The Podcast For Inquiry

After years of research, David Fitzgerald has come to a surprising conclusion: that all the main characters in the world's major religions are entirely the product of human imagination. While many have long doubted the supernatural feats that religious figures are purported to have done, the assumption that these are grounded in at least a kernel of historical fact is widely held. David explains h...

Is secularism church-state separation or government neutrality in matters of religion? What does state religious neutrality look like? When the Supreme Court of Canada issues a ruling, is that the final word? What is the difference between a welcome, a traditional greeting, a cultural practice, and a prayer, especially in the context of indigenous nations and reconciliation? Dr. Teale Phelps Bonda...

Dr. Evelyn Forget is Canada's foremost expert on Basic Income, and the author of Basic Income for Canadians: From the COVID-19 Emergency to Financial Security for all. Dr. Forget describes what Basic Income is, and how it differs from UBI (Universal Basic Income). She talks about the results of a Basic Income pilot conducted in Canada, and answers the question: If Basic Income is such a great idea...

Seth Andrews ( @SethAndrewsTTA ) is the host of The Thinking Atheist , a very popular podcast and online resource for nonbelievers. Seth talks about his life as an evangelical Christian and what led him to leave his faith. He and Leslie talk about how many Christians embrace seemingly un-Christian beliefs and policies, and what Humanists need to do to make the world a better place. Podcast for Inq...

Paris Marx ( @parismarx ) is a critic of Silicon Valley business practices and the impact they have on workers and society at large. Paris writes the Disconnect newsletter and hosts Tech Won't Save Us , an award-winning critical technology podcast.   In today's episode, Paris explains the flaws in each category of the tech sector, including: Blockchain and crypto currencies - Bitcoin, Ethereum, Do...

Dr. Tara Moriarty ( @MoriartyLab ) was happy being a research scientist, studying how Lyme disease bacteria travel to different parts of our body using the bloodstream. Then the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and she saw a vast need for disseminating accurate information to the public. So she founded COVID-19 Resources Canada ( www.covid19resources.ca ) and learned on the fly to become a science commun...

Leslie talks with David McRaney ( @davidmcraney ) about his book, "How Minds Change". They explore how social context is critical when people form their opinions. People don't change their minds in a vacuum, and David describes how network effects lead to social cascades, such as how widespread resistance to equal marriage flipped to widespread acceptance in an astonishingly short period. David qu...

Catherine is a humanist activist, and believes the two go hand in hand. Catherine talks about the inherent tension within the Catholic Social Justice Movement, and her own journey out of Catholicism. She describes the link between Christofascism and Incels (see her  article in Free Inquiry). Catherine's activism today is focused on The Kimberley Project , a Canadian charity dedicated to the preven...

How does one survive in an authoritarian regime, where you are sent away for education if the frame holding a picture of the Dear Leader gets dirty? When no one has enough to eat? Eunju Kim is the author of A Thousand Miles to Freedom, which describes her harrowing escape from North Korea to Seoul. She and Leslie discuss how the Kim dynasty is worshiped in North Korea, much like a God. Eunju detai...

Welcome to the second episode of Leslie's Diatribes, a sounding board for Leslie to fulminate on topics he is passionate about. Today's topic is the Health Ethics Guide , a publication of the Catholic Health Alliance of Canada . Employees in Catholic health care facilities in eight provinces are told to sign this code of ethics every year, and many do so without reading it. Leslie highlights some...

Why do publicly funded Catholic schools exist in Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta? Does the government or the Church actually run them? Leslie speaks with Dr. Tonya Callaghan, author of Homophobia in the Hallways, about systemic homophobia in Canadian Catholic schools. They discuss the long struggle to establish Gay-Straight Alliances, the oddly selective enforcement of Catholic doctrine, and th...

What is a tetrapod? What is a homologue, and how does it differ from convergent evolution? Dana answers Leslie's many questions about animal development from embryo to adult, talks about her research on amphibians and axolotls, and how her book, "Dana Digs Dinosaurs", was inspired by the excitement of a seven year old.  Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada . Hoste...

Roy Speckardt is the past executive director of the American Humanist Association. He speaks with Leslie about his latest book, Justice-Centered Humanism. Conversation topics include: Roy's journey to Humanism How to get Humanists involved in activism How Humanism leads to Social Justice Environmentalism Sentientism (referencing the PfI episode with Jamie Woodhouse in March 2023) Secularism Podcas...

