Open To Truth

What is the meaning of life? What's the meaning in life? Are those separate questions? In any case, we explore various potential sources of meaning and what to make of them.  We discuss whether meaning if objective or subjective, to what extent we can give our own lives meaning, the implications of the existence of God on meaning, and what exactly we mean by "meaning"! Stay Curious!

One of the trickier problems in theology is sorting out how God can know the future and how human beings can have free will.  If God can't be wrong about his beliefs, and some of his beliefs are about my future decisions, then don't I have to make certain decisions (lest God be wrong - which is purportedly impossible!). We discuss the problem at length and examine an interesting, yet controversial way to relieve this tension: Open Theism. Stay Curious!

Why do people decide to get married? In particular, what is the rationale behind monogamous marriages and why would that be a choiceworthy arrangement for people to aspire to rather than an alternative?  There's much more to be said on this topic than what we get into, but here's a start! Stay Curious!

You wrote in - we responded! We discuss your questions about whether it makes sense to pray for Satan, whether conceiving is unethical due to the impossibility of acquiring consent, if the government has monopoly on education and is abusing it, and religious experience regarding prayer and trinity. Stay Curious!

In part 2 of this conversation, we discuss some of the major misconceptions about the theory of evolution and one of the bigger concerns for people of faith  - what to make of the origins of human beings. Stay Curious!

Why do we have the various lifeforms on this planet that we do? What is the biological history leading up to this moment?  And for those who are people of faith, what are the implications theologically, if any, for the various answers to those questions? In this episode, Dr. Janet Kellogg Ray, author of Baby Dinosaurs on the Ark?, discusses some of the main pieces of evidence for evolutionary theory and addresses the prominent arguments offered in opposition.   We get into many subtopics such as the whether there is conflict between science and religion, what motivates anti-evolutionary ideas, the fossil record, flood geology, and human evolution.  Stay tuned for next week's part 2 and as always.... Stay Curious!

Animals are killed for the purpose of being eaten by humans. This fact has come under ethical scrutiny much more in recent years, mostly due to the exposure to the public of HOW we get our meat. Most of it is from factory farming. We discuss some of the horrors of this process, how this impacts the ethics of consumption of animal products and a way forward for those wishing to live a more ethical life. Stay Curious!

Debates on the Freedom of Speech have raged over the last decade.  With the advent of social media, a greater voice has been given to everyone - and there's no doubt that some speech will be hateful or have negative consequences.  The question we are all asking is how much speech should be allowed - when are we justified in limiting someone's liberty to freely speak?   Stay Curious!

It has long been a part of Western theology that the divine is morally good - morally perfect even.  But how should we think about this perfection; what does it mean? Does God have to do the right thing - does God have moral obligations? What does the right thing mean when we are talking about God - isn't God in some way the source of morality?  What sorts of things are "moral principles" anyway? They seem pretty weird.  We discuss all of this and more in this week's episode. Stay Curious!

Though not in the national spotlight currently, the topic of organ donation continues to touch the lives of many people.  Those in need of organs and their loved ones can be surprised at the intricacies of getting more organs and who is prioritized to receive them.  It involves consent laws, whether to allow people to buy and sell organs, and how we allocate the organs once we get them.   Stay Curious!

We are self-interested - at least a little bit.  The question posed in this episode is whether we always act out of self-interest, and further if acting toward self-interest should be a foundational moral obligation.  Such views are known as Egoism and we explore both.  Does it spell doom for ordinary morality? Are there good arguments for and against it? Stay Curious!

Going through a faith deconstruction process can be quite distressing.  Family, friends, and trusted pillars of your communities may have polarizing reactions. There is a psychological toll from the upheaval of deeply held beliefs.  And, the spiritual impact can bring peace one day and turmoil the next, regardless of the baggage you bring to the table.   You are not alone.  You aren't bad for being in the thick of it.   Join the conversation as Clint and Tony share about the emotional, psychological, and spiritual texture of their deconstruction experiences. Stay Curious!

Freedom of the Will - it's one of the oldest philosophical topics.  People have wondered about it for ages and for good reason - whether we have it changes quite a bit about other aspects of our worldview.  We discuss some metaphors to help us understand the topic better and some key arguments for and against it. Stay Curious!

There are some who argue that engaging in procreation is morally wrong.  This view is often called anti-natalism.  The reasons for holding the view vary, but, of course, there are many who find the idea absurd.  At the very least, the ethics involved highlight some important flashpoints surrounding the ethics of procreation and how we view the value of a human life.  Clint is among the most guilty if the view turns out to be correct!  What do you think - should we have kids? Stay Curious!

As long as there has been religious thinking and behavior, there has been religious art.  Some pieces of religious art are among humanity's most celebrated and renowned works.  It is also not uncommon for religious art to make its way into a religious community's life of worship - in other words, iconography.  There are those who worry that such iconography amounts to idolatry.  In this episode, we discuss the ideas of art, icons, and idols to see if we can arrive at some reasonable conclusions concerning how to think and act toward various versions of religious art. Stay Curious!

Information is incredibly important.  It serves a crucial role in our process of reasoning and decision-making.  Unfortunately, knowing that your source of information is reliable is difficult.  Who do you trust? How do you know that the information those you trust are using was properly sourced?  This problem has many levels and is playing itself out in real time.  In this conversation, we discuss our own process of deciphering what information to trust and how this impacts what we think about the biggest topics of our day. Stay Curious!

Few ideas have received more attention in recent memory than justice.  It is a foundational ethical notion that deserves a fair hearing.  We discuss how this concept relates to other prominent ideas such as fairness, equality, equity, rights, and more.  We try to locate justice in ethics broadly considered and what role it should play in our ethical theorizing and decision-making. Stay Curious!

Few ideas have received more attention in recent memory than justice.  It is a foundational ethical notion that deserves a fair hearing.  We discuss how this concept relates to other prominent ideas such as fairness, equality, equity, rights, and more.  We try to locate justice in ethics broadly considered and what role it should play in our ethical theorizing and decision-making. Stay Curious!

We all want to be good parents, but it is a difficult job. No one gives you a manual when you take that baby home from the hospital that teaches how to raise virtuous, thriving people. In this episode, we discuss general parenting wisdom and strategy, and then try to determine ways that our goals can be thwarted - and try to mitigate them! Is there some content that our kids ought never be exposed to under our watch? How do you go about correcting behavior? What are some of the most common parenting challenges? Stay Curious!

To what degree do we have control over what we believe? Of course, we are influenced by our experience and circumstance, but do you have "ultimate" control whereby you can decide whether to believe something? In this episode, we explore the ethics of belief, the role we have in belief formation, and how a certain view on the matter might lend itself to more easily practicing the intellectual virtues. Stay Curious!