Podcasts about Christopher Hitchens

From The Divinely Uninspired Podcast - Episode 59 - Deconstructing Atheism, Parental Lies, and Olympic Wrap-Up --- Deconstructing Faith: A Thoughtful Discussion on Religion, Atheism, and Belief In this episode, we dive into the complexities of faith, deconstruction, and the impact of religious upbringing. Our conversation touches on reading influential atheism books by Christopher Hitchens, Richard Dawkins, and Sam Harris, and the challenging arguments these authors present. We discuss the process of deconstructing and reconstructing faith, the historical and cultural influences on Christianity, and the importance of open, honest conversations about doubt and belief. Join us as we explore these deep topics and share our personal journeys and insights. 00:00 Introduction: Parental Influence and Truth  00:18 Exploring Atheism: Influential Authors 01:07 Deconstructing Faith: Personal Journey 02:30 The Brutality of Sam Harris 03:45 Cultural Christianity and Identity 09:06 Atheism vs. Theism: Systems of Faith 14:06 Critiques of Religion: Historical and Ethical Issues 16:07 The Monument to Money 17:00 Deconstructing Faith 18:40 Raising Children in Faith 20:30 Science vs. Religion 21:29 The Importance of Admitting 'I Don't Know' 26:18 Winning Arguments vs. Winning People 30:27 Concluding Thoughts and Upcoming Events

Le rasoir de Hitchens est une règle de pensée simple, tranchante… et terriblement efficace. Elle tient en une phrase :« Ce qui est affirmé sans preuve peut être rejeté sans preuve. »Cette maxime est attribuée à Christopher Hitchens, essayiste et polémiste anglo-américain connu pour son style incisif, son goût du débat et son exigence intellectuelle. On parle de “rasoir” par analogie avec d'autres outils logiques comme le rasoir d'Occam : une règle qui “rase” les explications inutiles pour ne garder que l'essentiel. Ici, Hitchens ne rase pas les hypothèses trop compliquées : il rase les affirmations gratuites.Une arme contre les croyances infalsifiablesLe rasoir de Hitchens repose sur une idée fondamentale en rationalité : la charge de la preuve appartient à celui qui affirme. Si quelqu'un prétend quelque chose, c'est à lui de fournir des éléments solides pour le soutenir. Ce n'est pas à l'interlocuteur de démontrer que c'est faux.Et ça change tout. Car dans beaucoup de discussions, surtout sur Internet, la logique est inversée : une personne lance une théorie invérifiable — par exemple “les élites contrôlent tout”, “on nous ment”, “on a caché des preuves” — puis exige que les autres prouvent que c'est faux. Mais si l'affirmation ne repose sur rien de sérieux, on n'a pas à perdre son temps à la réfuter point par point : on peut la rejeter immédiatement.Exemple concretImagine quelqu'un qui dit :“Un esprit invisible hante mon appartement.”S'il n'y a aucune preuve, aucun indice, aucune observation vérifiable, le rasoir de Hitchens permet de répondre :“OK, mais je n'ai aucune raison d'y croire.”Pas besoin d'enquêter pendant trois semaines pour “prouver” qu'il n'y a pas de fantôme.Attention : ce n'est pas du cynismeLe rasoir de Hitchens ne dit pas : “tout est faux jusqu'à preuve du contraire”. Il dit : “je n'accepte pas une affirmation sans base”. C'est une posture intellectuelle saine, qui protège contre les rumeurs, les pseudo-sciences, les théories complotistes… mais aussi contre certaines manipulations politiques ou marketing.En résumé : le rasoir de Hitchens est une règle de bon sens déguisée en principe philosophique. Une règle qui rappelle ceci : si tu veux convaincre, apporte des preuves. Sinon, ton affirmation peut être balayée. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Nathan and Cameron engage in a deep theological discussion on current events through the lens of Ross Douthat's provocative new book Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious, exploring whether Christianity should be embraced for its civilizational benefits or because it is true. Drawing on debates with New Atheism, secular sociology, and figures like Christopher Hitchens, Phil Zuckerman, Jordan Peterson, and Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Nathan and Cameron wrestle with questions of truth, human brokenness, consciousness, demons, and the limits of scientific explanation, all while grounding the conversation firmly in historic Christian theology. This episode is designed for Christians seeking thoughtful, intellectually serious engagement with culture, politics, and belief, offering a robust defense of Christianity that moves beyond pragmatism toward truth, discipleship, and Christian hope in a rapidly changing world.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

This video explores the theology, philosophy, and Christology of Martin Luther King Jr. I argue that he is best understood as a moderate American Unitarian.I mention Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther, Michael King Sr. (Martin Luther King Sr.), Schleiermacher, Paul of Samosata, William Ellery Channing, Paul Tillich, Henry Nelson Wieman, Coretta Scott King, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jaspers, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Walter Rauschenbusch, Mahatma Gandhi, Saint Augustine, Saint Anselm, Blaise Pascal, Os Guinness, Keith Ward, Desmond Tutu, Francis Collins, Christopher Hitchens, and more.

In this week's episode, Tucker Carlson is worried the horny woman in the area is his wife so he wants to ban porn, and Ross Douthat totally would've won that argument against Christopher Hitchens if he hadn't been tired.---To make a per episode donation at Patreon.com, click here: http://www.patreon.com/ScathingAtheistTo buy our book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Outbreak-Crisis-Religion-Ruined-Pandemic/dp/B08L2HSVS8/If you see a news story you think we might be interested in, you can send it here: scathingnews@gmail.comTo check out our sister show, The Skepticrat, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/the-skepticratTo check out our sister show's hot friend, God Awful Movies, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/god-awful-moviesTo check out our half-sister show, Citation Needed, click here: http://citationpod.com/To check out our sister show's sister show, D and D minus, click here: https://danddminus.libsyn.com/Report instances of harassment or abuse connected to this show to the Creator Accountability Network here: https://creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org/---Guest Links:Check out James' memes here: https://www.facebook.com/Pligmemes---Headlines:Court upholds $400,000 fine against lawyer who warned Catholic school about predator on staff: https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/court-upholds-400000-fine-againstPaxton sues his own transportation department for not putting religious ads in official docs: https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/texas-attorney-general-sues-stateColorado's ‘first public Christian school' ordered to close building over safety concerns: https://www.chalkbeat.org/colorado/2026/01/10/riverstone-academy-public-christian-school-ordered-to-close-building/Tucker Carlson warns that porn addiction is greater threat than Islam, exposes US to conquest:https://www.christianpost.com/news/tucker-carlson-warns-porn-addiction-exposes-us-to-conquest.html

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about Ilhan Omar's sick reaction to the anitsemitic mass shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach in Sydney Australia while talking to MSNOW's Ali Velshi; the latest details of the brutal murder of Rob Reiner and his wife and Reiner's touching response to the murder of Charlie Kirk and Erika Kirk's message of forgiveness on Piers Morgan Uncensored; Charlie Kirk giving GBNews' Ben Leo a dire warning about the proliferation of Islam in the west; Christopher Hitchens' dark warning from 2009 about Islam and how the word "islamophobia" will be used as a weapon against the west; Jasmine Crockett openly supporting letting in more illegal immigrants to become migrant farm workers and do the work that slaves once did; Lydia Moynihan clearly explaining to CNN's Abby Phillip the dangers of Islamic immigration into America; and much more. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Noble Gold Investments - Whether you're looking to roll over an old 401(k) into a Gold IRA or you want physical gold delivered right to your home Noble Gold makes the process simple. Download the free wealth protection kit and open a new qualified account and get a FREE 10-ounce Silver Flag Bar plus a Silver American Eagle Proof Coin. Go to http://DaveRubinGold.com Morgan & Morgan - Morgan & Morgan is America's Largest Injury Law Firm, with over 1,000 attorneys operating in all 50 states. If you're ever injured in an accident, you can start your claim in just a click without having to leave your couch at https://www.forthepeople.com/Rubin Tax Network USA - If you owe back taxes or have unfiled returns, don't let the government take advantage of you. Whether you owe a few thousand or a few million, they can help you. Call 1(800)-958-1000 for a private, free consultation or Go to: https://tnusa.com/dave 

Yes, the CIA tortured inmates suspected of terrorism in the immediate aftermath of 9/11. Two of the primary men involved with creating this program are Mormon, one was called to be a Bishop after taking $81mn from the government to torture people. We discuss the report, how it came to light, some of the key figures along the way, and the fight over the FOIA release of the report in the courts. After that we talk about The Report, wherein Adam Driver plays Dan Jones who led the investigation at the direction of Senator Dianne Feinstein. Then we have some happy news about libraries getting funding that was promised to them.   CW: torture, suicide   Show Notes:  Torture: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture#Punishment  Torture in the United States: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_in_the_United_States#History_of_U.S._Accession  US Senate report on CIA torture "The Torture Report": https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/U.S._Senate_report_on_CIA_torture  The Torture Memos: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torture_Memos  7 Key Points form the C.I.A. Torture Report by Jeremy Ashkenas, Hannah Fairfield, Josh Keller, and Paul Volpe: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/12/09/world/cia-torture-report-key-points.html  Jay Bybee: The man behind waterboarding, by Randy James: https://time.com/archive/6914445/jay-bybee-the-man-behind-waterboarding/  Bruce Jessen: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bruce_Jessen  Enhanced Interrogation Techniques: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enhanced_interrogation_techniques  Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Survival,_Evasion,_Resistance_and_Escape  Torture, Ethics, Accountability? By David R Katner: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://lawecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2791&context=luclj  CIA Paid Torture Teachers More Than $80 Million by Robert Windrem: https://www.nbcnews.com/storyline/cia-torture-report/cia-paid-torture-teachers-more-80-million-n264756  Torture victims will bear psychological scars long after CIA report scandal fades: https://www.theguardian.com/law/2014/dec/13/learned-helplessness-enduring-effects-torture-haunt-victims  The Torture Debate by David Anderson: https://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/2005/12/23/the-torture-debate/21435/  The CIA and the Church: https://mormonr.org/qnas/H2jKm/cia_and_the_church  The senate torture report is a condemnation of Mormon moral reasoning: https://bycommonconsent.com/2014/12/10/the-senate-torture-report-is-a-condemnation-of-mormon-moral-reasoning/  The Role of the LDS church in developing torture by Cherry O Top: https://churchofthefridge.com/role-lds-church-developing-torture/  Mormonism and Torture — Paradoxes and First Principles by Boyd Petersen: chrome-extension://oemmndcbldboiebfnladdacbdfmadadm/https://sunstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/69-71_Petersen_torture-3.pdf  Christopher Hitchens tries waterboarding via Vanity Fair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LPubUCJv58 Nixon Tapes "Cancer on the Presidency" - Dean and Nixon discussing blackmail https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnUJa6uuL_Y Nixon "I'm not a crook" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCEQP2-qOJk Electronic Frontier Foundation on OPEN Governt Act https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2008/01/key-open-government-reform-legislation-becomes-law ACLU Torture Report landing page https://www.aclu.org/cases/senate-torture-report-foia Executive Summary of the Torture Report https://www.intelligence.senate.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/sites-default-files-documents-crpt-113srpt288.pdf NPR on Abu Zubaydah https://www.npr.org/2022/03/03/1084161762/supreme-court-rules-against-disclosure-in-torture-case NSI info sheet on FOIA https://nsarchive2.gwu.edu/nsa/foia/guide.html Electronic Frontier Foundation on history of FOIA https://www.eff.org/issues/transparency/history-of-foia Privacy Act of 1974 https://www.justice.gov/opcl/privacy-act-1974 https://www.justice.gov/opcl/overview-privacy-act-1974-2020-edition 1966 hearing on CIA and FBI invasions of privacy https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CHRG-89shrg61406p6/pdf/CHRG-89shrg61406p6.pdf MOGP: The Report: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8236336/ The portrayal of CIA in 'The Report': Separating Truth from Fiction by Brian Greer https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/portrayal-cia-report-separating-truth-fiction   Happy News:  https://ilovelibraries.org/article/all-federal-library-grants-previously-canceled-by-federal-agency-restored/   Other appearances: Chris Shelton interviewed us in the beginning of a series on Mormonism on his Speaking of Cults series. Our most recent discussion was on the Mountain Meadows Massacre: https://youtu.be/iJWirjCyWdk  He has had MANY different fascinating people on so go take a look!  Here is the whole playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OpGuS7GcsgA&list=PLGrPM1Pg2h72ADIuv8eYmzrJ-ppLOlw_g   Email: glassboxpodcast@gmail.com  Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/GlassBoxPod  Patreon page for documentary: https://www.patreon.com/SeerStonedProductions BlueSky: @glassboxpodcast.bsky.social  Other BlueSky: @bryceblankenagel.bsky.social and @shannongrover.bsky.social  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glassboxpodcast/  Merch store: https://www.redbubble.com/people/exmoapparel/shop Or find the merch store by clicking on "Store" here: https://glassboxpodcast.com/index.html One time Paypal donation: bryceblankenagel@gmail.com  Venmo: @Shannon-Grover-10  

