide bombing. 19:52 How does our understanding of mental illness inform concepts of ‘free will’? 25:42 Spice: Drug use and mental health 28:36 Cannabis and mental health issues. 36:04 The ‘insanity please’. 39:40 Personal safety when assessing patients 45:03 What is the notorious Broadmoor Hospital like? 46:46 Conspiracy theorists 49:28 Soham’s upcoming book ‘In Two Minds’. Support the podcast at http://www.patreon.com/ gspellchecker Also available on iTunes

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes Zara Kay (@ZaraKayk). Zara is an Australian, ex-Muslim human rights activist. In 2020, she was detained in her birth country of Tanzania for seemingly political reasons. 0:00 Intro 0:22 London Pride 2020 and a foiled terror attack. 2:31 Is it getting more difficult to have public conversations? 4:17 About Zara Kay and her relationship to Islam 8:24 When did Zara start questioning Islam? 13:22 Why speak out against Islam? 18:08 Has the modern feminist movement gone missing on the issue of Islamic patriarchy? 21:45 How does Zara view western progressives and ‘woke’ activists? 26:20 Why did Zara get arrested in Tanzania? 36:10 How long was Zara in Jail? What were the conditions like? 42:27 How did Zara get out of Tanzania? 43:19 Why were the Australian authorities so unhelpful? 45:31 Can Zara ever return to Tanzania? 46:22 What was the infighting amongst ex-Muslims all about? 55:21 About ‘Faithless Hijabi’. Support the podcast at http://www

  This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:59 Reporting from the Covid related protests in London 5:22 Vaccines becoming part of the culture war 10:53 Alleged lockdown Tory drinks ‘parties’. 19:19 Harry Miller legal victory over ‘transphobic tweets’ and ‘non-crime hate incidents’. 25:37 The gender debate and the impact on free speech 32:18 Edward Colston statue toppling court verdict 43:34 Maajid Nawaz gets fired from LBC Radio 51:23 How can you tell if people are playing to their audience rather than being objective? 55:06 Handling a sudden increase in audience size 1:00:00 Angela Rayner playing the ‘working-class northerner’ card. 1:13:00 Texas synagogue hostage taker was from Blackburn, UK Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker Also available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube & Spotify.  

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes Alexander Meleagrou-Hitchens (@AMHitchens). Alexander is a Lecturer in terrorism at King's College London and the author of ‘Incitement: Anwar al-Awlaki's Western Jihad'. They discuss radicalisation, terrorism, and the influence of al-Awlaki on modern Islamic extremism. 0:00 Start 0:35 About Alexander 1:51 The approach and style choice when writing about Anwar Al-Awlaki 5:35 Who was Anwar Al-Awlaki? 11:09 Foreign policy versus religious ideology? 19:08 Is the doctrine of Islam a special case when it comes to extremism? 26:33 Should Islamist and Jihadi sermons remain on platforms such as YouTube? What role do digital platforms play in radicalisation? 34:27 The government response to the killing of UK politician David Amess at the hands of a suspected Jihadist. 39:39 Are counter-terror organisations better prepared than our politicians? 45:58 The public opposition to linking Islam with violent extremism 52:05 The ‘reactionary wave’: Similari

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes James Esses (@JamesEsses). James was a trainee psychotherapist and children’s counsellor until he was expelled for publicly expressing his opinions on gender ideology and transitioning. James is now taking legal action against his former place of study on grounds of discrimination. 0:00 Start 0:17 About James and his background 1:41 What is Childline? 3:26 Where was James studying before being expelled? 4:41 When did James first start taking an interest in the issue of gender dysphoria? 6:59 What is ‘gender dysphoria’ 8:07 Gender dysphoria vs. social contagion 13:02 Parents with ‘trans babies’. 16:51 How do we separate the bigots from the genuine concerns? 20:25 James’s online petition to the UK government. 24:56 ‘Conversion therapy’ in the context of transgenderism 27:33 ‘Watchful waiting’: Do most people with gender dysphoria ‘desist’ if given time? 28:43 Getting expelled from his psychotherapy course. 30:59 Has academia been captured b

