One of the biggest questions about Scientology is what were the intentions of its founder, L. Ron Hubbard in creating it and if it’s a great big con, why would he have stuck with it for decades and written and done as much as he did. In this episode, guest Yuval Laor and I discuss a theory that could answer these questions and explain L. Ron Hubbard in a way that has never been talked about before.

Yuval Laor is a PhD in Cultural Studies, with a Masters in the history and philosophy of Science and Ideas, and a B.A. with a double major in Physics and Philosophy. He can be contacted by email: [email protected]

What is temporal lobe epilepsy

Video on temporal lobe epilepsy

Music by Pale Blue and LinoRise

Immigration has been a major hot-topic item in this election ever since Donald Trump first announced his candidacy, but the lies, distortions and misdirections on this top go back much further than Trump. In this episode, I go over a lot of history and facts about immigration from a non-partisan point of view.

Links to articles and references for this episode:

Donald Trump Claims There are 30 Million Illegal Immigrants

Demographics of Immigrants in the United States Illegally

Frequently Requested Immigration Statistics

Share of Unauthorized Immigrant Workers in Production, Construction Jobs Falls Since 2007

What Donald Trump Really Believes about Immigration

Healthcare for Illegal Immigrants

Obamacare Facts about Immigrants

California Moves Towards Extending Obamacare to Illegal Immigrants

Immigration Myths

Can an Illegal Immigrant in the US Become Legal?

Music by Pale Blue and LinoRise.

This week, it’s atheism and politics in the spotlight with special guest Wynne Legrow who ran for Congress as an atheist in 2009 in Virginia. I cover some information about atheism in the United States and we then discuss his experiences running for Congress and the book he wrote about it, titled Last Leper in the Colony.

10 Facts about Atheists article

Last Leper in the Colony on amazon.com

Music by Pale Blue and LinoRise.

This is the beginning of the Sensibly Speaking Podcast 2.0 with just Chris Shelton hosting. This week I discuss our past forays into social justice and politics and how delving into those treacherous waters can be rough for everyone involved and go over in detail what is right and wrong with Black Lives Matter, the Progressive and Regressive Left and why these are not going to be mainline topics in future podcast episodes.

Music  by Pale Blue and LinoRise.

This week, Ruth and Chris talk police shootings in Baton Rouge, LA and Falcon Heights, MN, as well as the Black Lives Movement and how white people can do something effective to actually help with the situation.

Links mentioned in the show:

Alton Sterling shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Philando Castile’s shooting in Minnesota

Obama weighs in

Guardian database of people killed by police in the US

Music by Pale Blue and AudioNautix.com.

This week, Ruth and Chris discuss the “religious freedom” laws and Federal responses to them including some fun follow-up on Kim Davis, a Supreme Court decision which is going to have drastic effects on state-sponsored anti-abortion legislation and talk about Russia’s draconian crackdown on terrorism by taking away basic human rights of all of their citizens.

Articles mentioned in this week’s episodes:

Federal Judge Rules Clerks Cannot Cite Religion to Recuse from Issuing Marriage Licenses

Mike Huckabee owes and owes and owes

Texas Supreme Court Decision and information about anti-abortion legislation

Follow up on NC’s HB2 Anti-LGBT Legislation (Proposed Changes Don’t Change Anything)

Conservative Christians Grapple with Religious Freedom

Russia’s State Duma just approved some of the most represssive laws in post-Soviet history

Music by Pale Blue and AudioNautix.com.

This week Ruth and Chris talk recent news and events about gun control, the Democratic sit-in, 4th Amendment travesties from the Supreme Court and Ken Hamm’s attempt to blatantly violate fair employment practices at his Ark Encounter . Plus a bonus conspiracy story that is literally out of this world.

Links mentioned in the show:

Jon Stewart’s Daily Show episode about the good old days

Democrats sit-in

NRA donations to senators

The 4th Amendment Just Got Trashed

Ken Ham Ark Museum

Ultimate Scientology conspiracy theory

Mac & Cheetos at Burger King

Music by Pale Blue and AudioNautix.com.

This week, Ruth and Chris interview special guest Yuval Laor about the evolution of evolution, from Darwin’s original discoveries and writing of The Origin of Species to modern day developments including why Richard Dawkins is wrong about the selfish gene.

Yuval Laor’s email: [email protected]

Link to Slate magazine article on Religious Belief 

Music by Pale Blue and AudioNautix.com.

This week, Ruth and Chris talk about Reason Rally 2016, what it was and wasn’t and the influence of social justice warriors on the atheist movement. They also cover some hot topic news items including anti-abortion in Ireland, Ohio passing medical marijuana and (as though this is needed) more real world evidence of climate change.

Deubell’s Etsy link: https://goo.gl/mGTgxC

Please comment away and let us know your feedback or if you have any questions or comments you’d like us to address on air.

Links mentioned in the show:

Bad press about Reason Rally

UN judgement says Ireland’s anti-abortion laws are a violation of human rights

Ohio Legalizes Medical Marijuana

A 33-year old billionaire CEO shares the one question he’s been asking himself for the past decade

Big melt: Arctic sea ice hits record lows

Music by Pale Blue and AudioNautix.com.

Ruth and I attended the 2016 Reason Rally and these are our immediate thoughts, feelings and ideas when we got back to our hotel after a day of texting, tweeting and posting about it.

Follow us on Twitter: @SensibleSpeaker

Follow us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sensiblyspeaking