Podcast appearances and mentions of bill schmitt

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome John Kraemer from the Lego Church Project to discuss how kids can replace screen time with creative play during Lent. Other guests include Bill Schmitt on the rise of foul language in public discourse, and Dr. Benjamin Lewis to discuss a Lenten hymn from St. Gregory the Great. Plus news, weather, sports, and more...

Switch to Catholic Radio for Lent! Download our PDF, cut up the cards, and hand them out to your friends who are looking for something edifying to listen to during Lent… Switch to Catholic Radio for Lent – Download and Print ***** Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome John Kraemer from the Lego Church Project to discuss how kids can replace screen time with creative play during Lent. Other guests include Bill Schmitt on the rise of foul language in public discourse, and Dr. Benjamin Lewis to discuss a Lenten hymn from St. Gregory the Great. Plus news, weather, sports, and more… ***** A Prayer for God’s Protection O God, You are the preserver of men, and the keeper of our lives. We commit ourselves to Your perfect care on the journey that awaits us. We pray for a safe and auspicious journey. Give Your angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways. Let no evil befall us, nor any harm come to our dwelling that we leave behind. Although we are uncertain of what the days may bring, may we be prepared for any event or delay, and greet such with patience and understanding. Bless us O Lord, that we may complete our journey safely and successfully under Your ever watchful care. Amen. ***** Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Cincinnati Right to Life is online at cincinnatirighttolife.org. Dr. Kyle Washut is online at instituteofcatholicculture.org. John Kraemer is online at prayingbricks.substack.com. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome pastoral counselor Kevin Prendergast to discuss remedies for loneliness in a social media-driven world. Other guests include Rita Heikenfeld with Bible Foods, Gary Michuta from Hands On Apologetics, and Courtney Brown from Ruah Woods. Plus news, weather, sports and more… ***** St. Jerome’s Prayer for God’s Mercy O Lord, show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart. I am like the man on the way to Jericho who was overtaken by robbers, wounded and left for dead. O Good Samaritan, come to my aid. I am like the sheep that went astray. O Good Shepherd, seek me out and bring me home in accord with Your will. Let me dwell in Your house all the days of my life and praise You for ever and ever with those who are there. Amen. ***** RECIPES FROM RITA: WINTER TABOULEH Ingredients 1 cup bulghur cracked wheat, #2 grind 1 – 2 containers grape tomatoes, cut up small 3-4 green onions, sliced thin, green and white part both 1 bunch parsley, leaves only, chopped fine 1/2 or more English cucumber, unpeeled, chopped fine 1 bell pepper, chopped fine Several radishes, sliced thin or chopped fine (optional) Cumin to taste — start with 1 teaspoon Dried mint and basil to taste — start with 1 teaspoon each Salt and pepper 1/4 cup oil Lemon juice to taste Instructions Place wheat in bowl and rinse under cool water three times. (Why 3 times? Because my Mom said so!). Leave a thin veil of water after the third rinse on top to soften wheat. Let sit for 20-30 minutes, until water is absorbed and wheat is tender. It should be a little firm but still chewable. If not, add a bit more water and let sit a tad longer. Squeeze remaining liquid out. Add all vegetables and parsley in bowl, mixing gently. Add cumin, mint, basil, salt and pepper and mix. Add wheat, and mix. Add oil and mix. Taste for seasonings. Add lemon juice to taste. ***** Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Brady Stiller, author of Your Life is a Story Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy feast of St. Angela Merici! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell reflect on her legacy as founder of the Ursulines. Guests include Brendan Hodge from The Pillar, and Teresa Tomeo to recap her coverage of this past weekend’s March for Life in Washington. Plus news, weather, sports and more… ***** A Prayer to St. Peter Damian for Insomniacs St. Peter Damian, you were an insomniac for a long period of time. You understand how difficult it is to function after a sleepless night, how hard it is to be kind, understanding and loving when you are exhausted, how frustrating it is to be tired and unable to do your best. Please intercede for us before the throne of God and ask that if it be His will, they may be able to sleep at night and no longer suffer from insomnia. If it is not God’s will at this time, we ask for the grace to use any sleepless hours as a time of prayer, offering that sleeplessness for the souls who most need God’s love and mercy. ***** The Catholic Ministries Appeal for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati is online at catholicaoc.org/cma. Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Stephen Crampton is online at thomasmoresociety.org. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Bill Schmitt from OnWord to discuss 2024's words of the year. Other guests include Fr. John Gavin to discuss what St. Augustine had to say about the incarnation, and Stephanie Mann with more thoughts from St. John Henry Newman on Mary and Advent. Plus news, weather, sports and a whole lot more...

Good morning! On today’s show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Bill Schmitt from OnWord to discuss 2024’s words of the year. Other guests include Fr. John Gavin to discuss what St. Augustine had to say about the incarnation, and Stephanie Mann with more thoughts from St. John Henry Newman on Mary and Advent. Plus news, weather, sports and a whole lot more… ***** An Advent Prayer Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a wonder at the wisdom and power of Your Father and ours. Receive my prayer as part of my service of the Lord who enlists me in God’s own work for justice. Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a hunger for peace: peace in the world, peace in my home, peace in myself. Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me a joy responsive to the Father’s joy. I seek His will so I can serve with gladness, singing and love. Come, long-expected Jesus. Excite in me the joy and love and peace it is right to bring to the manger of my Lord. Raise in me, too, sober reverence for the God who acted there, hearty gratitude for the life begun there, and spirited resolution to serve the Father and Son. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, whose advent I hail. Amen. ***** Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Dr. Matthew Bunson to reflect on the document from the Synod on Synodality, and what changes, if any, are to be implemented in the Church. Other guests include Bill Schmitt from OnWord about the human impulse toward feasts and days of obligation, and This Week in Catholic History with Kevin Schmiesing. Plus all the latest news, weather, sports and more…