Do people in the Humanist movement live up to their stated ideals? How does sexism and misogyny persist within Humanist circles? Srishti Hukku has been a humanist activist for close to two decades, and shares her experiences and insights with host Leslie Rosenblood in a personal and penetrating conversation.  Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the  Centre for Inquiry Canada . Hosted by Lesli...

Noah Rasheta integrates Buddhist philosophy into every aspect of his life. He talks with Leslie about Secular Buddhism , and they compare and contrast Buddhist teachings with Christian thought and Stoic philosophy. They discuss Noah's book " No-Nonsense Buddhism for Beginners ", delving into aspects that Leslie heartily agreed with and others that required further clarification for genuine underst...

Steve Ironside is the Ambassador Program Director for Recovering from Religion , an organization dedicated to providing hope, healing and support to those struggling with issues of doubt and non-belief. Steve describes the several services RfR offers free of charge to people trying to reconcile aspects of their lives that may not be fully consistent with their faith. Recovering from Religion hosts...

Marie-Claire Khadij ( FB , IG , Twitter ) was born into a devout Roman Catholic family, and was a practicing Christian for much of her early life. She describes her journey from faith to agnosticism to Humanism, as well as how and why she joined the Canadian Armed Forces - first as a Roman Catholic chaplain, and then as its first Humanist chaplain. Learn more about becoming a Humanist chaplain thr...

Philippa Carter ( @PhilippaCarter ) has her PhD in Religious Studies, is a professor within McMaster's Society, Culture & Religion degree program, and teaches a course called, "What on Earth is Religion?" Yet there is no simple answer to this straightforward question. The conversation ranges from religions to cults, philosophies, creeds, and worldviews, with stops at free expression and secularism...

Jamie is a leading advocate for Sentientism ("evidence, reason, and compassion for all sentient beings") as a worldview and as a global movement. Jamie and Leslie discuss what Sentientism is along with its philosophical, ethical, and practical implications. Learn more through the Sentientism Podcast and YouTube channel, the global Sentientism Facebook community , and on Twitter @JamieWoodhouse and...

In February 2015, Leslie Rosenblood participated in the second Chesterton debate, organized by the Archdiocese of Toronto, arguing against the motion that God should play a significant role in political affairs. Iain Benson, a Roman Catholic legal philosopher and consultant, took the opposing position. The moderator was Lorna Dueck. The debate was rebroadcast on Salt and Light TV and Podcast for I...

Chris Shelton was raised within the Church of Scientology, which he left a decade ago. Since then, he has dedicated his life to helping those seeking to escape coercively controlling environments. Chris explains how all cults use the same playbook to recruit and keep members, techniques to which we are all susceptible. Chris shares how one can avoid falling for the traps they set, and how to recog...

In December 2022, fusion researchers achieved a major accomplishment: more energy resulted from a controlled fusion reaction than was put into it. Allan explains why this is more a symbolic milestone than a sign that commercial fusion is imminent. Allan describes the current state of the art in fusion research, and the many ways fusion differs from fission, the existing nuclear energy technology....

CFIC was invited to give a presentation on Humanism in Children and Women's Rights at the third International Humanism Conference for Social Justice in September 2022. Leslie spoke on Humanism in Children and Women's rights. Today's bonus episode is his speech at the conference. Podcast for Inquiry is brought to you by the Centre for Inquiry Canada. Hosted by Leslie Rosenblood. Produced by Lee Shi...

Dr. Joshua Bowen ( @DJHammurabi1 ) is an Assyriology scholar and author of "The Atheist Guide to the Old Testament". Josh describes his journey from fundamentalist evangelical Christianity to atheism , and what motivated him to write two volumes (so far!) of the Atheist Guide. He and Leslie discuss the Old Testament book of Exodus, and its correspondence to what we know of the time from the fields...

Ashley Esakin is passionate about plants, and provides advice about how anyone - rural, urban, even those who live in apartments - can start their own garden. She and Leslie talk about how seeds both sense and manipulate their environment, efficiency and environmental challenges in modern agriculture (and how they are being addressed), and some common myths and misperceptions about gardening. You...