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:24 Omicron and the NHS 4:17 Is it even possible to vaccinate the planet to a sufficient degree? 5:30 Jeremy Sleath wins unfair dismissal case after being fired for anti-Islam Facebook post 12:56 New Zealand Professor Garth Cooper faces disciplinary action for refusing to teach Māori creation myths in Science class. 16:47 The weird worship of Jacinda Ardern 17:41 Rod Liddle’s Durham university controversy and the cowardice of leaders in Academia 26:26 J.K.Rowling and Scotland to log rapes as committed by women if the male perpetrator identifies as a woman. 35:09 The erasure of the word ‘woman’. 40:25 Remembering Christopher Hitchens 45:05 Jussie Smollett found guilty of a hate crime hoax 52:09 Audience Question: Is the BBC downplaying religion in reporting on extremism? 53:36: Audience Question: Why do people love some animals but are ok with eating others? 57:16

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes physics teacher and journalist Debbie Heyton (@DebbieHayton). Debbie transitioned in her 40s and talks about why she opposes the popular narrative on transgenderism and gender ideology. You can watch the video version on YouTube: https://youtu.be/AAlJdE377t8 0:09 Start of interview 0:17 About Debbie Hayton 2:00 Debbie’s transition 4:43 Affirmation versus treatment. Is transitioning always the solution? 7:19 Are transgender rights the new gay rights struggle? 12:51 Why has defining sex become taboo? How do we define it? 18:17 LGBT & Stonewall: Should gay and trans issues be contained under the same umbrella? 24:26 Are Stonewall damaging the conversation on trans rights? 29:04 The diversity of thought within the transgender population. 30:38 What are your political leanings? 34:22 Misgendering and the importance of pronouns 40:24 Statistics on trans suicide and murder 46:35 Are trans people being presented as dangerous by default? 54:48

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:26 Food! 3:03 The attempted terrorist bombing at a Liverpool hospital 16:40 Plans to make vaccination compulsory for NHS staff in the UK 27:19 Jeremy Corbyn takes legal action against Conservative Councillor for a satirical Twitter image. 33:59 The Kyle Rittenhouse Trial and Verdict 50:12 Audience Questions 52:12 Stonewall and the changing tide on the gender ID debate 1:00:10 Ghostbusters Afterlife Review (no spoilers) & the 2016 reboot controversy 1:05:02 Iram talks about Ricky Gervais’s ‘Afterlife’. Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker Also available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube & Spotify.  

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes film maker and podcast host Naama Kates (@NaamaKates). Naama is host of ‘The Incel Project’ podcast. They discuss the growing interest in the ‘incel’ (involuntary celibate) community and what that means for women’s safety and society. They also discuss the recent shotting in Plymouth, UK that was widely reported as ‘incel terrorism’ by the news media. 0:00 Intro 8:13 Start of interview 8:47 About Naama 10:28 What is an ‘incel’? 12:07 How did Naama get involved with the ‘Incel community’? 14:18 What are the recurring themes that present themselves when interviewing ‘incels’. 15:59 How big of a threat is the Incel sub-culture? 19:07 The link with extremism 22:13 Internet culture and “shit-posting” 25:28 How is this issue being approached and discussed in the USA? 27:54 The overlap with far-right, conspiratorial movements and groups. 29:33 Are incels a new phenomenon in society, or has the internet just provided them with a spotlight? 31:3

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:29 Our Nicky Campbell interview debrief 2:24 Counter-extremism chief says Plymouth shooting was not “Incel terrorism”. 7:33 Bow and arrow Islamist attack in Norway 8:21 The reaction to the killing of MP David Amess in an alleged ‘Islamist attack’. 16:00 The ‘Online Harms Bill’ and ‘David’s law’. The government focussing on regulating social media instead of ideology after an alleged Islamist terror attack. 23:05 The short-sighted desire to ban anonymity on social media. 25:14 ‘Prevent’ and anti-terrorism in the UK. 33:26 The Tory government can get in the sea. 37:07 The controversy surrounding Netflix, some of their employees and Dave Chappelle’s special ‘The Closer’. 46:44 Author and University Professor Kathleen Stock targeted by activists for her gender critical views and published output. 50:29 The ‘Nolan Investigates’ expose of Stonewall for BBC Radio. 54:59

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes film maker Travis Brown. Travis has created an episodic YouTube series titled ‘The Woke Reformation’. The project brings together a number of notable public figures to talk about woke ideology and offer advice on how best to resist it. Watch the video version of this interview at www.youtube.com/gspellchecker 0:00 Start 1:20 Escaping a fundamentalist Christian upbringing 4:58 On filmmaking 6:39 Is anti-wokeness a right-wing/conservative pursuit? 9:38 What is ‘woke’ ideology? 11:47 The role of ‘post-modernism’. 14:14 ‘The Woke Reformation’ YouTube Series 16:44 Similarities with religion 21:42 How has this ideology spread so quickly? 24:34 How do we encourage pushback in the workplace? 31:25 Having productive dialogue and disagreements 35:53 The book ‘White Fragility’ recommended in the workplace 38:27 The hypocrisy of ‘social justice’ advocates 41:22 How do we find meaning in life? 46:04 Do we overestimate the risk and endpoint of woke ide