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Dr. Matthew Bunson to reflect on the document from the Synod on Synodality, and what changes, if any, are to be implemented in the Church. Other guests include Bill Schmitt from OnWord about the human impulse toward feasts and days of obligation, and This Week in Catholic History with Kevin Schmiesing. Plus all the latest news, weather, sports and more… ***** Prayer of St. Anselm of Canterbury O Lord my God.Teach my heart this day,where and how to find you. You have made me and re-made me,and you have bestowed on me all the good things I possess,and still I do not know you.I have not yet done that for which I was made. Teach me to seek you,for I cannot seek you unless you teach me,or find you unless you show yourself to me. Let me seek you in my desire;let me desire you in my seeking.Let me find you by loving you;let me love you when I find you. Amen. ***** Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy feast of the Holy Name of Mary! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Gary Michuta from Hands On Apologetics to continue our discussion of his book, “Behind the Bible.” Other guests include Rita Heikenfeld with Bible Foods, and Courtney Brown from Ruah Woods with more wisdom from the Theology of the Body. ***** A Prayer to Our Lady, Health of the Sick Our Lady, Health of the Sick,I look to you for the comfort of a mother's love,I pray to you on behalf of those who are sufferingand for my own healing needs.Mary, your love strengthens meand brings me peace. Our Lady, Health of the Sick,embrace all who are emotionally and physically ill that they may return togood health under your tender care. And please intercede for my veryspecial needs. (mention your needs here). Mary, your love strengthens me and brings me peace. Our Lady, Health of the Sick, pray for us. Amen. ***** Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Pat Castle is online at liferunners.org. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy feast of St. Peter Claver! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell discuss his legacy as a witness to human dignity. Guests include Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History, Bill Schmitt from OnWord about how to avoid thinking solely in memes, and Stephanie Mann with more insights as to how St. John Henry Newman was converted by the Church Fathers. Plus all the latest news, weather, sports and more...

Happy feast of Pope St. Pius X! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell discuss his life and legacy, including lowering the age for First Communion. Guests include Gary Zimak from Following the Truth on God's encouragement to the prophet Jeremiah, and Bill Schmitt on the real meaning of the word "joy." Plus news, weather, sports, and more...

Happy feast of St. Matthias the Apostle! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell discuss how he came to replace Judas among the Twelve. Guests include Bill Schmitt to reflect on this year's World Communications Day message,Fr. Boniface Hicks with more thoughts on personal prayer, and Kris McGregor to reflect on selections from the Office of Readings. Plus news, weather, sports, and more…

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Bill Schmitt from OnWord to discuss the Pope's message for World Communications Day. Other guests include Fr Hezekias Carnazzo from the Institute of Catholic Culture and Fr. Jonathan Duncan from the Diocese of Charleston to preview the Sunday Mass readings. Plus news, weather, sports and a whole lot more…

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Bill Schmitt from OnWord to discuss “authentic” as Merriam-Webster's word of 2023. Other guests include Fr. Augustine Wetta on more advice from the Desert Fathers, and canon lawyer Fr. Phillip-Michael Tangorra. Plus news, weather, sports and more...

Happy feast of St. Elizabeth of Hungary! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell talk more about this great saint who serves as a model for caring for the most vulnerable among us. Guests include Ken Craycraft on how various songwriters have handle the subject of death during this month of the Holy Souls, as well as Fr. Hezekias Carnazzo from the Institute of Catholic Culture and Fr. Jonathan Duncan from the Diocese of Charleston to preview the Sunday Mass readings. Plus news, weather, sports and more.. ***** Prayer to St. Joseph the Worker Joseph, by the work of your hands and the sweat of your brow, you supported Jesus and Mary, and had the Son of God as your fellow worker. Teach me to work as you did, with patience and perseverance, for God and for those whom God has given me to support. Teach me to see in my fellow workers the Christ who desires to be in them, that I may always be charitable and forbearing towards all. Grant me to look upon work with the eyes of faith, so that I shall recognize in it my share in God's own creative activity and in Christ's work of our redemption, and so take pride in it. When it is pleasant and productive, remind me to give thanks to God for it. And when it is burdensome, teach me to offer it to God, in reparation for my sins and the sins of the world. Amen. ***** Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. We also discussed the children's book, The Mass and the Manger. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Dr. Jeffrey Morrow, contributor to A Catholic Guide to the Old Testament, to unpack the book of Esther. Other guests include Kevin Prendergast with more thoughts on processing grief, and Rita Heikenfeld with Bible Foods. Plus all the latest news, weather, sports and more… ***** Prayer of St. Clement of Alexandria May we all live in the peace that comes from You. May we journey towards Your city, sailing through the waters of sin untouched by the waves, borne tranquilly along by the Holy Spirit, Your Wisdom beyond all telling. Night and day until the last day of all, may our praises give You thanks, our thanksgiving praise You: You who alone are both Father and Son, Son and Father, the Son who is our Tutor and our Teacher, together with the Holy Spirit.” ***** Dr. Jeffrey Morrow is online at ascensionpress.com. Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Dr. Mark Moitoza is online at milarch.org. Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Al and Bill Schmitt discuss the power of the guardian angels, and we discuss the gentle art of sidewalk counseling with Edmund Miller and Alicia Wong. Scott Hahn joins us to share Biblical Wisdom for the Journey Home.

Al and Bill Schmitt discuss the power of the guardian angels, and we discuss the gentle art of sidewalk counseling with Edmund Miller and Alicia Wong. Scott Hahn joins us to share Biblical Wisdom for the Journey Home.

So, I apologize for the audio in our last episode.  This time around the mix is fixed.  But more importantly, we finally get our dear friend, Bill Schmitt (aka  Muddy), on the show.  This is one of our best episodes!