Prof John Lennox joins Justin to talk about his life and legacy - finding faith during 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland, his academic life at Cambridge and Oxford University, speaking in the USSR and debating the 'new atheists' such as Richard Dawkins & Christopher Hitchens. John also shares candidly about being sustained by his faith in the midst of health challenges for his wife Sally. More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via Tax-deductible (USA) and get the same perks: https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Give a one-off gift via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Got feedback? Share it with us by emailing: feedback@think.faith Ep 27 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/season-2-episode-27-lennox The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes, when the weather is too miserable to be outside and my daily meditation writing has been converted to bits and bytes, I scroll through YouTube videos picking up bits and tids of interesting information. Most videos are relatively short, making it extremely easy to fall into a video vortex, losing hours that can never be recovered for future investment. One of the YouTube rabbit holes I lose myself in, centers on the increasingly common debates between theists with atheists. I find the debates between the intellectually brilliant minds of atheist Christopher Hitchens and his ilk with the equally brilliant minds of theists who are hobbled by dogmas requiring a certain amount of cognitive dissonance to shoehorn into their otherwise cogent arguments.

Sam Harris speaks with Douglas Wilson about his book Frequently Shouted Questions about Christian Nationalism. They discuss Wilson's debates with Christopher Hitchens, the landscape of American evangelicalism, young-earth creationism, pre- vs. post-millennialism, the concept of dominionism, what Christian nationalism actually means, the supposed failure of secularism, the separation of church and state, religious tests for public office, women's suffrage, homosexuality and sodomy laws, capital punishment for adultery, the biblical case for slavery, the foundations of morality without God, Charlie Kirk's memorial service, heaven and hell as consequentialist frameworks, the nature of miracles, and other topics. If the Making Sense podcast logo in your player is BLACK, you can SUBSCRIBE to gain access to all full-length episodes at samharris.org/subscribe.

Bell Curve author joins the intellectual mob (Peter Thiel, Jordan Peterson, Ross Douthat et al) and finds GodCharles Murray, the infamous co-author of the Bell Curve, has joined the crowd and is Taking Religion Seriously. But what if God doesn't take him seriously—or worse, finds his work on cognitive elites sufficiently annoying to sentence him to give powerpoint presentations on IQ for eternity? Murray doesn't seem too stressed by these Dantesque scenarios. Instead, he's eager to keep up with his Quaker wife, Catherine Bly Cox, who has taken religion far more seriously than Murray himself. Even Murray's discovery of God feels slightly detached and skeptical—as if the social scientist is laughing at himself for doing such an unverifiable and perhaps even low IQ thing. So if Murray can't take his own faith seriously, why should God—or fellow skeptics of today's mob fashion for religion—take him any more seriously? 1. The Intellectual Zeitgeist Has Shifted on Religion Twenty years ago, the New Atheists (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens) dominated intellectual discourse. Today, figures from Peter Thiel to Jordan Peterson to Ross Douthat are taking religion seriously again. Murray sees this as the West emerging from “intellectual adolescence”—no longer assuming our Enlightenment parents were wrong about everything.2. Science Has Flipped from Religion's Enemy to Its Unexpected Ally For centuries, scientific discoveries (evolution, psychology, astronomy) delivered body blows to religious belief. But Murray argues that 20th-century science—from the Big Bang to near-death experiences to the hard problem of consciousness—has created new mysteries that materialism can't explain but religion can. We've moved from a “god of the gaps” to genuine scientific anomalies that challenge pure materialism.3. Spiritual Sensitivity Is a Trait, Not an Achievement Murray believes sensitivity to spiritual matters is like musical ability or artistic appreciation—a genetically grounded continuum from low to high. His wife has access to spiritual insights he doesn't. This isn't about intelligence (both Christopher Hitchens and Francis Collins are brilliant) but about a distinct cognitive capacity. Smart people at Harvard don't believe because they lack this trait, not because they're smarter.4. Murray Is Chasing His Wife's Faith (and Losing) Catherine Bly Cox began her religious journey after feeling she loved their baby “more than evolution required”—sensing she was a conduit for mysterious, superfluous love. Her faith has slowly evolved “like a light on a rheostat.” Murray, the empiricist, can't access what she experiences. He's stuck investigating historicity and near-death experiences while she explores meaning and the human condition. He's envious but can't catch up.5. Murray Won't Apologize for The Bell Curve—Even to God When pressed about whether guilt over his controversial work might motivate his religious turn, Murray was emphatic: “Not the slightest. I am not only proud of the bell curve, I think that the bell curve contains the germ of a lot of the arguments I've been making to you today.” He insists God cannot be anthropomorphized or placed on an IQ scale. But his refusal to reckon with how his life's work might look from a divine perspective—or from the perspective of Christian love and universal human dignity—suggests his religious journey remains fundamentally intellectual rather than transformative. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Dave Rubin of "The Rubin Report" talks about Zohran Mamdani being forced to explain his lie about his "aunt" being the victim of islamophobia after the 9/11 attacks; "The Daily Show's" Jon Stewart doubling down on supporting Zohran Mamdani for all the wrong identity politics reasons; Christopher Hitchens' dark warning from 2009 about islamophobia that appears to have come true; Gavin Newsom getting caught lying to "The Story Is" host Elex Michaelson about his son being a fan of Charlie Kirk; Tim Walz getting caught twisting the words of White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt about Donald Trump's prioritizing of the construction of the new White House Ballroom; Scott Bessent's tense exchange with "Meet the Press'" Kristen Welker about why the Democrats refuse to end the federal government shutdown; Abby Phillip telling "The Breakfast Club's" Charlamagne tha God how Donald Trump has actually enacted a lot of policies that Bernie Sanders supported, but the Democratic party was unwilling to push for; Gavin Newsom telling "The Story Is" host Elex Michaelson why Joe Rogan is too afraid of him to have him on his podcast; and much more. Today's Sponsors: Prolon - Rejuvenate your body from the inside out, while supporting enhanced skin appearance, fat loss, and improving energy and focus. Prolon is offering 15% off and a $40 bonus gift for Rubin Report viewers when you subscribe to their 5-Day Nutrition Program. Go to: http://ProlonLife.com/DAVE Shopify - Turn your big business idea into money with Shopify on your side. Shopify is the commerce platform behind millions of businesses around the world from household names to brands just getting started. Go to Shopify and sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial and start selling today at Go to: http://shopify.com/rubin Noble Gold Investments - Whether you're looking to roll over an old 401(k) into a Gold IRA… or you want physical coins and bars delivered right to your home Noble Gold makes the process simple, safe, and stress-free. Download the free wealth protection kit and open a new qualified account and get a FREE 10-ounce Silver Flag Bar plus a Silver American Eagle Proof Coin. Go to http://DaveRubinGold.com

I've anticipated this interview for 6 years. Robyn Davidson has lived one of the most mythologised lives in Australian memory.She famously and unintentionally burst onto the scene with Tracks in 1988, which was a 2,700km camel trek across the Simpson desert. She'd never intended to write a book or document anything of it's kind from the journey, but was desperate for some money to gather supplies for the impending trip. She figured $1000 would do, and serendipitously met the National Geographic photographer who put her on the map whilst cleaning windows as a part time gig in Alice Springs. He said that if she wrote to National Geographic telling them about the journey, then she might get what she needed.They paid her $4,000 which Robyn comments 'was a fortune', and from there, the rest is history.Robyn has since lived between India, London and Australia but travelled most elsewhere on the map. She was with Salman Rushdie while he wrote the 'Satanic Verses', has published a series of books and articles documenting the lives of nomads, lived an 'aristocratic life' with her partner Narendra Singh Bhati in the high Himalayas and most recently published an autobiography titled 'Unfinished Woman'. Robyn say's to me that 'memoir is the slipperiest genre'.I have waited 6 years to do this interview with Robyn. She has a dream guest of mine since before the podcast began. We recorded earlier this year in rural Victoria. The interview is Robyn's life. What led up to tracks, and what happened after. Robyn reflects on her lifelong resistance to labels. Not a “writer,” not a “traveller,” not a “feminist icon,” but simply, as she says, “a person.” We speak about memoir, the slipperiness of memory “in retrospect, memory is imagination”.She speaks candidly about solitude, beauty, and depression, her family, fame, about the distortion of the famous photographs “Rick made me look like a Vogue model, that wasn't me”, and her uneasy relationship with literary celebrity in London alongside Doris Lessing, Salman Rushdie, Christopher Hitchens, Martin Amis and more.“Whenever you write in the first person, you are necessarily creating a character — a doppelgänger. She is me, but she's not quite me.”“The truth is, memory is imagination.”“I worship the phrase ‘I don't know.' If you don't have ‘I don't know,' you can't learn anything.”“If you have a firm identity, you're trapped in it.”In this podcast you can expect the following discussion. The Performed Self & Identity“Whenever you use the first-person pronoun, you are necessarily creating a character.”The Narrative Fallacy“We invent neat, linear, emotionally satisfying stories to explain what happened… but the world is messy, chaotic and driven by chance.”Freedom, Nomadism & Refusal to Be FixedFreedom and movement — literal and intellectual — define her resistance to labels like “travel writer” or “author.”Chance, Fate & Serendipity“On the tiniest turning point you can head off in a billion directions.”Depression, Nihilism & Meaning“It's a terrible pain that hovers somewhere between the physical body and the mental body.”“To learn how to deal with a profoundly nihilistic view and to counter that view — that's been the most formative moment of my life.”Beauty, Objectification & Subjecthood“If that journey was about anything, it was about being the subject of my own life, not an object.”Feminism, Rebellion & the 1968 GenerationThe spirit of the late-'60s counterculture — radical freedom, equality, and experimentation — shaped her worldview.Authenticity vs. Fame“What I was interested in was knowledge and whether people were genuine or

An 18-year-old boy lies dying. When asked if he's afraid, he simply says, “Yeah.”In this episode, I explore what that single word reveals about mortality, honesty, and the limits of Stoicism. From family stories of loss to Christopher Hitchens' final writings, we look at the stark truth that no philosophy can soften: we will all die, and that's okay to admit.Listen for a reflection on death, courage, and the quiet strength of facing fear without pretending it's not there.

