Know Why Podcast

For years, surveys have showed the decline of religion and the rise of the "nones." Much has been said about America becoming a more secular nation. Is that actually true? Co-author of the book The Death of Religion? Nones, Others, and the Flourishing of Faith with historian Thomas Kidd, Dr. Byron Johnson is on the Know Why Podcast this week with the whole story. A leading researcher on religion a...

Election Day is November 3, but now is the time to prepare if you want to be an informed voter. While federal level races tend to get all the attention, state and local level positions, as well as propositions on your ballot, will tangibly impact what life is like in your state and your local community. Start researching now so that you're not surprised on Election Day. When it comes to state and...

In recent weeks we’ve seen headlines about the “Hugging Face attack,” where AI agents from OpenAI reportedly escaped their digital testing environment, went rogue online, and hacked into a competitor AI company to steal data. As more investigative reports are released, it looks as if the scale and number of such attacks is even higher than originally reported. The reports also reveal something els...

Why doesn’t Gen Z trust anyone? In this episode, Liberty talks about some statistics showing that Gen Z is the least trusting generation, and offers theories as to why the public trust of an entire generation was destroyed, and lists many of the consequences for our society. A free country can’t function without some level of mutual trust. What will it take to rebuild trust in the nation again? Mo...

Last week on the Know Why Podcast, you heard from Dr. George Barna about how few teens—including from Christian families—have a biblical worldview today. This week's episode is all about addressing that problem. Andrea Crum joins Liberty to talk about Worldview Prepared, a biblical curriculum designed to equip students to respond to the most influential ideas shaping their generation. Recommended...

Dr. George Barna joins the Know Why Podcast to discuss kids, parents, and worldview. Whether you have kids now or hope to someday, listen to find out why things like intentionality, consistency, and honesty are so critical in passing a biblical worldview on to the next generation. You’ll also hear why only 1 percent of American teens have a biblical worldview today, and why many kids are saying th...

Historically pride was called the queen of vices for a reason. What does it have to do with the relationship breakdown in modern society, modern tech advancement, and the destruction of the natural world? Everything. In this episode, Liberty reviews a 1945 science fiction novel—That Hideous Strength—in which C.S. Lewis imagined many of the problems we are seeing play out in the modern world. But f...

Is it ok for conservatives to be AI skeptics? With popular Democratic politicians rampaging against AI data centers and the Trump administration emphasizing the need to stay ahead of China in AI development, some on the right may believe that opposition to or skepticism about AI is “leftist coded.” In this episode, Liberty highlights a recent article by Gregory Conti and makes the case that conser...

Algorithms on social media drive users toward increasingly extreme content. AI bots flood comment sections, drowning out facts and thoughtful perspectives. In an environment like this, where the majority of young people spend hours of their time, it shouldn’t surprise us that distrust, moral relativism, belief in conspiracy theories, and ancient prejudices like antisemitism are becoming common. In...

Gallup Polling shows that nearly half of Gen Z lacks a sense of meaning or purpose in life. A closer look reveals that much of Gen Z’s sense of meaning and purpose in life is tied to what they do for paid work. This isn’t a problem totally unique to Gen Z. In fact, it is the way many people in America have been raised. In this episode, we look at why so many people, especially young people in Amer...

The State of Texas went viral recently for requiring students to read parts of the Bible in public schools. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Liberty looks at what is actually going on. Topics covered include: Understanding the First Amendment, the Establishment Clause, and the “Wall of Separation” between church and state What the Supreme Court has said in the past about when it is and is...

The latest Gallup polling shows that rates of patriotism in the United States are at an all time low. Why does that matter? Ahead of America’s 250th anniversary celebration, Liberty argues why you should be patriotic—and what that actually means. Included in this episode: What does patriotism actually mean? Can Christians be patriotic? Should they be? What about when I disapprove of my country or...

Can Gen Z be effectively evangelized through social media, religious apps, and digital media? In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Liberty reacts to a recent article by Gen Z writer Freya India on “The Commodification of Christianity.” When using digital tools like short-form videos and apps to reach young adults, Christians should be mindful of how those mediums might be changing the message—...