Happy feast of Pope St. Pus X! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Dr. Matthew Bunson to talk more about his life and legacy. Other guests include Bill Schmitt from OnWord on being catechized by the culture, and Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History. Plus news, weather, sports and a whole lot more… ***** Prayer to St. Joseph by Pope St. Pius X O Glorious Saint Joseph, model of all those who are devoted to labor, obtain for me the grace to work in a spirit of penance for the expiation of my many sins; to work conscientiously, putting the call of duty above my natural inclinations; to work with thankfulness and joy, considering it an honor to employ and develop by means of labor the gifts received from God; to work with order, peace, moderation and patience, never shrinking from weariness and trials; to work above all with purity of intention and detachment from self, keeping unceasingly before my eyes death and the account that I must give of time lost, talents unused, good omitted, and vain complacency in success, so fatal to the work of God. All for Jesus, all through Mary, all after thy example, O Patriarch, Saint Joseph. Such shall be my watch-word in life and in death. Amen. ***** Dr. Benjamin Lewis is online at icelweb.org. Bill Schmitt is online at onword.net. Pat Flynn, author of The Best Argument for God Full list of guestsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Paul felt it was important to put Daniel's book title in the episode title, but Bill's suggested title is too good not to place somewhere: TSSM: NEW BOOK EXPLORES MEANING IN MOTION In this new episode of the “That's So Second Millennium” podcast, your host Paul Giesting, assistant professor of mathematics and sciences at Wyoming Catholic College, interviews his faculty colleague, Dr. Daniel Shields, assistant professor of philosophy. Shields's book, Nature and Nature's God: A Philosophical and Scientific Defense of Aquinas's Unmoved Mover Argument, has just been released by Catholic University of America Press and is available for purchase here. This discussion is tailor-made for these two Catholic scholars who bring broad scientific and philosophical knowledge, plus fervor for conversations at the intersection of multiple disciplines, to their research and teaching. It is also tailor-made for the “TSSM” podcast, which seizes this golden opportunity for a curtain-call while remaining on official hiatus. The podcast generated about 150 episodes between 2018 and 2022, with co-host Bill Schmitt. They focused on the intersection, incorporating everyday life and the pursuit of virtuous wisdom—past, present, and future. Shields makes reference to Dr. Robert C. Koons, professor of philosophy at the University of Texas at Austin. Koons wrote a review of Nature and Nature's God, praising its integration of natural philosophy and metaphysics. The book combines scientific knowledge with insights into the writing of St. Thomas Aquinas. Shields and Giesting go into depth on Aquinas's proofs for the existence of God, especially his favored “first way”—arguing our cosmos filled with motion needs an “unmoved mover” at its origin (and beyond). The discussion elaborates on the idea that God keeps everything in motion. The book, Shields explains, goes on to apply natural philosophy and metaphysics to such subjects as statistical mechanics, contemporary cosmology, and even biology. Through it all, Shields and Giesting make mention of many historical figures, from Aristotle to Copernicus to Newton to Maimonidesto Helmholtz. Present-day references include Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ, known as the Pope's Astronomer, and quantum physics scholar Sean Carroll.

Good morning! On today's show, Matt Swaim and Anna Mitchell welcome Bill Schmitt from OnWord to unpack this weekend's annual World Communications Day message. Other guests include Stephanie Mann with more stories of English martyrs, and Kevin Schmiesing with This Week in Catholic History. Plus all the latest news, weather, sports, and everything you need to start your day.

Happy feast of St. Ambrose of Milan! On today's show, Dr. Matthew Bunson talks more about this great Doctor of the Church who was a mentor to St. Augustine. Other guests include Bill Schmitt from OnWord about “Gaslighting” as Merriam-Webster's word of the year, and Dr. John Bergsma with more insights into Matthew's genealogy of Jesus. Plus news, weather, sports and a whole lot more...

The co-hosts announce that the TSSM podcast, now posting our 146th episode, will begin a hiatus, but all programs and show notes will continue to be archived and accessible. This episode allows Dr. Paul Giesting and Bill Schmitt to look back on their four-and-a-half years of interviews and discussions seeking a greater synthesis of knowledge: an exploration of science and religion, philosophy and spirituality, neuroscience and quantum physics, policies and principles, history and the future, to better understand ourselves and the values and virtues in our lives. Our curiosity and concerns are grounded in our experiences as cradle Catholics, a confidence that faith and reason can grow together as essentials for problem-solving wisdom, and a desire to honor the Church a central source of guidance and continuing growth. Our first episode was posted on April 2, 2018, more than four-and-a-half years ago. We have welcomed a long list of well-known guests with expertise in a variety of fields, seizing the opportunity for rigorous but highly accessible, interdisciplinary and inspirational, conversations that transcend silos of specialization. We are grateful for the grand adventure of pursuing truth and reality, both visible and invisible, with the scholars and thought-leaders who shared their insights. That's So Second Millennium was the first podcast to provide structured news coverage and commentary on the conferences and lectures of the Society of Catholic Scientists, and we interviewed a number of SCS members. Both Paul and Bill have been members of the growing, international organization. Paul, who holds a PhD in Geology from the University of Notre Dame, presented a lecture on uranium and nuclear power at the SCS 2022 conference in Chicago. In this episode, we made references to Billy Joel's “We Didn't Start the Fire” and to “Sing God a Simple Song”—from Leonard Bernstein's We talked about Wyoming Catholic College, where Paul is on the faculty, and we talked Holy Cross College, where Bill taught as an adjunct professor for three semesters before moving from South Bend, IN, to Troy, NY, in 2022. Both solidly Catholic colleges, we agreed, excel in their efforts to integrate the different aspects of our humanity and the various forms of knowledge within the hearts and minds of students. Paul and Bill are inveterate Catholic communicators and educators. Learn more about Paul's background in teaching, consulting, and public service. Learn more about Bill's life as writer-editor, broadcaster-blogger, and author. Here are some of the people we have been privileged to interview: SCS president Stephen Barr; planetary scientist Jonathan Lunine; astrophysicist and astronomer Brother Guy Consolmagno, SJ; theologian Paul Seongh Chung; Magis Center president and EWTN series host Father Robert Spitzer, SJ; astrochemist Karin Oberg; neurobiologist Maureen Condic; speaker-evangelist Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers; pro-life experts Richard Doerflinger and Christopher Bell; geologist Anne Hofmeister; cybersecurity expert Michael Cloud; psychologist Darcia Narvaez; business professor-author Anjan Thakor; and soul and spiritual musician Micki Miller. Learn more about them in the show notes accompanying their TSSM episodes. Thanks also to our friend, composer and performer Vin Marquardt, for writing our podcast's closing theme for a long time, “Igneous Grok.”

Christopher Bell, president and executive director of Good Counsel Homes, is “on the frontline of the pro-life movement,” as The Catholic World Report wrote in a 2021 profile. Chris and TSSM co-host Bill Schmitt have been friends since their college years, when they were both studying journalism. Co-host Paul Giesting joined the two native Long Islanders for a discussion of Catholic values in the abortion debate shortly after the leak of a draft US Supreme Court decision which pointed toward a Court decision overruling Roe v Wade. In 1985, Bell co-founded Good Counsel with Father Benedict Groeschel, who was a much-loved voice in Catholic spirituality and media and a member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal. Good Counsel operates four homes to provide basic necessities and steps toward a stable future for moms and their babies, unborn and recently born, in New York and New Jersey. The homes are a pro-life alternative available at no cost to mothers who choose to give birth rather than abort their babies. The trajectory of politics and policies in New York and New Jersey has been strongly pro-abortion. The differences in approaches among all the states are being highlighted more than ever in the context of the Supreme Court's pending decision in Dobbs v Jackson Women's Health Organization.