An 18-year-old boy lies dying. When asked if he's afraid, he simply says, “Yeah.”In this episode, I explore what that single word reveals about mortality, honesty, and the limits of Stoicism. From family stories of loss to Christopher Hitchens' final writings, we look at the stark truth that no philosophy can soften: we will all die, and that's okay to admit.Listen for a reflection on death, courage, and the quiet strength of facing fear without pretending it's not there.

On this very special episode, we share some of the most important individual paragraphs of writing in our lives - paragraphs that have planted acorns in our brains that have grown over time into mighty oaks. We revisit Thomas Mann, Christopher Hitchens, Jean-Luc Godard, and other luminaries. PLUS: Checking in on Bari Weiss at CBS. Join us on Patreon for an extra episode every week - https://www.patreon.com/michaelandus Our classic Leonard Cohen episode - https://www.patreon.com/posts/186-new-skin-for-44083560 Past Essential Paragraphs discussions: https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-essential-28574337 https://www.patreon.com/posts/bonus-essential-36315183 The tweet that Luke cites in the opening discussion - https://x.com/mattpolprof/status/1976069728541245770

In this latest episode of the “More From Sam” series, Sam and Jaron talk about current events and answer some of the questions you all submitted on Substack. They discuss the Israel-Hamas peace deal, the plans to build a Qatari air force facility in Idaho, why Trump lies about golf, the assassination of Charlie Kirk and the reactions from the Left and the Right, what Ezra Klein got wrong in his piece about Kirk, Sam's relationship with Christopher Hitchens, Bari Weiss and The Free Press, and rapid fire questions.

Rick Welch sits down with filmmaker and documentarian, Darren Doane. Darren Doane is a renegade filmmaker known for blending punk energy with bold storytelling. He began his career directing iconic music videos in the 1990s, working with bands like Blink 182, and went on to create feature films and documentaries that dive into faith, philosophy, and culture. His projects include Collision with Christopher Hitchens and Douglas Wilson as well as the controversial Saving Christmas. Doane has built his career outside the Hollywood system by choosing independence over permission. He is part artist, part disruptor, and part entrepreneur, and today he is here to share how he does it.Check out our sponsors of this episode!My Secret Ingredient: www.mysecretblends.comHalfback Mountain Soap: www.halfbackmountainsoap.comThanks for listening!

The mid-life update we've all been waiting for.

Participants: John Steppling, Jennifer Matsui, Hiroyuki Hamada, and Dennis Riches. Topics covered: Trump's speech at the UN, US prepares to do something to Venezuela, Christopher Hitchens in 2007 mocking a recently dead televangelist, the curious rise and shining future of Erika Kirk, the history of Israeli blackmail, Colombia and Indonesia propose putting their soldiers' “boots on the ground” to defend Gaza, the long history of parties in liberal democracies smearing each other as communist. Music track: “Desafinado” by Stan Getz (public domain). See Aesthetic Resistance on Substack for the links related to this episode.

In this episode of CrossPolitic, Gabe welcomes Larry Taunton, author and columnist with bylines in USA Today, The Atlantic, Spectator, CNN and beyond, to discuss the critical battle over education in America. Known for debating leading atheists and Muslims including Christopher Hitchens, Taunton brings his sharp analysis and hard-won perspective on faith, culture, and politics to examine why homeschooling has become essential for Christian families. The conversation explores Taunton's journey from military base public schools to becoming a homeschooling advocate after witnessing the radicalization happening in elite preparatory schools 30 years ago. Taunton emphasizes that youth are looking for meaning and mission - and when parents don't provide it, kids will find it in destructive ideologies. Fight Laugh Feast 2025 Conference (October 16-18, Nashville) - Register HERE: https://flfnetwork.com Follow Larry Taunton's Socials! YouTube: @IdeasHaveConsequences Twitter: @LarryTaunton Instagram: larryalextaunton

In this episode of CrossPolitic, Gabe welcomes Larry Taunton, author and columnist with bylines in USA Today, The Atlantic, Spectator, CNN and beyond, to discuss the critical battle over education in America. Known for debating leading atheists and Muslims including Christopher Hitchens, Taunton brings his sharp analysis and hard-won perspective on faith, culture, and politics to examine why homeschooling has become essential for Christian families. The conversation explores Taunton's journey from military base public schools to becoming a homeschooling advocate after witnessing the radicalization happening in elite preparatory schools 30 years ago. Taunton emphasizes that youth are looking for meaning and mission - and when parents don't provide it, kids will find it in destructive ideologies. Fight Laugh Feast 2025 Conference (October 16-18, Nashville) - Register HERE: https://flfnetwork.com Follow Larry Taunton's Socials! YouTube: @IdeasHaveConsequences Twitter: @LarryTaunton Instagram: larryalextaunton

In this episode of CrossPolitic, Gabe welcomes Larry Taunton, author and columnist with bylines in USA Today, The Atlantic, Spectator, CNN and beyond, to discuss the critical battle over education in America. Known for debating leading atheists and Muslims including Christopher Hitchens, Taunton brings his sharp analysis and hard-won perspective on faith, culture, and politics to examine why homeschooling has become essential for Christian families. The conversation explores Taunton's journey from military base public schools to becoming a homeschooling advocate after witnessing the radicalization happening in elite preparatory schools 30 years ago. Taunton emphasizes that youth are looking for meaning and mission - and when parents don't provide it, kids will find it in destructive ideologies. Fight Laugh Feast 2025 Conference (October 16-18, Nashville) - Register HERE: https://flfnetwork.com Follow Larry Taunton's Socials! YouTube: @IdeasHaveConsequences Twitter: @LarryTaunton Instagram: larryalextaunton

Theoretical physicist and bestselling author Lawrence Krauss (A Universe from Nothing, The Known Unknowns) explores the biggest questions we can ask: How did the universe begin? Why is there something rather than nothing? What is consciousness? And what will remain when every star has burned out?Krauss moves seamlessly from the hard science of the Big Bang and dark energy to existential philosophy, arguing that our cosmic insignificance is precisely what makes life meaningful. Along the way he shares personal stories—mentorship from Nobel laureates, serendipitous discoveries, his friendship with Christopher Hitchens—and explains how curiosity and rigorous science drive human progress.

On this week's episode, Sarah wonders if Kier Starmer's perceived weakness in leadership might have kicked open the door for Nigel Farage to come through? And Peter would like to ask; the hijab, a sign of oppression, or something that as a society should make us think more?Elsewhere, did any government in living memory impress Peter? Don't count on it. Why did Christopher Hitchens once storm out of The Great Lives recording studio and who did our hosts choose to revere when it came to their turn in The Great Lives chair? Plus, is there really a better biscuit then the classic Custard Cream? On our reading, watch and listening list this week: · The Roads To Freedom - Dir: James Cellan Jones· Crooked Cross – Sally Carson· Tales Of The City – Armistead Maupin (Radio 4)· The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy – Douglas Adams (Radio 4)Please do get in touch, email: alas@mailonline.co.uk, you can leave a comment on Spotify or even send us a voice note on Whatsapp – on 07796 657512, start your message with the word ‘alas'.Presenters: Sarah Vine & Peter HitchensProducer: Philip WildingEditor: Chelsey MooreProduction Manager: Vittoria CecchiniExecutive Producer: Jamie EastA Daily Mail production. Seriously Popular Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Faisal Saeed Al Mutar joins The Winston Marshall Show for a powerful conversation on freedom, reform, and the unfinished business of the Middle East. Faisal is an Iraqi refugee who lived through the chaos of Saddam's fall and the U.S. invasion. He recounts his journey from Baghdad to America, and how those experiences shaped his mission to promote secularism, literacy, and critical thinking in the Arab world. He exposes how extremism thrives on ignorance, and why authoritarian regimes—from Iraq to Qatar—use culture, religion, and oil wealth to maintain power.They discuss the failures of U.S. foreign policy, Trump's controversial deals with Gulf states, and the ongoing struggle for genuine reform in a region caught between dictatorship and jihadism. Faisal argues that real change must come from empowering young people with ideas, not weapons.All this—the Iraq War, Qatar's influence, the dangers of authoritarianism, and one man's fight to build a freer Middle East…-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------To see more exclusive content and interviews consider subscribing to my substack here: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Substack: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/X: https://twitter.com/mrwinmarshallInsta: https://www.instagram.com/winstonmarshallLinktree: https://linktr.ee/winstonmarshall----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Chapters 00:00 Introduction 04:52 Christopher Hitchens' Influence and the Iraq War17:23 Obama's Foreign Policy and Its Impact on Iraq 28:22 Trump's Foreign Policy and Qatar's Role45:51 Qatar's Influence on American Institutions 52:15 Syria and the Persecution of Minorities1:05:51 Recognition of Palestine as a State 1:29:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of Eyewitness History, we sit down with acclaimed journalist and author Mark Danner to explore his decades-long career covering war, human rights, and the hidden stories of global conflicts. From his groundbreaking reporting on the El Mozote massacre in El Salvador to his investigations into U.S. foreign policy and the war on terror, Danner shares firsthand accounts, the challenges of reporting from conflict zones, and the ethical questions journalists face when covering violence and injustice. About Mark Danner:Mark Danner is a Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist, author, and professor at New York University. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Review of Books, and The Atlantic, among other outlets. Danner is the author of The Massacre at El Mozote and Torture and Truth, and is recognized for his in-depth reporting on war, human rights, and U.S. foreign policy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit wisdomofcrowds.live“ ‘Barbarism' is a word that keeps coming to my lips lately,” writes Damir Marusic in a brilliant new article this week. Barbarism seems to be the only real word that describes what comes after the liberal international order. But Damir isn't pointing to the supposed barbarism of our enemies. His article points to the ways that we in the West — and in the United States — are becoming coarser and more egocentric. Like the poet said, barbarism begins at home. Shadi Hamid interrogates Damir about his piece in Socratic fashion. Is Damir maybe making a moral equivalence between the Trumpist Right and the hapless Left? While it's true that the Left isn't very effective, it can hardly be said to be barbaric. In the course of his answer, Damir discusses Alligator Alcatraz as the symbol of new American barbarism: kind of silly, but also, openly cruel. For Damir, barbarism isn't just Nazism; it is the strong turn toward selfishness and narcissism that has taken place since the middle of the twentieth century. And he has a theory of why the turn took place: secularization and the death of God. On this point, Shadi agrees, but he still has questions. Is it political structures or innate nature that make us turn toward evil? If it is the former, how can politics help in this moment to keep us from becoming truly barbaric? It is a timely and intense conversation.In our bonus section for paid subscribers, Damir and Shadi discuss why “war is a force that gives us meaning”; Shadi compares violence to orgasms; Damir's Calvinist sympathies make an appearance; Damir opposes “vulgar Nietzscheanism” with a “moral law” forged out of our “broken humanity”; Shadi wonders if Damir has finally become a moralist; can morality survive Pax Americana?; Gaza and barbarism; Christopher Hitchens and faith; the origin of the phrase, “Beyond the pale”; and more!Required Reading:* Damir, “Back to Barbarism” (WoC).* Thérèse Delpech, Savage Century: Back to Barbarism (Amazon). * Curzio Malaparte, Kaputt (Amazon). * Friedrich Nietzsche, “The Parable of the Madman” (Fordham University). Free preview video:

