The Word on Fire Show - Catholic Faith and Culture

A recent article in The Atlantic claimed "A Famous Argument Against Free Will Has Been Debunked". It focused on a famous experiment during the 1980s that seems to show our brain "decides" on our behavior before we actually make particular choices. Many believed this confirmed we don't have free will, that all our thoughts and behaviors are determined.

But is this the case? Is free will just an illusion? Bishop Barron explains some of the classic arguments for free will and its relationship to God and Christianity.

A listener asks why in Catholicism pride is a deadly sin, but Aristotle describes it as a virtue.

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This week, we share the second half of a talk from Bishop Barron on John Henry Newman's book, The Grammar of Assent. We shared the first half last week, so be sure to listen to that first.

The Grammar of Assent concerns question about how we come to believe in God, and is widely considered Newman's most important text.

Also, it's a timely topic, since John Henry Newman will be canonized in just a couple weeks, on October 13. Bishop Barron will be attending the canonization, then a few days later will deliver a talk at Oxford University on "John Henry Newman and the New Evangelization." That talk, which we're planning to livestream, will focus primarily on The Grammar of Assent.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

This week, we share the first half of a talk from Bishop Barron on John Henry Newman's book, The Grammar of Assent. The book concerns the question of belief–how we come to believe in God–and is widely considered his most important text.

Also, it's a timely topic, since John Henry Newman will be canonized in just a couple weeks, on October 13. Bishop Barron will be attending the canonization, then a few days later will deliver a talk at Oxford University on "John Henry Newman and the New Evangelization." That talk, which we're planning to livestream, will focus primarily on The Grammar of Assent.

So enjoy the first half of this talk, and we'll share the second half next week.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Bishop Barron takes questions from kids, including:

• Why did Jesus pick Judas to be one of his disciples when he knew Judas would betray him?
• Does Heaven have night time?
• How is St. Michael an angel and a saint?
• How does a family with young kids perform the corporal/spiritual works of mercy?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

The annual United Nations World Happiness Report, which measures the happiness of different countries, is always dominated by Scandinavian nations. Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, and Finland have always been in the top ten. But what's striking is that these happiest countries are also those which rank among the least religious. On the flip side, most African countries, which tend to be the very religious, consistently land near the bottom of the U.N. Happiness Report.

What does Bishop Barron make of this? How should we actually define happiness, and what have the great thinkers and saints throughout time said about finding happiness? That's what we discuss in today's episode.

A listener asks how we reconcile all the violence/competition seen in nature with the Creator God of peace.

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Today, Bishop Barron answers questions from all over the world about God, the Church, and the culture. Will it be possible to upload one's consciousness to a computer and attain immortality? Why was Christianity started in the West? If humans are born with original sin, then why does the Bible encourage us to have children and increase the amount of sin in the world? Listen for Bishop Barron's answers!

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

A recent Pew Research Center study revealed that "just one-third of U.S. Catholics agree with their church that Eucharist is body, blood of Christ." What's the cause of this? And moving forward, how do we fix the problem? Bishop Barron discusses in today's episode.

(Explore a collection of my resources on the Eucharist here: https://www.wordonfire.org/presence)

A listener asks if the Eucharist gives us life, why do we reserve it only for Catholics?

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!

Today, we discuss a recent article in Teen Vogue titled "Who is Karl Marx?" which shows how many teens and teachers have begun dabbling in Marxism. There have been a slew of other articles noting the rise of Millennials supporting socialism. Having done his masters work in philosophy on Karl Marx, Bishop Barron introduces us to this influential thinker and his main ideas, noting the problems the Catholic Church has with them.

A listener asks why the Apostle's Creed says Jesus "descended into Hell."

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Today, we use Google's autocomplete feature to have Bishop Barron respond to some of the top questions people search for beginning with the phrase "Does God...". Does God love everyone? Does God change his mind? Does God have a name? Listen and find out!

A listener asks what evidence we have for the existence of Jesus.

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Bishop Barron is traveling overseas to film the last two episodes of his Pivotal Players series. So in this episode, we share a clip from one of his classic study programs, "Seven Deadly Sins, Seven Lively Virtues".

The clip focuses on the sin of pride and the corresponding virtue of humility. Get access to the full study program (and all of Bishop Barron's films) when you join the Word on Fire Institute at wordonfire.institute.

NOTE: Do you like this podcast? Become a patron and get some great perks for helping, like free books, bonus content, and more. Word on Fire is a non-profit ministry that depends on the support of our listeners…like you! So be part of this mission, and join us today!