Listen as Bill Schmitt shares his expertise from a career in journalism, both as a journalist and a teacher of journalism and multi-platform communication, and enlightens us on current trends in communication and how we need to communicate in such a way as to encourage the pursuit of truth.  Jesus Christ is the truth, so seeking and communicating truth leads us closer to the Truth which is Jesus Christ.Can telling the truth be sinful?Is there a moral aspect to how we communicate and use words?Does our culture embrace truth-based communication?What is disinformation?  Is it different from outright lies?What does the Church teach about morally responsible communication?What can we do to ensure what we communicate does not detract us from a life of holiness?Find out more about Bill Schmitt   Onward CommunicationsRead Pope Francis 2018 World Day Communication addressWhen Headlines Hurt, by Bill SchmittMay the Lord grant you His peaceDavid Seitz, OFS Support the show

Welcome to this 130th episode of our podcast. Here's a lively conversation between two geoscientists—testifying to the opportunities for Society of Catholic Scientists (SCS) members to enjoy discussions which are at once elevated by their personal values and grounded in their diverse, expert explorations of God's creation. Paul spoke with Natasha Toghramadjian, a Ph.D. student in geophysics—and seismology in particular—at Harvard University. She performs wide-ranging research on earthquake dynamics and risks in California and around the world. She spent a year in Armenia on a US Fulbright research grant to design a study on future earthquakes there and the connection between risk preparedness and regional politics. Toghramadjian, a student member of the SCS, was a speaker at the 2021 national conference in Washington, DC. See the video of her talk here, at about the 7-hour, 19-minute mark. The talk was titled, “Earthquakes, their Consequences, and the Jesuit Pioneers of Seismology.” This podcast conversation included Toghramadjian's mentions of the earthquake hazards in Oklahoma and the Newport-Inglewood Fault in California, considered more dangerous than the San Andreas Fault for the Los Angeles region. A note from Natasha: at one point just before the 16 minute mark, she said "40 meters" when she meant "40 miles onshore." She discussed with Paul the common but wrong view that we hold Christian beliefs despite natural evidence. Scientists use natural evidence, including the enduring laws of physics, chemistry, and biology, in their attempts to understand God's creation more fully. The two agreed that science and religion are in harmony as paths for pursuing the truth amid great mystery. A “keeper” quote from Toghramadjian: “Every human you encounter is an imperfect representation of whatever they say they stand for. . . . It's very easy to point to a bad example, a person, rather than point to the source material that we're all trying to follow but we all inevitably fall short of because we're fallen.” Show notes prepared by TSSM co-host Bill Schmitt

In this episode, we chat with Bill Schmitt, the editor of Telling Stories That Matter (https://www.staugustine.net/our-books/books/telling-stories-that-matter/), a volume of collected memoirs and essays by Fr. Marvin O'Connell. We chat about Fr. O'Connell's long tenure in Notre Dame's department of history, how he was tapped to write the biography of Holy Cross Father Edward Sorin, and how his pastoral ministry as a priest related to his scholarly work in the classroom. Special Guest: Bill Schmitt.

Question or Answer? In this podcast: Bill Schmitt discusses Jeopardy, Alex Trebek, and Catholicism on trivia shows. https://onword.net https://onword.net/2020/11/11/ten-questions-we-can-learn-from-alex-trebek Show Notes: https://www.kyleheimann.com/show963 More "Catholic Games" episodes: https://www.kyleheimann.com/category/games Subscribe to the DAILY Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Android Podcast | Other Android Apps | SoundCloud | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify Subscribe to "Catholic Games" Apple Podcasts | Google Podcast | Other Android Apps | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube @KyleHeimannShow Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube @KyleHeimann -This show is a production of Redeemer Radio -Custom music written by Shawn Williams for The Kyle Heimann Show -Licensed via The Sound Cabin Inc.

In this episode, Bill presents excerpts from an interview with fellow Secular Franciscan Tim Short, director of formation for the Indiana Region. They discuss, among other things, St. Francis' attitude toward creation and how it relates to the larger picture of the medieval Christian intellectual world and the birth of modern science. Tim Short, OFS, is a member of the Secular Franciscan Order, whose initials in Latin are OFS. This international, canonically approved Roman Catholic order was founded by Saint Francis of Assisi especially for laypeople. Members belong to local, regional and national fraternities. Tim is the director of formation for the Our Lady of Indiana regional fraternity. He previously served as formation director for the Immaculate Conception local fraternity of the Order (still commonly abbreviated as SFO in the United States), located in Mishawaka, Indiana. Tim and podcast cohost Bill Schmitt are both professed members of the SFO, having professed a lifetime commitment to the Rule of Life which St. Francis composed. Francis also composed rules to govern orders of friars and nuns, the latter commonly called the Poor Clares. Tim has been instrumental in starting a new website that will serve SFO fraternities’ needs for “ongoing formation.” Find this “OFS Ongoing” website at https://secularfranciscansusa.org/ongoing-formation-resources/ When you visit the site, you’ll see a major resource Tim composed for a series of small-group discussions that can be used by any fraternity but was used first by the fraternity in Mishawaka.  The resource, “A Journey Through John,” is based on the Gospel of John and  reflects the importance Secular Franciscans are to place upon the Gospels as keys Francis used in building an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Resources drawn from Franciscanism, Pope Francis, and the beloved “Peace Prayer of Saint Francis” have been composed by Bill Schmitt and are also described at the new website. Other priorities in formation include an ever-deeper embrace of the Rule of Life and of the early writings from St. Francis and his friars who provided authoritative insights into the foundational Franciscan charisms. Tim pointed out in our interview that Saint Francis lived during a time when the old ethos made little distinction between Catholic religious thinking and what we would call scientific thinking. A time of greater doubt and division was emerging during Francis’ lifetime (circa 1180-1226). Francis’ sense of mission emphasized peacemaking, healing, and an embrace of natural life in all of creation, so one can see him as a bridge-builder encouraging love and awe for circumstances we would deem ripe for scientific analysis. See more of Tim's work at ofsongoing.com.

