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Show 427: How to be Secular w/ Jacques Berlinerblau

How to be Secular w/ Jacques Berlinerblau

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This Saturday, Matthew LaClair will interview Jacques Berlinerblau on his new book, How to Be Secular: A Call to Arms for Religious Freedom.  Berlinerblau is a professor at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and director of the Program for Jewish civilization.  He has written numerous books, is a regular contributor to the Washington Post’s “On Faith” column, and hosts the podcast “Faith Complex.”  In the book How to Be Secular, Berlinerblau enlightens readers on the realities of secularism, covering its intriguing and complex historical roots and trajectory, and its immense challenges.  He argues for increased cooperation among theists and non-theists, less focus on an absolute separation of church and state, and for a nuanced and informed approach to tackling the Religious Right “Revivalists.”

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Show 426: Naturalistic Support Workshop w/Arnell Dowret

Naturalistic Support Workshop w/Arnell Dowret

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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.

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Show 425: Naturalistic Easter Special!

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.

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Show 424: Robert Jensen on Arguing for Our Lives

Robert Jensen on Arguing for Our Lives

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Why is being neutral – as regards politics and religion – not acceptable in a democracy? How can we engage in meaningful public or personal dialogue about politics and religion in a deeply polarized society? How do we engage people who can’t (or won’t) discern facts and evidence from opinions and beliefs? And what can we do toward creating a more educated, more intellectual, and more empathic society?

We will address these vital questions and more as we discuss with Robert Jensen his new book: Arguing for Our Lives: A User’s Guide to Constructive Dialog.

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Show 423: The Christianization of our Public Schools w/ Katherine Stewart

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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.

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Show 422: Eric Gawiser

Astrophysicist Eric Gawiser on Science: What it is, and Why it’s not What you think it is.

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Why do so many people misunderstand science today in America? Why do some think science is just as fallible at understanding reality as religion or New Age philosophy are.. even less so? Why can’t so many Americans understand what constitutes legitimate evidence; and why do those who do, discount such as limiting humanity’s ability to understand the universe because of science’s “close-minded materialism?” After all, hasn’t science gotten it wrong many times before? Most of all, how do we convince others that there IS an objective reality, and science IS the best way to access it.. no matter their religious or new-age convictions?

Join us as our newest host, Xaquri Rzetelny, discusses these questions and more with Associate Professor of Astrophysics at Rutgers University, Eric Gawiser.

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Show 419: Naturalistic Support Workshop w/Arnell Dowret

Naturalistic Support Workshop w/Arnell Dowret

Audio Here!

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.

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Show 418: Education in Crises?

Education in Crises?

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With nationwide battles between the State and the Teacher’s Union on how we teach our children, the only voices heard seem to be conservative and centrist. There doesn’t seem to be anyone representing the children, themselves. But progressive voices do exist, and we will speak with two of them concerning the current crises in American education.

Kate Burch is Principal of  Harvest Collegiate High School which was her master’s thesis at Teacher’s College Columbia University. She graduated from Harvard with high honors in history and literature. She taught at an alternative school, Humanities Prep, for many years. In 2007 she spent a year in Ghana on a Fulbright from Yale and developed lessons about Africa to bring back to the classroom.

Alfie Kohn is an American author and lecturer who has explored a number of topics in education, parenting, and human behavior. He is considered a leading figure in progressive education and has also offered critiques of many traditional aspects of parenting, managing, and American society more generally, drawing in each case from social science research. Kohn’s challenges to widely accepted theories and practices have made him a controversial figure, particularly with conservatives and those who defend the specific practices he calls into question, such as the use of competition, incentive programs, conventional discipline, standardized testing, grades, homework, and traditional schooling.