In this  episode we had the great privilege of interviewing Pastor Douglas Wilson. If you do not know Pastor Wilson, you should. He is the Pastor at Christ Church in Moscow, Idaho. He writes a blog, Blog & Mablog, at https://dougwils.com. You can find many of his videos on youtube, including a debate he did with the late Christopher Hitchens. He also has authored more books than can be mentioned here. One you should check out is "Rules for Reformers." It was a great honor to discuss certain topics with Pastor Wilson. He grew up as a Southern Baptist, and is now a reformed Presbyterian. We discussed his church, his views of education and much more. Thank you for listening. If you are listening on iTunes please subscribe and leave a review. If you have comments or questions for us, you can email us at laymenscup@gmail.com. We also have videos you can view here on our website or on Youtube. We are on Facebook at www.facebook.com/laymenscup. You can also follow us on Instagram and Twitter @laymenscup. It is always our hope to get the Gospel out to as many people as possible and you can help us by sharing the show. Word of mouth is the greatest way we will get the show out to the masses. Thank you. Please pray for us, as we are praying for you. The Laymen, Bob, Kemp, Shaun, Wes and Patrick.

This week we look at the death and significance of Ozzy Osbourne;  Danny Kruger's Speech to Parliament; King Charles and Islam; Christopher Hitchens warning about Islam; The Epping Protests; Australian Government pays mothers to kill their babies; the health benefits of coffee; Hulk Hogan; England v Italy womens football; The Argentinian economic miracle; Ireland's record abortion figures; Country of the week Cambodia;  Thai/Cambodian war threat; Children voting in the UK; Kathleen Madigan on being Catholic; The Chinese Church and Surveillance; Some reflections on the life and ministry of John Macarthur;  Amazing Grace - the Film; Final Word - Ephesians 2:8-10;  with music from Black Sabbath, Khmer music and the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. 

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit smokeempodcast.substack.comNancy and Sarah discuss a recent viral essay in NYT magazine called “The Trouble With Wanting Men.” Nancy had a meltdown reading this story, while Sarah saw romantic problems she recognized as well as behavior designed to fail. The two ladies talk about a vogue for female bitchery, a lack of grace in women's voices, and whether men and women can ever repair the anger and resentment that's erupted between them — at least online.Also discussed:* The time Nancy's mom bought Black Sabbath PARANOID on 8-track* That time Ozzy peed on the Alamo* diddle-diddle-diddle* Sarah propositions Kat Rosenfield, mispronounces her last name (again)* Maybe that Mars/Venus guy was onto something* Sarah wept through the Kavanaugh hearings* “Why didn't you tell me you had a uterus?”* Girlboss versus YouPorn; YouPorn wins* Cormac McCarthy lunges from ambush* Sarah negs Nancy, proves that negging works …* Open marriages, oy* “Bratty sub”* Nancy does not want a man to bend to her whims* A debate over the word “thrill”* That Texas Monthly flood essay, damn* Nancy gives advice to overheated feminists* Sarah waxes sociological about equality and same-sex relationships* “hermeneutic labor” is …?* All snuggle, all the timePlus, what Sarah wants Nancy to read her on her deathbed, Pedro Pascal is too much with us, Christopher Hitchens on Bill Clinton, and much more!

Send us a textWhat do Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Alex O'Connor, Matt Dillahunty, Rationality Rules and Genetically Modified Skeptic have in common? They've all commented on Pascal's Wager. And they've all misunderstood him. It's easy to do. Most people misunderstand the French Mathematician and Philosopher (1622-1666).In this podcast, Glen Scrivener discusses common misconceptions of the Wager and, with the help of Rev Dr Graham Tomlin and Tim Keller, brings out Pascal's original intention.Graham Tomlin's book: Pascal, The Man Who Made the Modern World… https://amzn.eu/d/djuoGRjGraham Tomlin's excellent website: https://www.seenandunseen.com/Glen's full conversation with Graham Tomlin (SLP594): https://www.buzzsprout.com/1202891/episodes/17409006Book your place at Responding to the Rebirth: http://rebirthconference.netCheck out the 321 course and The 321 Podcast at: 321course.comSubscribe to the Speak Life YouTube channel for videos which see all of life with Jesus at the centre:youtube.com/SpeakLifeMediaSubscribe to the Reformed Mythologist YouTube channel to explore how the stories we love point to the greatest story of all:youtube.com/@ReformedMythologistDiscord is an online platform where you can interact with the Speak Life team and other Speak Life supporters. There's bonus content, creative/theological discussion and lots of fun. Join our Discord here:speaklife.org.uk/discordSpeak Life is a UK based charity that resources the church to reach the world.Learn more about us here:speaklife.org.ukSupport the show

Kevin Roberts, Kellyanne Conway, Ben Rhodes and I battled it out a few weeks ago on a stage in Toronto. This was for a Munk Debate on the motion: “Be it resolved, this is America's Golden Age.” It might not surprise you that I was arguing the negative, alongside Rhodes, a former senior adviser to Barack Obama and the co-host of “Pod Save the World.” Roberts and Conway were on the other side. Roberts is the president of the Heritage Foundation and an architect of Project 2025. Conway was Donald Trump's senior counselor in his first term. The Munk Debates organization has kindly let us share the audio of that debate with you. If you haven't heard of the Munk Debates, you should really check it out. It's a Canadian nonprofit that, for more than 15 years, has been hosting discussions on contentious, thought-provoking topics. If you go to its site and become a supporter, you can watch the entire video archive. A classic I recommend: “Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world” with Tony Blair debating Christopher Hitchens.Note: This recording has not been fact-checked by our team. Unlock full access to New York Times podcasts and explore everything from politics to pop culture. Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.

Esta semana, temos na estante um breve guia da literatura portuguesa desde as origens: Iniciação à Literatura Portuguesa, de António José Saraiva; viajamos por duas obras de banda desenhada, com histórias de irmãos: “Eu, Fadi - O Irmão Raptado”, de Riad Sattouf, e “O meu irmão”, de JeanLouis Tipp; folheamos as “Cartas a um Jovem Dissidente”, de Christopher Hitchens; e aprendemos com Robert Musil, muito apropriadamente, “Como reconhecer um estúpido (num mundo cheio deles)”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

John Lennox is a Northern Irish mathematician, bioethicist, and Christian apologist originally from Northern Ireland. He has written many books on religion, ethics, the relationship between science and God, and has had public debates with atheists including Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

SHOW NOTES: The odds were better for the biggest longshot in the Kentucky Derby. An American has become Pope. It was said that no American could become Pope because the church wouldn't vest its power in someone with a Super Power. I would think, however, that there is no greater Super Power than God, so we shouldn't worry. Many people are pointing out that he spend twenty years in Peru so he's actually Peruvian. No, he's American, born here, but with a dual citizenship. Others, especially non-Catholics, panic when he's called a "missionary," thinking of the Colonialist/Imperialist times when the clergy were sent as missionaries to convert any non-Christian in sight. Today, missionary work is about caring for the poor, providing for the less fortunate, helping after natural disasters. The clergy as a whole are highly educated and learned men. There is no theological justification for a celibate, male clergy. Jesus never spoke of it, God never mentioned it. This was created by the church in the 12th Century because of the wealth of local churches passing on the priest's death to his wife. With celibacy, the wealth remained for the priest's successors and for the Vatican. For the record, about 4% of priests have been found guilty of sexual misconduct over the last 60 years of a total of about 3,500. Of 3,200,000 teachers over that period, between 11 and 14% were found guilty of sexual misconduct over the period (depending on the source you consult). Today, one of five humans is Catholic with varying degrees of commitment, and about 33% of humans are Christian. It's often occurred to me that the loudest atheists, such as the late Christopher Hitchens and the current Richard Dawkins, are "religious" in their attacks on religion! If you think about it, sooner or later everyone says a prayer when they are overcome with grief, or hope, or uncertainty. Let's give this new guy a chance. God knows, apparently, we need someone to bring us together in an angry world.