Living Stones on Facebook Special guest Bill Schmitt at OnWord.net The post Episode 250: Special on coronavirus with guest Bill Schmitt appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

Living Stones on Facebook Special guest Bill Schmitt at OnWord.net The post Episode 250: Special on coronavirus with guest Bill Schmitt appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

We welcome Darcia Narvaez, Ph.D., to the microphone. She is a professor of psychology at the University of Notre Dame, specializing in developmental cognition, the human brain, and behavior. She has authored or edited numerous books, including Indigenous Sustainable Wisdom: First Nation Know-how for Global Flourishing (2019); Basic needs, wellbeing and morality: Fulfilling human potential (2018); and Developing the virtues: Integrating perspectives (2016). A cornerstone of her research, Neurobiology and the development of human morality: Evolution, culture and wisdom (2014), received the Expanded Reason Award from University Francisco de Vitoria and the Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation. The award recognizes innovation in scientific research and academic programs based on Pope Emeritus Benedict’s proposal to broaden the horizons of reason. This expansion questions and incorporates reflections on the anthropology, epistemology, ethics, and meaning that exist within a specific science. The foundation selected her book from among more than 360 entries from 30 countries. Prof. Narvaez discusses here the concepts she groups together as “Evolved Nest” perspectives on child development and human flourishing. They serve as a lens for understanding the current state of our society and culture—our “downward cycle” in the collective pursuit of wisdom, morality, and community interaction. You can explore the concepts and their relevance for children, adults, and human ecology at evolvednest.org. She writes about an array of topics connected to this in a widely popular Psychology Today blog called “Moral Landscapes.” Based on her research and informed by her diverse experiences (spanning seven careers, as she puts it), she suggests several ideas for recapturing a sense of wholeness amid the woundedness in human nature. Several characteristics of modern society have arisen over the past few centuries to cause the wounds seen today in civic life, communities, families, and individuals, she says. Drawing upon lessons from cultures that existed a long time ago, her suggestions to restore wholeness include such often-forgotten basics as more frequent engagement with nature, thinking new thoughts, journaling, and free-spirited play. “People don’t know themselves,” she comments. “You can get a lot of work done if you take a break.” Morgan Burkart is the audio engineer for this third season of “That’s So Second Millennium.” Our original theme music, “Igneous Grok,” is by Vin Marquardt. Paul Giesting, Ph.D., is a geologist, consultant, and public intellectual with a passion for philosophical and theological insights into the world that complement scientific knowledge. Bill Schmitt, MPA, is an independent journalist, consultant, musician, and multimedia content producer in the fields of higher education, engineering, religion, and public affairs.

This week, events have forced another "greatest hits" episode, and so we bring you for your convenience the entire Maureen Condic interview from the June 2019 Society of Catholic Scientists meeting in a one hour and forty-five minute extravaganza. The following are Bill's liner notes from the first run episodes. University of Utah’s information page for Dr. Maureen Condic. She is an Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Anatomy, with an adjunct appointment in Pediatrics. Her research focuses on the role of stem cells in development and regeneration. She has taught human embryology in the University’s Medical School for 20 years. See Dr. Condic’s biographical summary in the list of speakers at the Society of Catholic Scientists 2019 conference titled, “What Does It Mean to Be Human?” At the conference, this embryologist and specialist in developmental neurobiology delivered the St. Albert Award Lecture: “Human Beings are Defined by Organization.” Dr. Condic is the 2019 recipient of the St. Albert Award, named for Saint Albert the Great, the Catholic Church’s patron saint of natural scientists. The award is given annually to a Catholic scientist whose life and work give witness to the harmony that exists between the vocation of scientist and the life of faith. See more details about the award, including its previous recipients. Dr. Condic’s previous awards include the Basil O’Connor Starter Scholar Research Award, created in 1973 and presented by the March of Dimes to support a young scientist’s promising new research. The March of Dimes was established by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, initially to fight polio. Today, the foundation focuses on health problems in babies, especially premature birth, birth defects, and low birth weight. Find context for the program of research support here. Dr. Condic also has been the recipient of a Scholar Award for research from the McKnight Endowment Fund for Neuroscience. In 2018, she was appointed to the National Science Board. The NSB establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation and serves as advisor to Congress and the President. She is a member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, which is dedicated to promoting the Catholic Church’s consistent life ethic and supporting research in bioethics and moral theology. When confronted with alternative views and occasionally accused of being “brainwashed” with a pro-life stance, Dr. Condic says one must ask, what view actually makes more sense of the world? A quote from the episode: “What vision of the world actually accounts for most of the data? In my experience, it’s a Christian vision of the world, and particularly a Catholic vision of the world, that very much endorses precisely the kind of questioning mind that promotes scientific investigation….” Another key thought from the episode: The information generated in scientific disciplines is so huge, it forces many scientists to make their own fields of specialized inquiry “narrower and narrower.” Also, “they have no time” to give deep consideration to many big questions about life, the world, and the origin of the universe. “Particularly in biology, there’s such an intoxication with success.” Individuals who are indeed brilliant and making remarkable progress for people may become confident that they can answer all the important questions. Starting at about the 22-minute mark in this episode, Dr. Condic tells the story of an event that changed her life and produced her commitment to public advocacy and public education.“ She saw a need to combat ignorance or oversimplification about scientific advancements and to be “an advocate for patients and knowledge and factual information.” Dr. Condic also provides a valuable, clear update on parts of the debate about disease treatments using embryonic stem cells as opposed to adult stem cells, with research on the latter having resulted in a huge number of clinical trials and prospects for various treatments. A major new phase of the research has moved on to the use of induced pluripotent stem cells, which do not raise the same ethical issues as embryonic cells. In presenting the St. Albert Award during the Society of Catholic Scientists conference, president Stephen Barr, Ph.D., pointed out Dr. Condic’s “courageous public defense, on scientific and philosophical grounds, on the human status of human embryos.” Our discussion of totipotent, pluripotent, and plenipotent stem cells helped to clarify a complex subject of great importance to many people, such as those who suffer from diseases awaiting therapies capturing the power of these cells. Dr. Maureen Condic, as a pioneer in this field, contributed insights in 2013 by developing the concept of plenipotent cells. See her journal article. Our discussion also led to a sense of wonderment about the ability of cells to follow such complex paths of development, starting with the organism created when sperm and egg combine. The product and the process can easily be dismissed as a simple mass of cells, or one can recall Psalm 139:14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” In this episode, we discussed how it seems viscerally sad that the amazement, which is itself so full of potential, can be lost in everyday discussions of human life. Related to this, Dr. Condic pointed out that there is an unfortunate lack of philosophical education among many scientists. Here is a blog post from Scientific American discussing synergies between science and philosophy—synergies which are at the core of this podcast’s mission. We discussed the relevance of the philosophical concepts of form and substance. Here’s a web page explaining those concepts. This book, written by Dr. Condic and her brother sounds like it is a rare and valuable synthesis of philosophical and biological insights about life: Human Embryos, Human Beings. She noted in our episode that such an extended, on-point synthesis is rare for various reasons, including the need to clarify vocabulary used on both sides of the dialogue, avoiding the risk that we will talk past each other. She has written another book, this one examining the biological and philosophical issues around human twinning, Untangling Twinning. It is scheduled for publication in the summer of 2019. For now, a computer search using this title yielded, as one of the first finds, a copy of a news release written by TSSM podcast co-host Bill Schmitt and posted at classicaltheism.com. The conversation involving Dr. Condic, Dr. Giesting and Schmitt turned to the complexities of the nation’s debate about abortion. That debate engages a mix of biological facts (which may or may not be probed in the full context of updated knowledge), personal experiences, and deeply held principles, positions, and emotions including authentic sympathy for the circumstances in which pregnant women find themselves. Although providing scientific insights is a crucial advancement of the debate because people deserve to have comprehensive information, the laying out of certain biological facts alone will not necessarily change minds, Condic said. In many cases, much of the public presentation of the abortion controversy dividing people is manufactured, but there is room for honest discussion on particular grounds. We each can play a part in adding to human understandings in this controversy. People evolve their judgments on the wide scope of the debate incrementally over time. But the search for a full overview is complicated; indeed, Dr. Condic referred to difficulties she and her brother Samuel Condic encountered (different vocabularies, etc.) in compiling their book Human Embryos, Human Beings. The book aims to bring together philosophical and biological insights about human life at its beginning. In short, the abortion debate requires us to spend more time in listening to each other, asking questions, probing the basis of people’s stances, and less time in simply lecturing, she said. Paul talked about his experience with identical twins in his family. Twinning is a complex arena for understanding “who you are,” raising core questions with biological and philosophical implications. Our discussion around the microphone extended to research on the topics of compaction and chimeras. Condic has written a book that delves into the complexities. Untangling Twinning is scheduled for publication this summer. There are also biological phenomena complicating an understanding of our human nature in sexual terms. There can be complex factors differentiating between one’s genetic sex and one’s hormonal sex, Condic said. A very small segment of the population has genetically compound sexual identities. Intersex disorders can occur in a variety of ways, although in the vast majority of cases questions of a person’s gender identity are not grounded in physical causes, Condic said. Studies in some areas raise questions within the LGBTQ community itself. Among many, endeavors focusing on a “gay gene” that would undergird a statement that “I was born this way” have been diminished by a view that gender identity is fluid or is driven by non-genetic factors.