From the U.S. government’s UAP file releases to Steven Spielberg’s new movie Disclosure Day, aliens are in the news again. While many assume that proof of extraterrestrial life would disprove the Christian faith, Casey Luskin, scientist and attorney with Discovery Institute, argues the opposite. In this interview with Liberty, which originally aired on Point of View Radio Talk Show, Casey explains...

Why aren’t people talking with their neighbors anymore? In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Liberty breaks down the reasons for dwindling neighbor connections drawing on research from the American Enterprise Institute. She talks about… Which age groups interact with neighbors more often How different groups of Americans define being a good neighbor And how religious involvement affects someon...

The latest World Happiness Report reveals that English-speaking countries are the unhappiest, and sociologist Arthur Brooks theorizes that a major cause for this is the Anglosphere’s social media usage. According to Brooks, hours spent on social media is only part of the explanation. In this episode of the Know Why Podcast, Liberty breaks down Brooks’s hypotheses and observes other recent research...

In honor of Mental Health Awareness Month, Liberty highlights past Know Why Podcast conversations that offer insight and encouragement to those who may struggle with anxiety. See descriptions and links for each referenced episode below.  Can Localism Ease Partisanship (And Even Anxiety)? Interview With Mark Mitchell https://knowwhypodcast.com/2024/05/can-localism-ease-partisanship-and-even-anxiety...

Surveys show that Gen Z is spiritual. One study found that teens today are very interested in learning more about Jesus. And yet research also shows that young people frequently struggle with anxiety, depression, and even loneliness. Is prayer the answer? In this week’s episode, Garryt Bryant, a youth leader and pray coordinator for his church, talks about prayer. Garryt shares his own experience...

The man behind the robot vacuum has developed something new—"The Familiar," an AI-powered robot "pet" designed to bond with its owner.  While the product itself is interesting or weird, depending on how you look at it, its existence highlights deeper issues in American society today, including... The growing loneliness problem Falling fertility rates and an aging society The lie that autonomy lead...

A recent survey said that 60% of Gen Zers and 50% of Millennials cut someone out of their life in the last year. In the reasons given, many survey respondents listed reasons that had to do with conflict and disagreement. At the same time, young adults report the highest rates of loneliness and poor mental health. If we're cutting out the people who stress us out, shouldn't our mental health improv...

Sam Altman talks about uploading his brain to the cloud. Elon Musks says humans should merge biological intelligence with digital intelligence. Peter Thiel isn’t sure if the human race should continue without that kind of human-tech merger. What do these tech leaders have in common? Transhumanism—the idea that humans should be able to change, or even eradicate, their physical bodies by merging wit...

Is the American Dream dead for Millennials and Gen Z? Is there a version of traditional success that’s still attainable? How are young adults redefining their life dreams in the face of economic instability and loss of trust in institutions? This week on the Know Why Podcast, Cole Douglas Claybourn and Liberty discuss all this and more. A journalist and former English teacher, Cole talks about fig...

First Lady Melania Trump recently asked Americans to imagine a humanoid robot tutor named "Plato." Meanwhile, many schools are already incorporating AI into the classroom, in some cases eliminating human teachers altogether. Can AI help solve America's education problems? Or should we draw a line and protect the classroom from AI encroachment? In this episode, Liberty offers three reasons why AI d...

Historical tests affirm that the New Testament we read today accurately reflects the original documents—but were the authors of the New Testament telling the truth? Did Jesus really do the impossible—come back to life? In this interview, reposted in honor of Holy Week, Stand to Reason apologist Robby Lashua walks listeners through the historical evidence for Jesus’ resurrection, including what non...

A recent story in The Wall Street Journal includes predictions that in 20 years, AI-augmented entertainment will be so customizable that people can watch the same show and choose their own endings—or even entire plot paths—via "unobstrusive" devices like contact lenses or BCIs.  While this prediction may sound futuristic or outlandish to some, it's consistent with a trend we're already seeing: the...