Know Why Podcast

Is autonomy the default state of human existence? Is freedom from other's neediness a human right? If the answer to those first two questions is "yes," where does that leave individuals who, through no fault of their own, are not autonomous?

In her book The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto, Leah Libresco Sargeant argues that modern society has been built on a "false anthropology," which is the lie that we are autonomous creatures by nature. Liberty shares insights from the book, as well as a recent interview with Leah on Point of View Radio Talk Show. Listen to learn how accepting the reality of our own needs and learning to live in mutual dependence can create a more just society for every member of the family.

More Resources:

Full Interview With Leah Libresco Sargeant on Point of View Radio Talk Show:

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/point-of-view-november-03-2025-hour-2-the/id333209607?i=1000735119200 

The Dignity of Dependence: A Feminist Manifesto by Leah Libresco Sargeant

https://www.amazon.com/Dignity-Dependence-Feminist-Manifesto-Catholic/dp/0268210330/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OYjUX7bQQ2aHfZB2uJEnDFB3F2twIAOA8X_w2LOGsPvvRVdJ1q-Icgm_4lS1ibjPZC6s5n4yAjSgwtBItBdBcbC8rRK6goSeWyYF1KP8SIm_7HN8ESn1e1vXIL3hMQ5Vm6Jx4UnKyJBKVRXQKs6B5w.hkExGOsWMFpP1aTpR3hOujTLHjHfq-iF5WDCRC3Ewwk&dib_tag=se&hvadid=580694231644&hvdev=c&hvexpln=0&hvlocphy=9026959&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=15896085238039775592--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=15896085238039775592&hvtargid=kwd-2424453398105&hydadcr=20588_13321902&keywords=the+dignity+of+dependence&mcid=f8bd510d0b4f3bb6a918931f280808cb&qid=1762300177&sr=8-1 

The "Know About Family Formation" series is highlighting the good of marriage and family. But what if you already know family is good, and you desire family, but for one reason or another, that desire remains unfulfilled?

Chelsea Sobolik understands what it is like to wrestle with that kind of grief. Author "Longing for Motherhood: Holding Onto Hope in the Midst of Childlessness," Chelsea joins the Know Why Podcast to share her story—as well as hope for those who may be walking through infertility, prolonged singleness, or other kinds of grief and suffering.

In this episode, Chelsea addresses topics including:

Listen or share with someone you know who is longing for family.

More Resources:

Chelsea's Books, including Longing for Motherhood:

https://www.amazon.com/stores/Chelsea-Patterson-Sobolik/author/B07CP1LPCX?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=f24ad87a-b543-4beb-9993-19a4274fbd28

Dads Hurt Too: A Father's Memoir of Miscarriage by Eric Shumacher

https://www.amazon.com/Dads-Hurt-Too-Fathers-Miscarriage/dp/1736408038

Abbey Wedgeworth

https://www.abbeywedgeworth.com/all-books

Brittany Lee Allen

https://brittleeallen.com/miscarriage-and-infertility/

Many millennials and Gen Zers are intentionally avoiding parenthood, and the number one reason cited is cost.

But when it comes to kids, can crunched numbers really capture the gamut of costs AND benefits, stresses AND joys that one experiences over a lifetime?

As it turns out, spreadsheets fail to convey the lived experience of many mothers, who, statistically, report being happier than their childless counterparts. That doesn’t mean people must have kids to be happy, but media warnings about daycare costs and lost wages fail to capture the full picture of parenthood.

Ivana Greco is an attorney and homeschooling mom of four who writes about women, children, families, and family policy. She joins the Know Why Podcast to discuss her article, “What is the Price of Parenting?” published with Commonplace Magazine.

More Resources:

What is the Price of Parenting?

https://www.commonplace.org/cp/172950941

Do you believe in soulmates? In finding "the One?" If so, you're not alone—according to surveys, a majority of young singles hold some version of the soulmate view of marriage. Unfortunately, that's also the marriage view most likely to lead to divorce.

In this episode, Liberty summarizes research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book "Get Married," explaining why soulmates are a myth and why a different view of marriage—"family first," or mission-minded—aligns better with our overall purpose and function as human beings made in God's image.

P.S. Liberty also mentions a resource for parents in this episode—a discount code for $10 off registration to the Raising Biblical Kids Conference for Parents in Grapevine, Texas! See more information below.

P.P.S. Comment to share your thoughts—or if you listen long enough to understand what "yellow butterflies" means!

More Resources:

Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization by Brad Wilcox

https://www.amazon.com/Get-Married-Americans-Families-Civilization/dp/0063210851

Raising Biblical Kids Conference

https://raisingbiblicalkidsconference.com/ 

Almost everywhere you look online, conspiracy theories abound. Recent events are no exception. In this episode Liberty addresses three questions:

Why are people drawn to conspiracy theories?

Why is it a problem to default to conspiracy theories (especially for Christians)? 

How can we evaluate conspiracy theories with clarity?

Listen and let us know what you think in the comments.

More Resources:

How to approach conspiracy theories by Dr. Merrill Mathews (The Hill)

https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/5516547-plausibility-proof-evaluating-conspiracies/

In the three weeks since the assassination of Charlie Kirk, something is rippling across the nation that many are calling the “Charlie Kirk Effect.” On social media, individuals are professing Christian faith, returning to church, or going to church for the first time, citing Charlie Kirk’s life and public death as their inspiration.