Your co-hosts Ken Hallenius and Bill Schmitt have started the journey through the Catholic Church’s teaching documents relevant to environments of communication. The Second Vatican Council (held from 1962 to 1965) was the first such council at which a document specifically about communication media was promulgated. The primary document we want to consider, Inter Mirifica, … Continue reading S3E2 – The Church’s Counsel on Media

Your co-hosts Ken Hallenius and Bill Schmitt have started the journey through the Catholic Church’s teaching documents relevant to environments of communication. The Second Vatican Council (held from 1962 to 1965) was the first such council at which a document specifically about communication media was promulgated. The primary document we want to consider, Inter Mirifica, … Continue reading S3E2 – The Church’s Counsel on Media

A TOUR OF RESOURCES TO BOOST CATHOLIC COMMUNICATORS We welcome you to Series Three of our podcast! Through the first two season of “EncounterPoints,” your co-hosts Ken Hallenius and Bill Schmitt have looked at the crucial Church mission of evangelization through a couple of lenses which have “caught our eye” as Catholics. Series One examined … Continue reading Introduction to Series 3

A TOUR OF RESOURCES TO BOOST CATHOLIC COMMUNICATORS We welcome you to Series Three of our podcast! Through the first two season of “EncounterPoints,” your co-hosts Ken Hallenius and Bill Schmitt have looked at the crucial Church mission of evangelization through a couple of lenses which have “caught our eye” as Catholics. Series One examined … Continue reading Introduction to Series 3

Paul here. A short episode this week. We're taking a little time off to celebrate the milestone of releasing our last SCS 2019 conference speaker interview with Megan Levis last week. The pace of interviews is likely to slow a bit, but we have several that we're looking forward to. Next week we have Fr John Hollowell, an engaging priest, campus minister, prison chaplain, blogger and social media personality here in the Archdiocese of Indianapolis. We will be talking to Jonathan Lunine again soon to further explore his fascinating perspective. Bill is in discussions with John Cavadini, theologian at Notre Dame, and hopefully we will get the chance to explore some issues related to education and culture from a Catholic perspective. Paul is also getting ready to record the first version of a talk on faith and science in his own life that he hopes to begin giving at colleges and perhaps parishes, which we will release here as well. Discussions are still underway for Gold Masses here in central Indiana. It's possible that Indiana University, IUPUI in Indianapolis, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, and Purdue University might have Gold Masses, depending on whether more people get involved and help make the events happen. Now some thoughts from Bill: Friends, this episode is a short, simple, heartfelt note befitting an approach that has been at the heart of “That’s So Second Millennium” right from its start nearly a year and half ago. The approach springs from the vision that prompted Dr. Paul Giesting to start this podcast and which resonated strongly with Bill Schmitt—yours truly, Paul’s co-host and the “show notes” writer. What is the vision? As Paul says at the beginning of each episode, “we look forward to the new synthesis in the new millennium between faith, philosophy and science.” We seek to celebrate continuous inquiry in all three fields by talking with great guests about how their own pursuits of knowledge and wisdom have brought deeper, broader insights from which we all can benefit. There’s good reason to pursue the benefit because this third millennium has brought us more challenging questions which must be addressed with a full toolkit for understanding. Inspired by our passion to spread updated, holistic, well-grounded understanding of many aspects of human life, visible and invisible, this podcast aims to generate authentic conversations with you, our listeners. The authenticity includes candor about another aspect of life in this millennium (or any millennium): It’s tough out there on Planet Earth. One must give voice to the frustrations marking our past, present and future as earthen vessels who are called to carry forward graces inextricably submerged in mystery. Paul’s inviting us to share the frustration and mystery with him in order to deepen our conversations. It’s our intention to continue expanding the conversations on our side of the podcast. If we don’t do that, there’s no chance to help achieve the synthesis that can bring greater happiness and healing in our very exciting world of cracked pots. Paul outlines some of our planned interviews and collaborations as an invitation for greater outreach on your side of the podcast. Let’s keep the amazing momentum of 77 episodes going and growing!