Are you missing 'The Rush Limbaugh Show'? You're not alone! Rush didn't just comment on the news--he inspired millions, entertained countless listeners, and was a refuge for conservatives during some of the most turbulent times in recent history. But what made Rush such a towering figure in conservative media? Who better to answer that question than someone who knew him best—his brother!This week, New York Times best-selling author David Limbaugh joins Frank to celebrate Rush's incredible legacy, reflect on his faith journey up until his passing in 2021, and discuss how David's own dive into apologetics and the Bible led him to Christ. Together, they'll tackle questions like:Why did some people disagree with Rush--and why might that actually be a compliment?What made Rush a masterful broadcaster and sharp political commentator?What role did faith play in the Limbaugh household growing up?Was Rush a Christian when he passed away?What surprising trait did Rush Limbaugh and Christopher Hitchens share?How can we see Jesus throughout the Old Testament?What ultimately convinced David Limbaugh to embrace Christianity?How do the Old and New Testaments fit together as one story?Join Frank and David for an engaging conversation filled with humor, memories, and powerful insights into Rush's life, career, and faith. Though Rush's voice is no longer on the airwaves, his influence and wit live on. And don't forget to pick up David's book, 'Finding Jesus in the Old Testament', to dig deeper into how the entire Bible ultimately points to Christ!Resources mentioned during the episode:Finding Jesus in the Old Testament by David Limbaugh: https://a.co/d/9KDUa7Q

This is our 2025 Mother's Day special.  We didn't plan it that way, but that's what it become. As we've noted in the past, Jennifer and I don't plan any aspect of our podcast other than asking Luana Anders, my pal on the flipside, who wants to come forward and speak with us. Jennifer and I have been doing this weekly for ten years, the past five on our podcast.  In today's episode Mother Teresa came forward to talk about Mother's day - and how women are built like Gaia - the mother earth - for compassion and empathy and whether they have or had children, they should be honored as mothers. I made a fun suggestion to invite Christopher Hitchens to chat with us - we've spoken with both Mother Teresa and Hitchens in the past - both transcripts are in the books BACKSTAGE PASS TO THE FLIPSIDE - but interesting to note that Mother Teresa nixed that idea. As I note in the podcast he was in denial about their being an afterlife - she said she had met him on the flipside, and no she didn't want to invite him to speak. She wanted to talk about the loving energy that people share and should focus on.  I asked her about the story of "Pope Joan" and I was startled to hear her confirm that it occurred.  That's mind bending - because the Church claims it did not, but if one has ever lived in Rome, they know that some streets are blocked off permanently - and no one is allowed to go down them.  According to legend, Via Papalis - between St John Lateran the old Vatican and the city - Pope Joan fainted from loss of blood, either from a miscarriage or from her period - and she was erased from the history of the church. Jennifer didn't know the story, but Mother Teresa does - and said it was true, and is "one of the greatest stories in history."  Mind bending because one could argue it presages the story of the film "Conclave" - I asked questions about the new Pope Leo, and we were told it was "meant to be" that he is the "Pope that is needed in this time." They won't alter our future with info - but this was mind bending to say the least. I invited the philosopher St. Augustine to share his opinion because the New Pope is from the Augustinian order - and he said "drink the wine." (Referring to his book "Confessions" and Jennifer's recent post about a client on the flipside who regretted he didn't drink the wines he had collected.  Jennifer's father Jim stopped by, and then when asked who wanted to speak, Jesus showed up.  Unlike most podcasts, I didn't edit any of the pauses between questions. So if one is listening there will be long periods of silence - if they're watching they will see Jennifer's face go through various emotions when hearing the answers. The answer is love. And Jesus repeats that in his answers to my questions. It's all about love - and "everything is always okay." Happy Mom's day.

In this episode of Thinking Out Loud, Cameron McAllister and Nathan Rittenhouse perform an intellectual autopsy of the New Atheist movement, reflecting on its cultural rise and current irrelevance. They unpack why arguments from figures like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris no longer resonate—especially in light of Christianity's enduring philosophical and moral foundations. With references to current debates, including a dismantling of Lawrence Krauss's secular claims, this episode provides Christians with a robust understanding of how to engage secular critiques with grace and intellectual rigor. Whether you're interested in apologetics, cultural commentary, or the intersection of theology and modern society, this conversation is for you.DONATE LINK: https://toltogether.com/donate BOOK A SPEAKER: https://toltogether.com/book-a-speakerJOIN TOL CONNECT: https://toltogether.com/tol-connect TOL Connect is an online forum where TOL listeners can continue the conversation begun on the podcast.