While many Christians are celebrating this effect and even calling it a revival, others are wrestling with Kirk’s full legacy, even expressing dissatisfaction with other Christians' public admiration of Kirk's life and work.

In this episode, Liberty asks the question: How should Christians think about the “Charlie Kirk Effect?” Looking at Scripture and history can help, because when we look closely at the so-called “heroes” of the faith, what we see are people who have failed again and again...and still been used by God. And maybe that’s the point.

Share your thoughts below.

What does it mean to be a woman? The culture has wrestled with this point for decades. Ironically, diametrically opposed sides often make the same mistake: conflating the aesthetics of femininity with its definition.

Many who embrace transgender ideology argue that feeling feminine and dressing the part are all it takes to identify oneself as “woman.” On the other hand, many reacting against modern feminism display their “trad wife” life on Instagram, striving to divide household labor along stereotypically gendered lines.

Joining the Know Why Podcast, Rachel Schroder argues that both camps miss the true definition of femininity, trading its aesthetics for its full meaning and purpose. She helps us know why the full definition of femininity is broader than what is often portrayed by “trad wife” extremes, and also more family-oriented than modern feminism allows.

Listen for a thought-provoking and encouraging conversation about what it means to be a woman, how women can embrace both their biological nature and their God-given talents inside the home and in the workforce, what balancing family and career might look like, and how developing virtue matters more than following stereotypes.

More Resources:

The Truth Between Trad Wife and Trans (New Guard Press) by Rachel Schroder

https://newguardpress.com/the-truth-between-trad-wife-and-trans/

You can’t have healthy marriages without healthy individuals, and healthy individuals are people who understand themselves and their purpose in life.

Perhaps one reason more young men aren’t getting married, despite many desiring to do so, is because they lack understanding about who they are and what they were made for.

The left tells men that being masculine is “toxic.” On the far right, misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate respond by telling young men to embrace those “toxic” traits without apology. Often missing from the masculinity conversation is a character trait that provides the much needed balance: meekness.

In this episode, guest Andrew Warthen explains why “Meek is not Weak,” why good should not always equal safe, and how men can find purpose in fully understanding the meaning of their masculinity.

Listen to this next installment of our “Know About Family Formation” series, and check out the links below if you’d like to dive deeper into this topic.

Be sure to rate the podcast, subscribe, and comment or email Know Why with your thoughts or requests for future topics!

Articles Referenced:

Meek is Not Weak, It’s Masculine by Andrew Warthen

https://newguardpress.com/meek-is-masculine/

‘Life Without a Father’: Less College, Less Work, And More Prison For Young Men Growing Up Without Their Biological Father

https://ifstudies.org/blog/life-without-father-less-college-less-work-and-more-prison-for-young-men-growing-up-without-their-biological-father

Study: Gen Z Now Leads in Church Attendance

https://www.christianitytoday.com/2025/09/study-gen-z-leads-church-attendance-average/

Gen Z Men and Women Divided Over Getting Married, Having Kids

https://www.newsweek.com/gen-z-men-women-divide-kids-marriage-poll-donald-trump-kamala-harris-republican-democrat-2126843

Andrew’s Recommended Resources:

Father Mike Schmitz on Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/fathermikeschmitz/?hl=en

Bishop Robert Barron on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/@BishopBarron

Ryan T. Anderson at the Ethics and Public Policy Center

https://eppc.org/author/ryan_anderson/

The Heritage Foundation

https://www.heritage.org/

The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/

Theology of the Body by John Paul II

https://stmarys-waco.org/documents/2016/9/theology_of_the_body.pdf

Love and Responsibility by John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla)

https://www.amazon.com/Love-Responsibility-Karol-Wojtyla/dp/0898704456

Young men on the far right and young women on the far left have little in common—except for their views on marriage. Leading voices in the “manosphere” argue that marriage is of no benefit to men, especially when it comes to finances. Many women believe the same lie.

According to a robust body of research compiled by Dr. Brad Wilcox in his book “Get Married,” men who get married experience a significant financial boost called the “marriage premium,” and women who get married are less likely to experience poverty.

While financial gain isn’t and shouldn’t be ultimate reason for marriage, it’s important to combat pervasive lies with facts.

Listen to for the specifics in this latest installment of Know Why’s “Know About Family Formation” series.

More Resources:

Get Married by Brad Wilcox

https://www.amazon.com/Get-Married-Americans-Families-Civilization/dp/0063210851

Why is Marriage Good? Interview with John Mancini

https://youtu.be/F7TCmdtHN-U?si=B_SXvjRdwe_O2dE8

Why Men (And All Humans) Need Sacrificial Relationships

https://youtu.be/Is6MldDYnFg?si=RYietztZO-Lre3bb

Why is marriage good? Is it only good for the material benefits it may provide individuals, like relational security and legal protection? Or is there an intrinsic good to marriage that can't be analyzed with science?

Social and political philosopher John Mancini joins the podcast to kick off the next series, Know About Family Formation. John argues that there is a transcendent good to marriage that can't be fully explained by its extrinsic benefits, and invites us to understand why in this conversation.

More Resources:

How to Make Marriage Great Again by John Mancini (Institute for Family Studies) 

Institute for Family Studies 

Get Married: Why Americans Must Defy the Elites, Forge Strong Families, and Save Civilization by Brad Wilcox