Category: Shows

Jefferson Fish on The Myth of Race…

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Are humans divided into discrete groups, each with recognizable physical traits? It can seem that way on the surface, but if so, why are there so many “exceptions to the rule”? And why were there 15 different race categories on the 2010 Census? If they do exist, how many are there, and why do different cultures categorize people in different ways? In short, what is race, and does it even exist in the first place?

We’ll discuss these questions and more with Dr. Jefferson Fish, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at St. John’s University, New York City. He’s the author of more than one hundred journal articles, book chapters, and other works. He’s also written 12 books, including his most recent, The Myth of Race. Today, Dr. Fish will discuss some of the many unscientific myths about race that proliferate our society, the problems they cause, and how we could confront them.

Naturalistic Support Workshop w/ Arnell Dowret

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This week, we will focus on the speed at which we run our lives and how no small part of why we do so involves fear of stopping – I mean stopping long term – like forever.  There’s the existential anxiety, but there’s also our need to feel so connected to so much and so many – except that for most of us, it’s a connection that while being five miles wide, is usually about one inch deep.  Our fear of being vulnerable, and our fear of deep connection keeps us running, and tweeting, and texting – frequently checking our devices, and all the rest – all to try to convince ourselves that we are not vulnerable and we are not fearful of connection.

Becoming empowered to advance your life while also advancing the lives of those around you; attaining a deeper sense of connectedness to others; and experiencing life with sublime inspiration and serenity.  While faith-based and other traditional paths which are based on supernatural beliefs claim to provide these benefits, the reality clearly falls short. Naturalism in contrast, which concerns itself with attaining an understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe that is accurate, reliable, and testable (evidence-based) can actually deliver all of these benefits, with a level of effectiveness that no supernatural-based approach can equal.

Gaining a naturalized understanding of ourselves and how we fit into the world around us can help us reduce thoughts and feelings that diminish our effectiveness and debilitate us mentally and physically such as guilt, shame, regret, blame, resentment, indignation, anxiety, fear, anger, hurt, and feelings of worthlessness; it can sharpen our awareness, deepen our empathy, and support lasting growth. The way we will demonstrate how a naturalistic understanding can accomplish all of this will be by taking calls from listeners who are willing to share how such damaging feelings may be diminishing their happiness.

Naturalistic Support is an approach to providing non-hierarchical peer support, and demonstrating how applied naturalism can facilitate personal growth. It is not a substitute for conventional psychotherapy or other forms of counseling that are traditionally provided by licensed professionals.

Naturalistic Support Workshop w/Arnell Dowret

Audio here!

Becoming empowered to advance your life while also advancing the lives of those around you; attaining a deeper sense of connectedness to others; and experiencing life with sublime inspiration and serenity.  While faith-based and other traditional paths which are based on supernatural beliefs claim to provide these benefits, the reality clearly falls short. Naturalism in contrast, which concerns itself with attaining an understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe that is accurate, reliable, and testable (evidence-based) can actually deliver all of these benefits, with a level of effectiveness that no supernatural-based approach can equal.

Gaining a naturalized understanding of ourselves and how we fit into the world around us can help us reduce thoughts and feelings that diminish our effectiveness and debilitate us mentally and physically such as guilt, shame, regret, blame, resentment, indignation, anxiety, fear, anger, hurt, and feelings of worthlessness; it can sharpen our awareness, deepen our empathy, and support lasting growth. The way we will demonstrate how a naturalistic understanding can accomplish all of this will be by taking calls from listeners who are willing to share how such damaging feelings may be diminishing their happiness.

Naturalistic Support is an approach to providing non-hierarchical peer support, and demonstrating how applied naturalism can facilitate personal growth. It is not a substitute for conventional psychotherapy or other forms of counseling that are traditionally provided by licensed professionals.

Naturalistic Support Workshop w/Arnell Dowret

Audio here!

Becoming empowered to advance your life while also advancing the lives of those around you; attaining a deeper sense of connectedness to others; and experiencing life with sublime inspiration and serenity.  While faith-based and other traditional paths which are based on supernatural beliefs claim to provide these benefits, the reality clearly falls short. Naturalism in contrast, which concerns itself with attaining an understanding of ourselves and our place in the universe that is accurate, reliable, and testable (evidence-based) can actually deliver all of these benefits, with a level of effectiveness that no supernatural-based approach can equal.

Gaining a naturalized understanding of ourselves and how we fit into the world around us can help us reduce thoughts and feelings that diminish our effectiveness and debilitate us mentally and physically such as guilt, shame, regret, blame, resentment, indignation, anxiety, fear, anger, hurt, and feelings of worthlessness; it can sharpen our awareness, deepen our empathy, and support lasting growth. The way we will demonstrate how a naturalistic understanding can accomplish all of this will be by taking calls from listeners who are willing to share how such damaging feelings may be diminishing their happiness.

Naturalistic Support is an approach to providing non-hierarchical peer support, and demonstrating how applied naturalism can facilitate personal growth. It is not a substitute for conventional psychotherapy or other forms of counseling that are traditionally provided by licensed professionals.

Naturalistic Easter Special!

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Join us for another ETFF Easter Sunday Special where we’ll feature a replay of our Easter Day interview with sex advice columnist, humorist, author, and gay rights activist, and creator of the alternative meaning for the word “santorum,” Dan Savage.

We’ll also be taking listener calls to hear about how you are experiencing this holiday season.  And as tradition requires, we will again feature the ETFF classic Jesus verses the Easter Bunny Debate.

There is no audio available for this show

Our guest is Katherine Stewart, journalist and author of numerous books including “The Good News Club: The Christian Right’s Stealth Assault on America’s Children.” She argues that many public school Christian clubs, like the one she discovered at her children’s elementary school, are used to convert and proselytize to other children under the guise of religious freedom. How strong is the push of Christianity in the public schools? If such clubs are legal, should anything be done to prevent their formation? What boundaries should be in place regarding students religious freedom in the public schools? Stewart has been published in the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Village Voice, The Guardian and more.