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) welcome an extra special guest. Nicky Campbell, a titan of TV and Radio broadcasting will be joining us to talk about BBC’s The Big Questions, faith, science, literalism and much, much more! 0:00 Intro 2:37 Start of interview 5:06 The ‘cancellation’ of BBC’s The Big Questions and its unique format 9:58 The rise and fall of Mo Ansar 14:13 The BBC and impartiality 16:05 Christian Literalism and creationism 18:08 Have any guests been involved in physical alterations? 21:29 Best and worse debates 22:41 More on literalism 23:43 Ibrahim Mogra’s very specific claims about the afterlife 34:46 The sincerity of true believers? 36:46 Evolution and Noah’s ark 41:35 What do grieving elephants reveal about us? 43:11 Does Nicky have faith? Does he believe in a creator? 45:27 The Qur’anic explanation for life 48:46 Science V Faith 52:20 A resurgence of Christianity? The benefits and problems with certainty 55:33 Being l

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes Yuru Deigin. Yuri is a. He has recently been very critical of Bret Weinstein’s output on vaccinations and ‘alternative’ treatments 0:00 Start of Interview & about Yuri 1:04 The Lab Leak hypothesis  4:36 Incompetence or cover-up on Covid origins? 9:17 Will we ever get the truth about Covid’s origins from the CCP? 10:58 Trusting the consensus on vaccines 14:39 ‘Vaccine hesitant’ Vs ‘Anti-Vaxxer’ and vaccine efficacy/safety 19:50 What is Ivermectin? 27:53 Why is Bret Weinstein wrong on Ivermectin? 32:38 Any response from Bret Weinstein? 39:43 Publicly blaming Bret Weinstein for the death of Leslie Lawrenson 42:46 Should Covid misinformation be censored? 46:14 How do we convince the unvaccinated? 50:12 Is the anti-vax problem a predominantly American one? 52:59 The increased risks of new variants due to the unvaccinated 55:29 Do needles seem sinister at a psychological level? Support the podcast at http://www.patreon.com/gspellchecker

This week on Taking The Myth, Stephen Knight (@GSpellchecker) and Iram Ramzan of sedaa.org (@Iram_Ramzan) discuss the big topics. 0:00 Intro 0:29 Laurel Hubbard crashes out of Tokyo 2020 6:25 Teachers told to affirm 4 year old’s preferred pronouns/gender in Scottish schools without parental consent 15:48 The Jake Davison mass murder/shooting in the UK and the commentary surrounding it. 22:48 Is society producing more angry young men? If so, why? 27:22 Beauty privilege 30:16 The exit from Afghanistan and the return of Taliban rule 38:59 Is it stupid to think the Taliban have changed for the better? 47:23 The UK’s responsibility to Afghan refugees and the potential impact 56:26 Audience Question: Is stupidity more dangerous than actual bad things? 59:04 The problem of social media and vaccine misinformation. 01:08:02 Audience questions about woke influence in institutions. 01:10:14 Joe Biden Support the podcast at www.patreon.com/gspellchecker Also available on iTunes, Stitcher, YouTube & Spotify.  

This week on The Knight Tube, Stephen Knight (@Gspellchecker) welcomes author and journalist Helen Joyce (HJoyceGender). They discuss Helen’s new book ‘Trans: When Ideology Meets Reality’. 0:00 Intro 6:47 Start of Interview    6:58 About Helen Joyce 8:13 How do you define yourself politically? 11:55 Why the focus on this issue? 14:54 Genuine concerns about transphobia 18:46 Is sex binary? How many genders are there? 21:17 What do you make of recent ‘transracial’ stories? 25:54 Did Helen get Richard Dawkins ‘cancelled’ by American Humanists? 33:38 How do we make this issue less partisan? 34:32 Religion, atheism and the ‘atheist movement’. 35:37 Reporting of violent crime and the data 40:58 How crime statistics are recorded by gender 46:43 Female only spaces and safety: PureGym and the Wi Spa controversy 52:35 Transwomen competing in women’s sports, Laurel Hubbard 57:55 Misgendering—consciously and by accident. What is expected? 1:01:48 Peer and social contagion. Watch the video version on YouTube: https://you