Laity Square

In this episode we explore the relationship between Marxism and religion. What exactly did Marx mean with his infamous “opium of the people” quote? How were his thoughts related to scientism and the problem of evil? And how did an atheist ideology spawn one of the worst religions ever to ravage humanity?

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In this episode, we explore the mechanics of humor. How does it work? Why is it effective in political and social commentary? And how do some scholars see the same patterns at work in the Gospel?

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Articles and books referenced in this episode:

In this episode, we discuss the relationship between technology and reality. Should we set limits to technology? How do we choose them? And is it legitimate to declare that a problem is technical just because we uncover a technical solution?

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In this episode, we discuss the Age of Omicron, the James Webb Space Telescope, and utilitarianism and the decline of Christianity.

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Links:

CBC - “Move over Hubble: Why the James Webb Space Telescope is such a big deal”

The Verge - “NASA successfully deploys complex sunshield on James Webb Space Telescope”

Statistics Canada study - “Religiosity in Canada and its evolution from 1985 to 2019”

Global News Report - “‘Gone by 2040’: Why some religions are declining in Canada faster than ever”

This is 2021’s year-in-review episode, where we talk about relevant news, reading books, and ideas for the year ahead.

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Links referenced in this episode:

This is our anniversary episode, and I look back on the show one year later, and comment on The Most Reluctant Convert, the recent CS Lewis biopic, on the occasion of his own birthday and death anniversaries.

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In this episode, we analyze the idea of conscience. What is its origin? How does it relate to our morality? And what is the importance of laws and government protecting it?

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In this episode, we look at just war theory. Is war ever justified? What grounds the ethical criteria to enter and conduct war? And how does this fit with Christianity’s individual conduct codes and the idea of pacifism?

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In this episode, we explore alternatives to the concept of universe. What is the philosophy behind the multiverse, metaverse, and simulation theory? Does science play any role in them? And how do we frame these concepts in a biblical world?

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In this episode, we discuss the fight for reality. Why do societies lose their shared definition of truth? How does this complicate conversations? And how can we think intentionally about this?

Episode transcript