In this podcast: Joining us for a game is our good friend Bill Schmitt, I didn't read his email because I like being surprised. http://www.encounterpoints.com Check this out on YouTube Hear more interviews on Youtube: kyleheimann.com/youtube Subscribe to the (highlights) Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Android Podcast | Other Android Apps | Stitcher | RSS | Spotify Podcast: www.kyleheimann.com Live: www.redeemerradio.com Email: show@redeemerradio.com follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube @KyleHeimannShow Call/Text: Holy Cross College Textline: 260-436-9598 Theme Song: -Custom music written by Shawn Williams (www.musicbyshawnwilliams.com) for The Kyle Heimann Show -Licensed via The Sound Cabin Inc. (www.thesoundcabin.com)

https://www.kyleheimann.com/show736game/ ()In this podcast: Joining us for a game is our good friend Bill Schmitt, I didn't read his email because I like being surprised. http://www.encounterpoints.com (http://www.encounterpoints.com) Check this out on https://youtu.be/Q3CIdBpX1po (YouTube) Hear more interviews on Youtube: http://www.kyleheimann.com/youtube (kyleheimann.com/youtube) Subscribe to the (highlights) Podcast: http://bit.ly/khsitunes (Apple Podcasts) | http://bit.ly/khsgoogle (Android Podcast) | http://bit.ly/khsandr (Other Android Apps) | http://bit.ly/khsstitch (Stitcher) | http://bit.ly/khsrss (RSS) | http://bit.ly/khsspot (Spotify) Podcast: http://www.kyleheimann.com (www.kyleheimann.com) Live: http://www.redeemerradio.com (www.redeemerradio.com) Email: show@redeemerradio.com follow us on social media: https://www.facebook.com/KyleHeimannShow/ (Facebook), https://twitter.com/kyleheimannshow (Twitter), https://www.instagram.com/kyleheimannshow/ (Instagram), http://www.kyleheimann.com/youtube (YouTube) @KyleHeimannShow Call/Text: Holy Cross College Textline: 260-436-9598 Theme Song: -Custom music written by Shawn Williams (http://www.musicbyshawnwilliams.com (www.musicbyshawnwilliams.com)) for The Kyle Heimann Show -Licensed via The Sound Cabin Inc. (http://www.thesoundcabin.com (www.thesoundcabin.com))

Our discussion of totipotent, pluripotent, and plenipotent stem cells helped to clarify a complex subject of great importance to many people, such as those who suffer from diseases awaiting therapies capturing the power of these cells. Dr. Maureen Condic, as a pioneer in this field, contributed insights in 2013 by developing the concept of plenipotent cells. See her journal article. Our discussion also led to a sense of wonderment about the ability of cells to follow such complex paths of development, starting with the organism created when sperm and egg combine. The product and the process can easily be dismissed as a simple mass of cells, or one can recall Psalm 139:14, “I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” In this episode, we discussed how it seems viscerally sad that the amazement, which is itself so full of potential, can be lost in everyday discussions of human life. Related to this, Dr. Condic pointed out that there is an unfortunate lack of philosophical education among many scientists. Here is a blog post from Scientific American discussing synergies between science and philosophy—synergies which are at the core of this podcast’s mission. We discussed the relevance of the philosophical concepts of form and substance. Here’s a web page explaining those concepts. This book, written by Dr. Condic and her brother sounds like it is a rare and valuable synthesis of philosophical and biological insights about life: Human Embryos, Human Beings. She noted in our episode that such an extended, on-point synthesis is rare for various reasons, including the need to clarify vocabulary used on both sides of the dialogue, avoiding the risk that we will talk past each other. She has written another book, this one examining the biological and philosophical issues around human twinning, Untangling Twinning. It is scheduled for publication in the summer of 2019. For now, a computer search using this title yielded, as one of the first finds, a copy of a news release written by TSSM podcast co-host Bill Schmitt and posted at classicaltheism.com.

Is Pope "for" or "against" digital communication? In this podcast: Bill Schmitt joins us to talk about the Papal document "Christus Vivit," specifically it's implications for digital media culture including the pitfalls and their potential https://onword.net/2019/04/03/digital-media-diagnosis-pope-francis-seeks-new-links-to-the-young Check this out on YouTube Hear more interviews on Youtube: kyleheimann.com/youtube Subscribe to the (highlights) Podcast: Apple Podcasts | Android Podcast | Other Android Apps | Stitcher | RSS Podcast: www.kyleheimann.com Live: www.redeemerradio.com Email: show@redeemerradio.com follow us on social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube @KyleHeimannShow Call/Text: Holy Cross College Textline: 260-436-9598 Theme Song: -Custom music written by Shawn Williams (www.musicbyshawnwilliams.com) for The Kyle Heimann Show -Licensed via The Sound Cabin Inc. (www.thesoundcabin.com)

In his 2018 World Communications address, Pope Francis spoke to the importance and dignity of journalism, and the now widespread much talked about the problem of fake news. Against that backdrop, the Holy Father recalled the promise of Jesus that the truth will set us free. Wouldn’t we all like a little more truth in the world? Over our airwaves? And online? But, how do we find the truth that we seek? That search must begin with prayer. And so Pope Francis offered a new version of an old, beloved prayer, popularly attributed to his namesake- Saint Francis of Assisi. Pope Francis concluded his message by asking that the lord, make us instruments of His peace, and then when line by line, through the Saint’s prayer to mold it to the needs of our time. For good, reliable, personal and true communication. Our guest today was so taken by this message of Pope Francis, and his renewed Franciscan prayer, that he wrote a book about it. Bill Schmitt, is a long time journalist, and communications specialist. Who also happens to be a third order Franciscan. He is here with us to talk about journalism, noise and silence, information and formation, and his book: "When Headlines Hurt: Do We Have a Prayer?" ------ Resources: When Headlines Hurt: Do We Have a Prayer? - http://a.co/d/0fJh4zB ------ Live: www.redeemerradio.com Follow Redeemer Radio on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @RedeemerRadio Follow McGrath Institute for Church Life on Facebook/Twitter/Instagram: @McGrathND Subscribe to the Podcast: iTunes | Google Play | SoundCloud

OnWord.net Living Stones Media The post Episode 167: World Day of Communications with Bill Schmitt Part 2 appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