It's official. The American Dream is dead. And it's been resurrected in Europe where, according to the FT columnist Simon Kuper, disillusioned Americans should relocate. Compared with the United States, Kuper argues, Europe offers the three key metrics of a 21st century good life: “four years more longevity, higher self-reported happiness and less than half the carbon emissions per person”. So where exactly to move? The Paris based Kuper believes that his city is the most beautiful in Europe. He's also partial to Madrid, which offers Europe's sunniest lifestyle. And even London, in spite of all its post Brexit gloom, Kuper promises, offers American exiles the promise of a better life than the miserable existence which they now have to eek out in the United States. Five Takeaways* Quality of Life.:Kuper believes European quality of life surpasses America's for the average person, with Europeans living longer, having better physical health, and experiencing less extreme political polarization.* Democratic Europe vs Aristocratic America: While the wealthy can achieve greater fortunes in America, Kuper argues that Europeans in the "bottom 99%" live longer and healthier lives than their American counterparts.* Guns, Anxiety and the Threat of Violence: Political polarization in America creates more anxiety than in Europe, partly because Americans might be armed and because religion makes people hold their views more fervently.* MAGA Madness: Kuper sees Trump as more extreme than European right-wing leaders like Italy's Meloni, who governs as "relatively pro-European" and "pro-Ukrainian."* It's not just a Trump thing. Kuper believes America's declining international credibility will persist even after Trump leaves office, as Europeans will fear another "America First" president could follow any moderate administration.Full TranscriptAndrew Keen: Hello everybody. It's Monday, April the 21st, 2025. This conversation actually might go out tomorrow on the 22nd. Nonetheless, the headlines of the Financial Times, the world's most global economic newspaper, are miserable from an American point of view. US stocks and the dollar are sinking again as Donald Trump renews his attack on the Fed chair Jay Powell. Meanwhile Trump is also attacking the universities and many other bastions of civilization at least according to the FT's political columnist Gideon Rachman. For another FT journalist, my guest today Simon Kuper has been on the show many times before. All this bad news about America suggests that for Americans it's time to move to Europe. Simon is joining us from Paris, which Paris is that in Europe Simon?Simon Kuper: I was walking around today and thinking it has probably never in its history looked as good as it does now. It really is a fabulous city, especially when the sun shines.Andrew Keen: Nice of them where I am in San Francisco.Simon Kuper: I always used to like San Francisco, but I knew it before every house costs $15 million.Andrew Keen: Well, I'm not sure that's entirely true, but maybe there's some truth. Paris isn't exactly cheap either, is it? Certainly where you live.Simon Kuper: Cheaper than San Francisco, so I did for this article that you mentioned, I did some research on house prices and certainly central Paris is one of the most expensive areas in the European Union, but still considerably cheaper than cities like New York and San Francisco. A friend of mine who lives here told me that if she moved to New York, she would move from central Paris to for the same price living in some very, very distant suburb of New York City.Andrew Keen: Your column this week, Americans, it's time to move to Europe. You obviously wrote with a degree of relish. Is this Europe's revenge on America that it's now time to reverse the brain drain from Europe to America? Now it's from America to Europe.Simon Kuper: I mean, I don't see it as revenge. I'm a generally pro-American person by inclination and I even married an American and have children who are American as well as being French and British. So when I went to the US as firstly as a child, age 10, 11, I was in sixth grade in California. I thought it was the most advanced, wonderful place in the world and the sunshine and there was nowhere nice than California. And then I went as a student in my early 20s. And again, I thought this was the early 90s. This is the country of the future. It's so much more advanced than Europe. And they have this new kind of wise technocratic government that is going to make things even better. And it was the beginning of a big American boom of the 90s when I think American quality of life reached its peak, that life expectancy was reached, that was then declined a long time after the late 90s. So my impressions in the past were always extremely good, but no longer. The last 20 years visiting the US I've never really felt this is a society where ordinary people can have as good a life as in Europe.Andrew Keen: When you say ordinary people, I mean, you're not an ordinary person. And I'm guessing most of the people you and your wife certainly isn't ordinary. She's a well known writer. In fact, she's written on France and the United States and parenthood, very well known, you are well known. What do you mean by ordinary people?Simon Kuper: Yeah, I mean, it's not entirely about me. Amazingly, I am not so egomaniac as to draw conclusions on some matters just looking at my own situation. What I wrote about the US is that if you're in the 1% in the US and you are pursuing great wealth in finance or tech and you have a genuine shot at it, you will achieve wealth that you can't really achieve in Europe. You know, the top end of the US is much higher than in Europe. Still not necessarily true that your life will be better. So even rich Americans live shorter than rich Europeans. But OK, so the 1% America really offers greater expansion opportunities than Europe does. Anywhere below that, the Europeans in the bottom 99%, let's say, they live longer than their American equivalents. They are less fat, their bodies function better because they walk more, because they're not being bombarded by processed food in the same way. Although we have political polarization here, it's not as extreme as in the US. Where I quote a European friend of mine who lives in the American South. He says he sometimes doesn't go out of his house for days at a time because he says meeting Trump supporters makes him quite anxious.Andrew Keen: Where does he live? I saw that paragraph in the piece, you said he doesn't, and I'm quoting him, a European friend of mine who lives in the American South sometimes doesn't leave his house for days on end so as to avoid running into Trump supporters. Where does he live?Simon Kuper: He lives, let me say he lives in Georgia, he lives in the state of Georgia.Andrew Keen: Well, is that Atlanta? I mean, Atlanta is a large town, lots of anti-Trump sentiment there. Whereabouts in Georgia?Simon Kuper: He doesn't live in Atlanta, but I also don't want to specify exactly where he lives because he's entitled.Andrew Keen: In case you get started, but in all seriousness, Simon, isn't this a bit exaggerated? I mean, I'm sure there are some of your friends in Paris don't go outside the fancy center because they might run into fans of Marine Le Pen. What's the difference?Simon Kuper: I think that polarization creates more anxiety in the US and is more strongly felt for a couple of reasons. One is that because people might be armed in America, that gives an edge to any kind of disagreement that isn't here in Europe. And secondly, because religion is more of a factor in American life, people hold their views more strongly, more fervently, then. So I think there's a seriousness and edge to the American polarization that isn't quite the same as here. And the third reason I think polarization is worse is movement is more extreme even than European far-right movements. So my colleague John Byrne Murdoch at the Financial Times has mapped this, that Republican views from issues from climate to the role of the state are really off the charts. There's no European party coeval to them. So for example, the far-right party in France, the Rassemblement National, doesn't deny climate change in the way that Trump does.Andrew Keen: So, how does that contextualize Le Pen or Maloney or even the Hungarian neo-authoritarians for whom a lot of Trump supporters went to Budapest to learn what he did in order to implement Trump 2.0?Simon Kuper: Yeah, I think Orban, in terms of his creating an authoritarian society where the universities have been reined in, where the courts have been rained in, in that sense is a model for Trump. His friendliness with Putin is more of a model for Trump. Meloni and Le Pen, although I do not support them in any way, are not quite there. And so Meloni in Italy is in a coalition and is governing as somebody relatively pro-European. She's pro-Ukrainian, she's pro-NATO. So although, you know, she and Trump seem to have a good relationship, she is nowhere near as extreme as Trump. And you don't see anyone in Europe who's proposing these kinds of tariffs that Trump has. So I think that the, I would call it the craziness or the extremism of MAGA, doesn't really have comparisons. I mean, Orban, because he leads a small country, he has to be a bit more savvy and aware of what, for example, Brussels will wear. So he pushes Brussels, but he also needs money from Brussels. So, he reigns himself in, whereas with Trump, it's hard to see much restraint operating.Andrew Keen: I wonder if you're leading American liberals on a little bit, Simon. You suggested it's time to come to Europe, but Americans in particular aren't welcome, so to speak, with open arms, certainly from where you're talking from in Paris. And I know a lot of Americans who have come to Europe, London, Paris, elsewhere, and really struggled to make friends. Would, for Americans who are seriously thinking of leaving Trump's America, what kind of welcome are they gonna get in Europe?Simon Kuper: I mean, it's true that I haven't seen anti-Americanism as strong as this in my, probably in my lifetime. It might have been like this during the Vietnam War, but I was a child, I don't remember. So there is enormous antipathy to, let's say, to Trumpism. So two, I had two visiting Irish people, I had lunch with them on Friday, who both work in the US, and they said, somebody shouted at them on the street, Americans go home. Which I'd never heard, honestly, in Paris. And they shouted back, we're not American, which is a defense that doesn't work if you are American. So that is not nice. But my sense of Americans who live here is that the presumption of French people is always that if you're an American who lives here, you're not a Trumpist. Just like 20 years ago, if you are an American lives here you're not a supporter of George W. Bush. So there is a great amount of awareness that there are Americans and Americans that actually the most critical response I heard to my article was from Europeans. So I got a lot of Americans saying, yeah, yeah. I agree. I want to get out of here. I heard quite a lot of Europeans say, for God's sake, don't encourage them all to come here because they'll drive up prices and so on, which you can already see elements of, and particularly in Barcelona or in Venice, basically almost nobody lives in Venice except which Americans now, but in Barcelona where.Andrew Keen: Only rich Americans in Venice, no other rich people.Simon Kuper: It has a particular appeal to no Russians. No, no one from the gulf. There must be some there must be something. They're not many Venetians.Andrew Keen: What about the historical context, Simon? In all seriousness, you know, Americans have, of course, fled the United States in the past. One thinks of James Baldwin fleeing the Jim Crow South. Could the Americans now who were leaving the universities, Tim Schneider, for example, has already fled to Canada, as Jason Stanley has as well, another scholar of fascism. Is there stuff that American intellectuals, liberals, academics can bring to Europe that you guys currently don't have? Or are intellectuals coming to Europe from the US? Is it really like shipping coal, so to speak, to Newcastle?Simon Kuper: We need them desperately. I mean, as you know, since 1933, there has been a brain drain of the best European intellectuals in enormous numbers to the United States. So in 1933, the best university system in the world was Germany. If you measure by number of Nobel prizes, one that's demolished in a month, a lot of those people end up years later, especially in the US. And so you get the new school in New York is a center. And people like Adorno end up, I think, in Los Angeles, which must be very confusing. And American universities, you get the American combination. The USP, what's it called, the unique selling point, is you have size, you have wealth, you have freedom of inquiry, which China doesn't have, and you have immigration. So you bring in the best brains. And so Europe lost its intellectuals. You have very wealthy universities, partly because of the role of donors in America. So, you know, if you're a professor at Stanford or Columbia, I think the average salary is somewhere over $300,000 for professors at the top universities. In Europe, there's nothing like that. Those people would at least have to halve their salary. And so, yeah, for Europeans, this is a unique opportunity to get some of the world's leading brains back. At cut price because they would have to take a big salary cut, but many of them are desperate to do it. I mean, if your lab has been defunded by the government, or if the government doesn't believe in your research into climate or vaccines, or just if you're in the humanities and the government is very hostile to it, or, if you write on the history of race. And that is illegal now in some southern states where I think teaching they call it structural racism or there's this American phrase about racism that is now banned in some states that the government won't fund it, then you think, well, I'll take that pay cost and go back to Europe. Because I'm talking going back, I think the first people to take the offer are going to be the many, many top Europeans who work at American universities.Andrew Keen: You mentioned at the end of Europe essay, the end of the American dream. You're quoting Trump, of course, ironically. But the essay is also about the end of the America dream, perhaps the rebirth or initial birth of the European dream. To what extent is the American dream, in your view, and you touched on this earlier, Simon, dependent on the great minds of Europe coming to America, particularly during and after the, as a response to the rise of Nazism, Hannah Arendt, for example, even people like Aldous Huxley, who came to Hollywood in the 1930s. Do you think that the American dream itself is in part dependent on European intellectuals like Arendt and Huxley, even Ayn Rand, who not necessarily the most popular figure on the left, but certainly very influential in her ideas about capitalism and freedom, who came of course from Russia.Simon Kuper: I mean, I think the average American wouldn't care if Ayn Rand or Hannah Arendt had gone to Australia instead. That's not their dream. I think their American dream has always been about the idea of social mobility and building a wealthy life for yourself and your family from nothing. Now almost all studies of social ability say that it's now very low in the US. It's lower than in most of Europe. Especially Northern Europe and Scandinavia have great social mobility. So if you're born in the lower, say, 10% or 20% in Denmark, you have a much better chance of rising to the top of society than if you were born at the bottom 10%, 20% in the US. So America is not very good for social mobility anymore. I think that the brains that helped the American economy most were people working in different forms of tech research. And especially for the federal government. So the biggest funder of science in the last 80 years or so, I mean, the Manhattan Project and on has been the US federal government, biggest in the world. And the thing is you can't eat atom bombs, but what they also produce is research that becomes hugely transformative in civilian life and in civilian industries. So GPS or famously the internet come out of research that's done within the federal government with a kind of vague defense angle. And so I think those are the brains that have made America richer. And then of course, the number of immigrants who found companies, and you see this in tech, is much higher than the number percentage of native born Americans who do. And a famous example of that is Elon Musk.Andrew Keen: Yeah, and you were on the show just before Christmas in response to your piece about Musk, Thiel and the shadow of apartheid in South Africa. So I'm guessing you don't want the Musks and Thiels. They won't be welcome in Europe, will they?Simon Kuper: I don't think they want to go. I mean, if you want to create a tech company, you want very deep capital markets. You want venture capital firms that are happy to bet a few billion on you. And a very good place to do that, the best place in the world by far, is Silicon Valley. And so a French friend of mine said he was at a reception in San Francisco, surrounded by many, many top French engineers who all work for Silicon Valley firms, and he thought, what would it take them to come back? He didn't have an answer. Now the answer might be, maybe, well, Donald Trump could persuade them to leave. But they want to keep issuing visas for those kinds of people. I mean, the thing is that what we're seeing with Chinese AI breakthroughs in what was called DeepSeek. Also in overtaking Tesla on electric cars suggests that maybe, you know, the cutting edge of innovation is moving from Silicon Valley after nearly 100 years to China. This is not my field of expertise at all. But you know the French economist Thomas Filippon has written about how the American economy has become quite undynamic because it's been taken over by monopolies. So you can't start another Google, you can start another Amazon. And you can't build a rival to Facebook because these companies control of the market and as Facebook did with WhatsApp or Instagram, they'll just buy you up. And so you get quite a much more static tech scene than 30 years ago when really, you know, inventions, great inventions are being made in Silicon Valley all the time. Now you get a few big companies that are the same for a very long period.Andrew Keen: Well, of course, you also have OpenAI, which is a startup, but that's another conversation.Simon Kuper: Yeah, the arguments in AI is that maybe China can do it better.Andrew Keen: Can be. I don't know. Well, it has, so to speak, Simon, the light bulb gone off in Europe on all this on all these issues. Mario Draghi month or two ago came out. Was it a white paper or report suggesting that Europe needed to get its innovation act together that there wasn't enough investment or capital? Are senior people within the EU like Draghi waking up to the reality of this historical opportunity to seize back economic power, not just cultural and political.Simon Kuper: I mean, Draghi doesn't have a post anymore, as far as I'm aware. I mean of course he was the brilliant governor of the European Central Bank. But that report did have a big impact, didn't it? It had a big impact. I think a lot of people thought, yeah, this is all true. We should spend enormous fortunes and borrow enormous fortunes to create a massive tech scene and build our own defense industries and so on. But they're not going to do it. It's the kind of report that you write when you don't have a position of power and you say, this is what we should do. And the people in positions of power say, oh, but it's really complicated to do it. So they don't do it, so no, they're very, there's not really, we've been massively overtaken and left behind on tech by the US and China. And there doesn't seem to be any impetus, serious impetus to build anything on that scale to invest that kind of money government led or private sector led in European tech scene. So yeah, if you're in tech. Maybe you should be going to Shanghai, but you probably should not be going to Europe. So, and this is a problem because China and the US make our future and we use their cloud servers. You know, we could build a search engine, but we can't liberate ourselves from the cloud service. Defense is a different matter where, you know, Draghi said we should become independent. And because Trump is now European governments believe Trump is hostile to us on defense, hostile to Ukraine and more broadly to Europe, there I think will be a very quick move to build a much bigger European defense sector so we don't have to buy for example American planes which they where they can switch off the operating systems if they feel like it.Andrew Keen: You live in Paris. You work for the FT, or one of the papers you work for is the FT a British paper. Where does Britain stand here? So many influential Brits, of course, went to America, particularly in the 20th century. Everyone from Alfred Hitchcock to Christopher Hitchens, all adding enormous value like Arendt and Ayn Rand. Is Britain, when you talk of Europe, are you still in the back of your mind thinking of Britain, or is it? An island somehow floating or stuck between America, the end of the American dream and the beginning of the European dream. In a way, are you suggesting that Brits should come to Europe as well?Simon Kuper: I think Britain is floating quite rapidly towards Europe because in a world where you have three military superpowers that are quite predatory and are not interested in alliances, the US, China and Russia, the smaller countries, and Britain is a smaller country and has realized since Brexit that it is a small country, the small countries just need to ally. And, you know, are you going to trust an alliance with Trump? A man who is not interested in the fates of other countries and breaks his word, or would you rather have an alliance with the Europeans who share far more of your values? And I think the Labor government in the UK has quietly decided that, I know that it has decided that on economic issues, it's always going to prioritize aligning with Europe, for example, aligning food standards with Europe so that we can sell my food. They can sell us our food without any checks because we've accepted all their standards, not with the US. So in any choice between, you know, now there's talk of a potential US-UK trade deal, do we align our standards with the US. Or Europe? It's always going to be Europe first. And on defense, you have two European defense powers that are these middle powers, France and the UK. Without the UK, there isn't really a European defense alliance. And that is what is gonna be needed now because there's a big NATO summit in June, where I think it's going to become patently obvious to everyone, the US isn't really a member of NATO anymore. And so then you're gonna move towards a post US NATO. And if the UK is not in it, well, it looks very, very weak indeed. And if UK is alone, that's quite a scary position to be in in this world. So yeah, I see a UK that is not gonna rejoin the European Union anytime soon. But is more and more going to ally itself, is already aligning itself with Europe.Andrew Keen: As the worm turned, I mean, Trump has been in power 100 days, supposedly is limited to the next four years, although he's talking about running for a third term. Can America reverse itself in your view?Simon Kuper: I think it will be very hard whatever Trump does for other countries to trust him again. And I also think that after Trump goes, which as you say may not be in 2028, but after he goes and if you get say a Biden or Obama style president who flies to Europe and says it's all over, we're friends again. Now the Europeans are going to think. But you know, it's very, very likely that in four years time, you will be replaced by another America first of some kind. So we cannot build a long term alliance with the US. So for example, we cannot do long term deals to buy Americans weapons systems, because maybe there's a president that we like, but they'll be succeeded by a president who terrifies us quite likely. So, there is now, it seems to me, instability built in for the very long term into... America has a potential ally. It's you just can't rely on this anymore. Even should Trump go.Andrew Keen: You talk about Europe as one place, which, of course, geographically it is, but lots of observers have noted the existence, it goes without saying, of many Europe's, particularly the difference between Eastern and Western Europe.Simon Kuper: I've looked at that myself, yes.Andrew Keen: And you've probably written essays on this as well. Eastern Europe is Poland, perhaps, Czech Republic, even Hungary in an odd way. They're much more like the United States, much more interested perhaps in economic wealth than in the other metrics that you write about in your essay. Is there more than one Europe, Simon? And for Americans who are thinking of coming to Europe, should it be? Warsaw, Prague, Paris, Madrid.Simon Kuper: These are all great cities, so it depends what you like. I mean, I don't know if they're more individualistic societies. I would doubt that. All European countries, I think, could be described as social democracies. So there is a welfare state that provides people with health and education in a way that you don't quite have in the United States. And then the opposite, the taxes are higher. The opportunities to get extremely wealthy are lower here. I think the big difference is that there is a part of Europe for whom Russia is an existential threat. And that's especially Poland, the Baltics, Romania. And there's a part of Europe, France, Britain, Spain, for whom Russia is really quite a long way away. So they're not that bothered about it. They're not interested in spending a lot on defense or sending troops potentially to die there because they see Russia as not their problem. I would see that as a big divide. In terms of wealth, I mean, it's equalizing. So the average Pole outside London is now, I think, as well off or better than the average Britain. So the average Pole is now as well as the average person outside London. London, of course, is still.Andrew Keen: This is the Poles in the UK or the Poles.Simon Kuper: The Poles in Poland. So the Poles who came to the UK 20 years ago did so because the UK was then much richer. That's now gone. And so a lot of Poles and even Romanians are returning because economic opportunities in Poland, especially, are just as good as in the West. So there has been a little bit of a growing together of the two halves of the continent. Where would you live? I mean, my personal experience, having spent a year in Madrid, it's the nicest city in the world. Right, it's good. Yeah, nice cities to live in, I like living in big cities, so of big cities it's the best. Spanish quality of life. If you earn more than the average Spaniard, I think the average income, including everyone wage earners, pensioners, students, is only about $20,000. So Spaniards have a problem with not having enough income. So if you're over about $20000, and in Madrid probably quite a bit more than that, then it's a wonderful life. And I think, and Spaniards live about five years longer than Americans now. They live to about age 84. It's a lovely climate, lovely people. So that would be my personal top recommendation. But if you like a great city, Paris is the greatest city in the European Union. London's a great, you know, it's kind of bustling. These are the two bustling world cities of Europe, London and Paris. I think if you can earn an American salary, maybe through working remotely and live in the Mediterranean somewhere, you have the best deal in the world because Mediterranean prices are low, Mediterranean culture, life is unbeatable. So that would be my general recommendation.Andrew Keen: Finally, Simon, being very generous with your time, I'm sure you'd much rather be outside in Paris in what you call the greatest city in the EU. You talk in the piece about three metrics that show that it's time to move to Europe, housing, education, sorry, longevity, happiness and the environment. Are there any metrics at all now to stay in the United States?Simon Kuper: I mean, if you look at people's incomes in the US they're considerably higher, of course, your purchasing power for a lot of things is less. So I think the big purchasing power advantage Americans have until the tariffs was consumer goods. So if you want to buy a great television set, it's better to do that out of an American income than out of a Spanish income, but if you want the purchasing power to send your kids to university, to get healthcare. Than to be guaranteed a decent pension, then Europe is a better place. So even though you're earning more money in the US, you can't buy a lot of stuff. If you wanna go to a nice restaurant and have a good meal, the value for money will be better in Europe. So I suppose if you wanna be extremely wealthy and you have a good shot at that because a lot people overestimate their chance of great wealth. Then America is a better bet than Europe. Beyond that, I find it hard to right now adduce reasons. I mean, it's odd because like the Brexiteers in the UK, Trump is attacking some of the things that really did make America great, such as this trading system that you can get very, very cheap goods in the United States, but also the great universities. So. I would have been much more positive about the idea of America a year ago, but even then I would've said the average person lives better over here.Andrew Keen: Well, there you have it. Simon Cooper says to Americans, it's time to move to Europe. The American dream has ended, perhaps the beginning of the European dream. Very provocative. Simon, we'll get you back on the show. Your column is always a central reading in the Financial Times. Thanks so much and enjoy Paris.Simon Kuper: Thank you, Andrew. Enjoy San Francisco. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

