Cathleen Falsani - The God Factor

Cathleen Falsani is the religion reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times, where she has covered spirituality and popular culture from Vatican City, Ireland, the White House, the Playboy Mansion and the dugout at Wrigley Field. In her first book, The God Factor, she recounts her discussions about God and morality with more than 30 prominent figures who hold various religious and nonreligious worldviews. Her "subjects" include such diverse personalities as Sen. Barack Obama, Melissa Etheridge, Hugh Hefner and Jeffrey Sachs, the noted economist. Falsani is a graduate of Wheaton College, and holds a master's degree in journalism from Northwestern University as well as a master's degree in theological studies from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. In this discussion with DJ Grothe, she comments on the religious or skeptical perspectives of the famous public figures profiled in her book, exploring a possible correlation between science and religious skepticism, and argues for the need for a more tolerant, open dialogue on religious issues. Also in this episode, Point of Inquiry contributor Lauren Becker shares a secular and humanist view of traditional marriage.