Seth Andrews, host of The Thinking Atheist, on the un-Christian behaviour of many Christians
Release Date: 09/27/2023
Saving civilization is about more than climate change, says Professor Katherine Richardson
The Podcast For Inquiry
All life on earth ultimately depends on energy and how it flows between biological and geochemical systems on the planet. Katherine Richardson and her team identified which need to be respected if our planet is to remain conducive to human thriving. Climate change is just one of them. We are exceeding six boundaries, and in recent years they are all getting worse. Katherine discusses how she and her team identified the nine planetary boundaries and why it is essential to consider how they interact, instead of viewing them as independent issues. The effects of exceeding planetary boundaries...
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Melanie Trecek-King defines and discusses critical thinking
The Podcast For Inquiry
Many people - especially those in skeptical organizations like CFIC - talk about the importance of critical thinking. But what is it? How can we use it effectively? How do people navigate complex subject areas without developing deep expertise? Melanie Trecek-King, creator of , discusses how people internalize beliefs, how they can be a part of one’s identity, why some issues become politicized, what constitutes good evidence, and much, much more. Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the . Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: . Send your thoughts...
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Does the Bible endorse slavery and genocide? Dr. Joshua Bowen provides receipts.
The Podcast For Inquiry
In his first appearance on Podcast for Inquiry, Dr. Josh Bowen compared what we know about history from archaeology and contemporaneous literature with the stories from the Old Testament. In today’s episode, Dr. Bowen reveals what the Bible has to say about slavery and genocide, and goes a bit outside his comfort zone to talk about whether the Old Testament should be considered a guide to a moral and ethical life. Referenced during the conversation: Read Dr. Bowen’s latest book: (Extensively Revised and Expanded Second Edition) Watch Josh Subscribe to Megan Lewis'...
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Kate Cohen believes atheists should be out and proud
The Podcast For Inquiry
Kate Cohen talks about her journey from privately knowing she was a non-believer to writing We of Little Faith: Why I Stopped Pretending to Believe (And Maybe You Should Too). She discusses how being an atheist and a commitment to honesty informed how she raised her children, and how being forthright about her lack of belief in social interactions has simplified her life. We also talk about some of the challenges associated with being an open atheist. Kate is a and some of the articles she references in the conversation are below. . Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie...
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Greg Oliver asks: Why is religious discrimination official provincial educational funding policy?
The Podcast For Inquiry
5Greg Oliver, founder and president of the , believes that governments should not favour one faith over another, nor believers over non-believers. That three Canadian provinces continue to this day to fully fund a Separate school system for a single faith - Catholicism - is an egregious violation of secular principles that should guide our public policy. Greg explains why Catholic schools are funded, how two provinces stopped funding sectarian schools, addresses many myths about the separate school system, and what we can do about it. (Check out the new organization .) Podcast for Inquiry is...
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Science Denial: Why It Happens and What To Do About It, with Gale Sinatra
The Podcast For Inquiry
Everyone is vulnerable to fallacies that can lead to misunderstanding scientific topics. In her book (written with Barbara Hofer), Science Denial: Why It Happens and What To Do About It, Gale investigates many of these, including: Cognitive biases Emotions Motivated reasoning Identities Gale also explains what all of us can do to increase our scientific literacy. Science is better understood as a process, with different disciplines advancing knowledge via different means, employing various techniques. It is much more than just a collection of facts to be understood. We...
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Anti-natalism with Mark Maharaj
The Podcast For Inquiry
Anti-natalism is the philosophical idea that choosing to have children is an unethical act. Mark explains what anti-natalism is, as well as what it isn’t, and describes how he came to subscribe to anti-natalist thought. Learn more about anti-natalism from the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy () and Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy () Podcast for Inquiry is hosted by Leslie Rosenblood and brought to you by the . Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: . Send your thoughts and feedback to .
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Kelly Weinersmith asks: Are we ready to live off-planet?
The Podcast For Inquiry
Dr. Kelly Weinersmith () is the co-author (with her husband Zach) of Soonish and A City on Mars. Kelly maintains that while having humans living off Earth would be awesome, we’re simply not ready for it yet. She answers many of Leslie’s questions: Why can’t we go to Mars if we have the will? Why can’t we all just get along? Why should we expand? Why is building a habitable space station harder than settling on Mars or the moon? What laws would apply in any off-Earth settlement? Where should we focus our space research efforts? Kelly also goes on a rant about Helium 3. Podcast for...
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The search for truth, with Carolyn Biltoft
The Podcast For Inquiry
Carolyn Biltoft received her PhD in World History from Princeton University in 2010. Her work fuses the tools of world history, intellectual history, cultural studies and critical theory. Carolyn has thought deeply about the nature of truth, and realized that each person necessarily has an incomplete understanding, because we only experience a small aspect of reality first hand. Therefore, we need to trust the reports of others to gain a complete worldview. Misplacing our trust will compromise the accuracy of our model of reality. Carolyn delves into the implications of this insight, describes...
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The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself, with Robin Reames
The Podcast For Inquiry
Robin Reames is the incoming Culbertson Chair of English at Indiana University. She researches and writes about the history of ideas, particularly lost ideas from the ancient Greek rhetorical tradition that can enrich our lives today. Leslie and Robin talk about her book, The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times, starting with the question: What is rhetoric? Robin goes on to explain why emotions and values are more compelling persuaders than facts. Leslie and Robin discuss whether media outlets report on events as they happened, or condition you to...
info_outlineSeth Andrews (@SethAndrewsTTA) is the host of The Thinking Atheist, a very popular podcast and online resource for nonbelievers. Seth talks about his life as an evangelical Christian and what led him to leave his faith. He and Leslie talk about how many Christians embrace seemingly un-Christian beliefs and policies, and what Humanists need to do to make the world a better place.
Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Hosted by Leslie Rosenblood. Produced by Lee Shields, Zack Dumont, and Martin Zielinski. Graphic design by Nikolay Nikitushkin. Music by Anthony Lazaro. Support Podcast for Inquiry on Patreon: https://patreon.com/PodcastforInquiry. Send your thoughts and feedback to [email protected].