Informed Secular Minds

The concept of sin exists in most of the major religions on earth. It is generally defined as "an immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law." Many believers think of sin as being anything that impedes a perfect relationship with God. How do believers determine what is and is not a sin? What do religious texts tell us about this concept? Is avoiding sin a realistic goal?

How do believers repent for the inevitable sins they commit?

The notion of sin, or committing a crime against God, can lead to deeply negative attitudes towards ourselves and others. Cory and Scott discuss this problem, and consider what sin has to do with morality.

Give us a call to join the conversation live! Call 646-564-9551

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Truth Pursuit will set the tone for a larger week long conversation with Scott on social media. You can engage with him on Twitter and Periscope @ELDUDEIRENO as well as on the official Informed Secular Minds accounts @ISMPodcast_ to add your voice to the topic at hand.

The first Truth Pursuit centers around one of the most famous myths ever promoted as historical fact: the story of Noah's Ark! Call 646-564-9551 to join the broadcast live, and stay connected on Twitter and Periscope to make your opinion known.

Do you believe in the story of Noah's Ark? Do you reject it as nothing more than a legend from antiquity? Tell Scott why!

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Please consider contributing to the show: Patreon

Cory starts the episode with a brief review of Steve Bannon, the chief strategist inside the Trump administration and helps shed light on some revealing and troubling comments made in 2014. 

So much left from Part 1 to get to! The second half of L. Ron Hubbard's biography gets a discussion, followed by the rise of the early Church of Scientology including the infamous Sea Org and its abusive practices.

What is Going Clear, and how does one achieve it? What are engrams? Who is the mysterious David Miscavige at the center of the modern Church, and where the hell is his wife?

No in-depth discussion of Scientology would be complete without an overview of the celebrity weirdness surrounding it. Tom Cruise, John Travolta and others are discussed as they pertain to the theology, as well as some less famous key players who have left the Church over the decades.

Stay tuned until the end, we have some big news about the show!!

Follow Scott: ELDUDEIRENO on Twitter    ELDUDEIRENO on Periscope

Follow Cory: Dopinephrine on Twitter    Dopinephrine on Periscope

Follow the show: ISM on Twitter    ISM On Periscope

As we move forward, your support is more important than ever. Contribute if you can! Patreon

America has a long tradition of customized faiths and notorious cults. In this episode, ISM explores and critiques Scientology, one of the most successful cults in history. What are the core elements of this faith? What defines its theology? Who is L. Ron Hubbard, the cult's founder? What makes Scientology fundamentally American?

Call in live: 646-564-9551

Follow Scott: ELDUDEIRENO on Twitter    ELDUDEIRENO on Periscope

Follow Cory: Dopinephrine on Twitter    Dopinephrine on Periscope

Follow the show: ISM on Twitter    ISM On Periscope

Please consider contributing to the show: Patreon

President Obama will be leaving office in less than two days. Its been an eventful eight years since he entered the White House: the United States has been through a recession, the end of a war, the passage of landmark legislation, and shifting political and cultural climates. Has secularism been strengthened or weakened under President Obama? Where did he succeed and fail as President? We'll be taking calls live during the show; let us know how you feel about the outgoing POTUS!

646-564-9551

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As our scientific understanding increases, a fascinating hypothesis has emerged: the idea that we exist in a high functioning simulation, indistinguishable from another reality. How is such a thing possible? Who are the scientists investing time into investigating this hypothesis? What would be the motives in creating such a simulation? We tackle these questions and more in the strangest episode of Informed Secular Minds yet!

 

From "The Simulation Argument: Why the Probability that You Are Living in a Matrix is Quite High" by Nick Bostrom

We should accept as true at least one of the following three propositions:

(1) The chances that a species at our current level of development can avoid going extinct before becoming technologically mature is negligibly small

(2) Almost no technologically mature civilizations are interested in running computer simulations of minds like ours

(3) You are almost certainly in a simulation.

 

Give us a call with your questions or comments: (646) 564-9551

Follow ISMPodcast_ on Twitter and Periscope

Scott: @ELDUDEIRENO

Cory: @Dopinephrine

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