This week we are airing a special edition of the Munk Debates Podcast—a rebroadcast of a classic debate that launched our series on the world stage. Former Prime Minister Tony Blair and the late Christopher Hitchens - an avowed atheist - debating the motion Be it resolved, religion is a force for good in the world. To support civil and substantive debate on the big questions of the day, consider becoming a Munk Member at https://munkdebates.com/membership Members receive access to our 15+ year library of great debates in HD video, a free Munk Debates book, and ticketing privileges at our live events. This podcast is a project of the Munk Debates, a Canadian charitable organization dedicated to fostering civil and substantive public dialogue - https://munkdebates.com/ Senior Producer: Ricki Gurwitz Editor: Kieran Lynch

This is our unabridged interview with Francis Collins. Francis Collins has led some of the most significant scientific initiatives of our time, including the Human Genome Project and the National Institutes of Health under three U.S. presidents. In his new book, The Road to Wisdom, Collins grapples with the erosion of public trust in science, the polarization of society, and the challenge of discerning truth in the modern age. In this conversation, Collins shares insights from his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, his journey from atheism to Christian faith, and the importance of humility in the pursuit of knowledge. He reflects on his unlikely friendship with the late atheist Christopher Hitchens, the philosophical roots of truth skepticism, and the need for genuine dialogue across divides. Join us as we explore how wisdom, truth, science, and faith intersect—and why curiosity and compassion might just be the antidote to our age of distrust. Show Notes Resources: "The Road to Wisdom" by Francis Collins  Similar NSE episodes: Quincy Byrdsong: Tuskegee, Healthcare, Justice Jennifer Wiseman: How Science Produces Wonder David Wilkinson: The (Not Really) War Between Science and Faith Rachel Held Evans, Francis Collins, and Ed Larson: Faith, Science, Humility PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcript of Abridged Episode  Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Great Feeling Studios, the team behind No Small Endeavor and other award-winning podcasts, helps nonprofits and brands tell stories that inspire action. If your organization has a message that deserves to be heard, start your podcast at helpmemakeapodcast.com. Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn adverti… Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Francis Collins has led some of the most significant scientific initiatives of our time, including the Human Genome Project and the National Institutes of Health under three U.S. presidents. In his new book, The Road to Wisdom, Collins grapples with the erosion of public trust in science, the polarization of society, and the challenge of discerning truth in the modern age. In this conversation, Collins shares insights from his experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, his journey from atheism to Christian faith, and the importance of humility in the pursuit of knowledge. He reflects on his unlikely friendship with the late atheist Christopher Hitchens, the philosophical roots of truth skepticism, and the need for genuine dialogue across divides. Join us as we explore how wisdom, truth, science, and faith intersect—and why curiosity and compassion might just be the antidote to our age of distrust. Show Notes Resources: "The Road to Wisdom" by Francis Collins Similar NSE episodes: Quincy Byrdsong: Tuskegee, Healthcare, Justice Jennifer Wiseman: How Science Produces Wonder David Wilkinson: The (Not Really) War Between Science and Faith Rachel Held Evans, Francis Collins, and Ed Larson: Faith, Science, Humility PDF of Lee's Interview Notes Transcription Link Want more NSE? JOIN NSE+ Today! Our subscriber only community with bonus episodes designed specifically to help you live a good life, ad-free listening, and discounts on live shows Great Feeling Studios, the team behind No Small Endeavor and other award-winning podcasts, helps nonprofits and brands tell stories that inspire action. If your organization has a message that deserves to be heard, start your podcast at helpmemakeapodcast.com. Subscribe to episodes: Apple | Spotify | Amazon | Google | YouTubeFollow Us: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTubeFollow Lee: Instagram | TwitterJoin our Email List: nosmallendeavor.com See Privacy Policy: Privacy Policy Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: Tokens Media, LLC is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sit… Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Norman Finkelstein received his PhD from the Princeton University Politics Department, and is best known for his research on Israel and Palestine. In this episode, Norman and Robinson sit down for a discussion about Donald Trump, the latest from Israel, Palestine, and Gaza, and the dying Left. Norman also appeared on episode 192, where he and Robinson discussed allegations of genocide and apartheid, Hamas and Hezbollah, and connections between the war and the Holocaust. Norman was also featured on episode 218, where he addressed the facts and fictions generated by the Israel-Hamas War, and episode 228, which was all about October 6th. Norman and Robinson also discuss Mehdi Hassan, Noam Chomsky, Christopher Hitchens, the Holocaust, Apartheid, Joan Peters, Julia Sebutinde, the Mossad, Sheryl Sandberg, Destiny, Lex Fridman, Bill Ackman, Alan Dershowitz, and more. Norman's most recent book is I'll Burn That Bridge When I Get to It! Heretical Thoughts on Identity Politics, Cancel Culture, and Academic Freedom (Sublation Media, 2023).Norman's Website: https://www.normanfinkelstein.comOUTLINE00:00:00 Introduction00:07:25 Mehdi Hassan: The Working Class is Stupid00:12:59 How Far Will the Supreme Court Go with Donald Trump?00:21:49 Why Bernie Sanders Appeals to the Common Man00:38:12 How Did Identity Politics Help Trump Win?00:46:02 The Joy of Stereotypes01:01:23 Why the People Loved Bernie Sanders and Trump01:06:16 Noam Chomsky, Philosopher King01:11:16 Christopher Hitchens Was Not a Serious Intellectual01:20:58 Norman's Parents Hate For Religion After the Holocaust01:34:06 A Lex Fridman and Destiny Conspiracy01:37:12 Norman's Family and the Holocaust01:45:43 Why Jews Stopped Caring About the Holocaust01:54:43 Why Norman Never Had a Bar Mitzvah02:02:52 Why Norman's Parents Hated Germans and Poles02:11:22 Comparing Gaza to the Holocaust02:16:48 Comparing Gaza to Apartheid South Africa02:24:41 Corruption Over Genocide in Palestine02:27:05 On the Colossal Joan Peters Palestine Hoax02:30:16 On Norman's Time as a Maoist02:39:35 The Corruption of Julia Sebutinde at the International Court of Justice02:42:25 Does the Mossad Blackmail Public Figures?02:52:49 Sheryl Sandberg and the War Crime “Israeli Propaganda Machine”03:05:19 On Accusations of Sex Crimes on October 6th03:18:12 On His Mortal Feud With Alan Dershowitz03:31:19 On Bill Ackman and the Pro-Israel American Billionaire ClassRobinson's Website: http://robinsonerhardt.comRobinson Erhardt researches symbolic logic and the foundations of mathematics at Stanford University.