Today was just one of those days where I needed a script to get through a three minute intro. I summarize the interview afterward. Paul: "Welcome to Episode 20 of That's So Second Millennium."I'm Paul Giesting, a geologist, researcher, consultant, writer, and your co-host on this journey through the beautiful frontier country between science, philosophy, and religion as they stand here at the beginning of the third millennium. My opposite number is Bill Schmitt, a journalist, radio personality, and dab hand with the accordion."This week Bill managed to snag an interview with Father Robert Spitzer, who runs the Magis Center out on the West Coast and is the host of Father Spitzer's Universe on EWTN. He's published a number of books, which tend to have provocative titles; the one that I've read is called New Proofs for the Existence of God. That's an exciting read for anyone interested in the subject matter of this podcast, and travels through scientific and philsophical and mathematical arguments like the debate over fine tuning--whether Someone had to deliberately create the universe as it is, given how tightly constrained many physical constants seem to have had to be in order for any of the complex structures of atoms, planets, and stars to form and allow the appearance of life--and the question of whether it really makes any sense to speak of a "reverse infinity" and a universe that has always existed. Indian thinkers, Plato and Aristotle, and even Thomas Aquinas either thought that the universe has always existed or at the very least that there is no logical contradiction in saying that it could have always existed in time, even while Aristotle and Thomas asserted that the universe could not have an infinite chain of causes and needed a Prime Mover. Spitzer, in New Proofs, brings forward arguments from the philosophy of mathematics that perhaps this idea of a reverse infinity is not really logically coherent at all...a topic for one or more future podcasts."For today, Bill talked to Father Spitzer about the state of culture and the demographics of young people leaving the practice and even the identification of faith and citing as one reason the perceived contradiction between science and faith, initiatives to fight that, and the real absurdity of this perceived contradiction. With that I'll let Bill take it away." Bill: Introduces our podcast and the motivations: value to filling holes in the culture, addressing the young.Spitzer: Most recent Pew survey in 2016 comments on the high fraction of young people not just leaving the Church for a while, not just leaving a Church, but leaving faith altogether and becoming agnostic or atheistic. 49% of those leaving cite the perceived contradiction between science and religion as a key reason.Bill: Proposes two reasons why that might be: was this gap "percolating" for a long time and just not being addressed, or is there a recent development pushing this.Spitzer: It's both. The gap has been there for a long time [below the surface]. There are a lot of internet resources, social media outlets devoted to pushing an atheistic worldview. This feeds back into schools. Science teachers and professors that publicly espouse atheism meet audiences that are already primed that direction and certainly have no answers to contradict what they're being told.One of his initiatives is crediblecatholic.com, where there is a bundle of resource modules presenting core arguments for the consistency of the Catholic faith and science and even arguments that discoveries in science point toward faith, not unbelief, in a Creator as the more sensible interpretation of reality. Pushing to get this curriculum into every diocese and every confirmation class and Catholic school curriculum.Example topics: the Shroud of Turin, evidence for an intelligent Creator, near death experiences, evidence for a transphysical soul, 20th and 21st century accounts of miracles that have been thoroughly investigated with scientific methods.Bill: The New Atheism is almost built on being shallow, on an attitude of mockery rather than on a serious analysis of evidence. This approach is the opposite: really multi-faceted.Spitzer: Cardinal Newman talked about the "informal inference" to faith. It's not one argument; it's about twenty lines of reasoning. In our day we have if anything more of these, all the way from philosophical to scientific arguments to faith on the large scale to countless examples of miracles that have withstood thorough scrutiny by skeptical researchers. This is what the Credible Catholic approach is trying to convey.We've tested the curriculum on beta groups of students in Austin, New York, Los Angeles and gotten remarkably high marks from these groups (97% positive / very positive, rated anonymously).Bill: Pope Benedict foundation awards for "expanded reason" and the problems with positivism, scientism.Spitzer: The logical contradiction at the very foundation of Vienna Circle positivism: it makes the self-contradictory claim that "the only valid knowledge is scientifically verifiable knowledge"...good luck checking that statement by scientific methods. That's a school of thought from the turn of the 20th century; we in the Church have been wrestling with it for a long time.Reminiscence about a debate on Larry King Live with Stephen Hawking (et al.) and the claim that science had replaced philosophy...this is likewise straightforwardly impossible; science and philosophy do fundamentally different things. For that matter, so do science and mathematics.Bill: A contradiction that I see more than ever: our culture and educational system is arguing for atheism and at the same time dumbing down our understanding of basically everything, while there is a growing s(S)ociety of Catholic Scientists...[a quick back and forth]Spitzer: Artificial intelligence's potential is overrated when it is claimed that it can become creative in anything like a human fashion. It can't find new truths; they don't love [or will] or have any of the transcendentals. Computers are marvellous tools that, *in tandem with us*, can take us to new places we could not get without this kind of effort multiplier...Studies on religious and non-religious affiliated groups, with the latter having much higher rates of maladaptions: suicide, substance abuse, impulsivity, depression, etc. Augustine's comment about our hearts being restless until we rest in God seems to be empirically corroborated.Closing: CredibleCatholic.com, Notre Dame initiatives to educate high school science teachers on the interrelations between faith and science. "So there we have it. I also want to thank Father Spitzer for taking the time to give this interview. We hope to present many more interviews as That's So Second Millennium matures and gets going. The point of the podcast has always been to get conversations started about these core issues, whether and how to be a logically coherent believer in the modern age. It's started with these conversations between Bill and I, but the point is to move outward and engage with more of you. The time is rapidly coming to expand this outreach another step or two, through social media and ordinary human interactions. Right now you can check out the Facebook page for That's So Second Millennium, and you can leave ratings and reviews on one or more of our podcast servers, Apple, Google Play, Stitcher, or Podbean."

OnWord.net Living Stones Media The post Episode 167: World Day of Communications with Bill Schmitt Part 2 appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

Living Stones Media OnWord Communications The post Episode 166: World Day of Communications with Bill Schmitt appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

Living Stones Media OnWord Communications The post Episode 166: World Day of Communications with Bill Schmitt appeared first on Mater Dei Radio.

On this week's show, we welcome independent journalist and multimedia consultant , author of , for a conversation about "fake news" and Pope Francis' teachings on modern communications.

To mark a series of January Church feast days that offer special inspiration to Catholic educators, we are pleased to publish three short podcasts discussing the lives of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. John Neumann, and St. Andre Bessette. The second podcast in this series comes from ACE's Senior Director of Teacher Formation and Education Policy, John Schoenig, who joins Bill Schmitt for a conversation about the life of St. John Neumann, as well as Blessed John Henry Newman and their contributions to Catholic education. Interested in similar reflections? Pick up a copy of "5 Minutes with the Saints, More Spiritual Nourishment for Busy Teachers" at https://ace.nd.edu/pages/5-minutes-with-the-saints.

Genesis 19, Dare To Dream: The Cost of Living in Two Worlds, Bill Schmitt