Sign Up for the Boston Listener Meet Up For Ross Douthat, phenomena like UFO sightings and the simulation hypothesis don't challenge religious belief—they demonstrate how difficult it is to escape religious questions entirely. His new book, Believe: Why Everyone Should Be Religious makes the case for religious faith in an age of apparent disenchantment. In his third appearance on Conversations with Tyler, Ross joined Tyler to discuss what getting routed by Christopher Hitchens taught him about religious debate, why the simulation hypothesis resembles ancient Gnostic religion, what Mexican folk Catholicism reveals about spiritual intermediaries, his evolving views on papal authority in the Francis era, what UFO sightings might tell us about supernatural reality, why he's less apocalyptic than Peter Thiel about the Antichrist, and why he's publishing a fantasy novel on Substack before AI potentially transforms creative writing. Read a full transcript enhanced with helpful links, or watch the full video. Recorded January 16th, 2025. Help keep the show ad free by donating today! Other ways to connect Follow us on X and Instagram Follow Tyler on X Follow Ross on X Sign up for our newsletter Join our Discord Email us: cowenconvos@mercatus.gmu.edu Learn more about Conversations with Tyler and other Mercatus Center podcasts here. Photo Credit: Abigail Douthat ©

Outgoing President Joe Biden granted Dr. Anthony Fauci a “full and unconditional” pardon for “any offenses against the United States” committed after 2014 that were related to his position as Director of the NIH. Dr. Fauci insists he “committed no crime” but accepted the pardon anyway. “Right before, 20 minutes before the Inauguration, Joe Biden announced preemptive pardons of his own family… James Biden, Sara Jones Biden, Valerie Biden, John T. Owens, and Francis ‘Frank' Biden,” reports Alex Marlow for Breitbart. Larry Alex Taunton is an award-winning author, columnist, and producer. He has written multiple books including “The Grace Effect” and “The Faith of Christopher Hitchens”. Taunton writes regularly for major publications and has been featured in The New York Times, The Times of London, and The Wall Street Journal. Find more at at https://larrytaunton.com and follow him at https://x.com/LarryTaunton Alex Marlow is the Editor-in-Chief of Breitbart News Network and a NYT bestselling author of “Breaking the News” and “Breaking Biden”. At age 21, he was the first employee at Andrew Breitbart's media network. Marlow hosts a national talk radio show and podcast, has been featured on Time and Newsweek covers, and was named in Forbes's 30 Under 30. Find him at https://alexmarlow.com and https://x.com/alexmarlow 「 SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS 」 Find out more about the brands that make this show possible and get special discounts on Dr. Drew's favorite products at https://drdrew.com/sponsors  • FATTY15 – The future of essential fatty acids is here! Strengthen your cells against age-related breakdown with Fatty15. Get 15% off a 90-day Starter Kit Subscription at https://drdrew.com/fatty15 • PALEOVALLEY - "Paleovalley has a wide variety of extraordinary products that are both healthful and delicious,” says Dr. Drew. "I am a huge fan of this brand and know you'll love it too!” Get 15% off your first order at https://drdrew.com/paleovalley • THE WELLNESS COMPANY - Counteract harmful spike proteins with TWC's Signature Series Spike Support Formula containing nattokinase and selenium. Learn more about TWC's supplements at https://twc.health/drew 「 MEDICAL NOTE 」 Portions of this program may examine countervailing views on important medical issues. Always consult your physician before making any decisions about your health. 「 ABOUT THE SHOW 」 Ask Dr. Drew is produced by Kaleb Nation (https://kalebnation.com) and Susan Pinsky (https://twitter.com/firstladyoflove). This show is for entertainment and/or informational purposes only, and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Richard Dawkins makes his final ever tour appearance - and has the indignity of doing so with interviewer Andrew Gold. His thoughts on Elon Musk, Douglas Murray and Jordan Peterson are fascinating and controversial, while he speaks brilliantly about Ayaan Hirsi Ali and the late Christopher Hitchens. He explains why Islam is so different to Judaism & Christianity - and defies cancel culture and trans lunacy.  Get his brilliant new book The Genetic Book of the Dead: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Genetic-Book-Dead-Richard-Dawkins/dp/1804548081  Check out my new documentary channel: https://youtube.com/@andrewgoldinvestigates  Support Heretics: http://andrewgoldheretics.com  Andrew on X: https://twitter.com/andrewgold_ok  Insta: https://www.instagram.com/andrewgold_ok Heretics YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@andrewgoldheretics Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clay welcomes University of North Texas historian Geoffrey Wawro for a discussion of the War in Vietnam (1961–1975), which cost more than 58,000 American lives and hundreds of thousands of deaths in North and South Vietnam. Wawro, the author of seven books on the history of war, explains how a superpower got into a quagmire in a small Asian country. Why did Lyndon Johnson escalate the war between 1964 and 1968, when President John F. Kennedy made it clear that he would wind down America's involvement after he was re-elected in 1964? As the British essayist Christopher Hitchens insisted, is Henry Kissinger a war criminal? What was Richard Nixon's role in prolonging the agony? How should we assess Secretary of War Robert McNamara? Absent politics, could the war theoretically have been won by the United States and its reluctant allies?

Go to www.LearningLeader.com for full show notes The Learning Leader Show with Ryan Hawk Codie Sanchez is an entrepreneur and investor known for founding Contrarian Thinking, a media and business education company. She has a diverse background, including entrepreneurship, finance, and journalism. Through her book "Main Street Millionaire," she advocates for wealth-building by acquiring small businesses and shares her insights on financial independence and business success. Codie emphasizes practical, contrarian approaches to wealth and leadership. Notes: Her dad always said to her: ‘You're not going to be a princess, you're going to be the president'  – It's a great reminder of the power we have as leaders to believe in someone and raise their level of expectations because you see something special in them. Codie was glowing while talking about her dad.  How Codie earned a job at Vanguard. She went to conferences. She met people. She got IN THE ROOM and took action. And then when she got her opportunity, she led with her curiosity, asked questions from the woman she met with, learned, read the books she told her to read, and followed up. Showing up, doing extra, and following up are a great way to earn a job that you might not be qualified for. How you start and end your meetings. What type of energy do you bring to the space? Remember, you no longer get to be energy-neutral as a leader. You're either lifting the room up or taking it away. We want to add energy additives to the rooms we enter. One of Codie's favorite books – Letters to a Young Contrarian by Cristopher Hitchins. “What I like about Christopher Hitchens, he pushed back against the common narrative in a time where to be an activist was really frowned upon” “He was what the people these days that say they're activists actually are. He really had no loyalty to any type of thought; he was simply trying to find the truth. He was the inspiration for contrarian thinking” Career Path – “I don't believe that humans have linear paths ever. Anyone who has had an interesting career in my opinion has had a completely divergent set of experiences. High Performers: They hate small talk. Are not okay with wasting your time. Do what they say they're going to do. Do it with urgency. Are obsessed, not just interested. Goal Setting: “If you want to be a person who hits your goals: Skip setting goals and set sacrifices. What are you willing to give up to get what you want? That is the missing piece to winning. Every one of your goals has a price." Codie's Anti-Goals: Being an employee/work for others, Selling other people's products, Speaking for free, Coffee meetings. The richest self-made woman in the US is… Diane Hendricks (co-founded the largest wholesale roofing, siding, and window distribution company). There are billions in the boring. Writing = Clarifying Your Thinking Writing helps Codie think clearly and organize her thoughts. The process of writing demands coherence and structure, unlike verbal communication. 4 Parts to buy a business -  Cover debt, Cash to have an operator, Money to make a salary, Operating cash. 3, 9, 12 method - Learn the 10 steps in the first 3 months. Get in on a deal. Stabilize. Boring Businesses - Laundromats, car washes, and port-a-potty services can be very profitable. They are less glamorous but have a higher success rate compared to sexier industries. Advice - Meet with a small business owner. Ask to shadow them. Get curious. 42% of the population works for or in a small business.

Dave Rubin of “The Rubin Report” talks about Jordan Peterson shocking “Piers Morgan Uncensored” host Piers Morgan by telling him whether he trusts Trump, what Elon Musk's support of Trump really means, and why he would vote for Trump; Whitley Yates telling MSNBC's Jonathan Capehart and Meghan Hays why Oprah Winfrey's interview with Kamala Harris seems to be backfiring with working-class voters; CNN's failed attempt to shame a Trump supporter for owning a boat while being frustrated by inflation and the high cost of living; Dana Bash admitting to Donny Deutsch that ABC News made a massive mistake by letting debate moderator David Muir do a one-sided fact-check during the presidential debate; Megyn Kelly ripping into Hillary Clinton for what most are too afraid to say; Keir Starmer making Christopher Hitchens' warning about Islamophobia come true; and much more. WATCH the MEMBER-EXCLUSIVE segment of the show here: https://rubinreport.locals.com/ Check out the NEW RUBIN REPORT MERCH here: https://daverubin.store/ ---------- Today's Sponsors: Contagion Emergency Kit - This prescription Contagion Emergency Kit from The Wellness Company provides you with a carefully selected assortment of effective medications for bird flu, COVID-19, and other respiratory illnesses. Rubin Report viewers save $45 at checkout PLUS free shipping when they use code: RUBIN. Kits are ONLY AVAILABLE IN THE USA. Go to: https://TWC.health/RUBIN and use CODE: RUBIN PDS Debt- PDS Debt has customized options for anyone struggling with credit cards, personal loans, or medical bills. Everyone with $10,000 or more in eligible debt qualifies and there is no minimum credit score required. Go to: https://PDSDebt.com/RUBIN PrizePicks - Play PrizePicks alongside Druski, Joe Budden and MMA Champ Suga Sean O'Malley? PrizePicks puts their members first, so all withdrawals are fast, safe and secure. Download the PrizePicks app today and use code RUBIN and get $50 instantly when you play $5! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices