What We Can't Not Talk About

This special episode is the recording of a table talk that Dr. Kurt Schroder gave for the Austin Institute on September 21st, 2021. Tune in to listen how our board member, a Ph.D. in Physics and a brilliant inventor, helps us uncover our illusions about time and about its scientific measurement. Dr. Schroder will also stimulate personal answers to the question: "What would you do if the time you still had to live was "shorter" than you think?" Is it not? Here is the video to the Table Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k61ySdbv0Es&t=25s

Marriage, in vitro fertilization, pornography, these are all very hot and very divisive topics. But if we do not address them with our children, someone else will do it for us. Dr. Ana Samuel, Academic Director of CanaVox, and mother of six, explains how the CanaVox network of reading group works, why and how it was founded and what is coming next. Started less than 10 years ago, CanaVox is now present throughout the world, with several groups in Texas, including in Austin. Tune in to learn more! This episode was recorded at the end of July 2021. Links: https://canavox.com/who-we-are/

Have you ever wondered how an immortal life would look like? In this episode, we have privilege to discuss some fascinating aspects of this topic with Dr. Rachel Alexander. Based on Dr. Alexander's treatment of "Memory and Mortality in Homer’s Odyssey," soon to be published in the book "Political Theory on Death and Dying," we talked about living in the past, about the passing of time, and about truth seeking. Tune in, enjoy, ... and remember to share! LINK: https://www.routledge.com/Political-Theory-on-Death-and-Dying/Dolgoy-Hale-Peabody/p/book/9780367437411

We are back with season 2 of our podcast and we are kickstarting it with a special lecture given by Joseph Price, Professor of Economics at Brigham Young University and Senior Fellow of the Austin Institute and moderated by Andrew Brown, J.D., Distinguished Senior Fellow of Child and Family Policy at the Texas Public Policy Foundation. In this episode, we explore the rights and responsibilities of parents and the limits of both parental and governmental authority over children. The parent-child relationship is the foundation of civil society. Increasingly, however, government is attempting to exert control over basic child rearing decisions traditionally made by parents. Watch the lecture: https://youtu.be/0kHNOoI_3I8 Visit Texas Public Policy Foundation: https://www.texaspolicy.com/

Once again, we are happy to host a conversation on the issue of today: online pornography. With the help of Sean Clifford, CEO of Canopy.us, and happy father of four children, we tried to understand what each of us can do to make sure that our kids are not exposed, not even accidentally, to this new and dangerous drug. As our guest tells us, internet is a great resource and we all love our smartphones (and our podcasts!); but the internet is also a very dangerous place. Internet filters are a great and necessary help. By the way, there are filters out there that can help adults too! Listen, share, and consider protecting your loved ones. Canopy: https://canopy.us/, https://www.covenanteyes.com/?msclkid=7a7c12200cf41fa7d10672dc5f188ce6 DISCOUNT CODE: SAFER at checkout: 15% off + 30 days free with any subscription plan. Meet Circle: https://meetcircle.com/

What is the role that America can play in defending and promoting the right to life of all children, everywhere in the world? How does its international policy look like today and how did it look like during the former administration? In this episode we recorded a couple weeks back, we have the privilege of hosting a conversation with Valerie Huber, an architect of the Geneva Consensus Declaration (tune in to learn about it!) and former U.S. Special Representative for Global Women’s Health, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Enjoy! Geneva Consensus https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/geneva-consensus-declaration-english.pdf

As promised, Professor Christopher Kaczor is back on our show to talk about his latest release—published today: "Jordan Peterson, God, and Christianity: The Search for a Meaningful Life!" Co-authored with Associate Professor Matthew R. Petrusek, the book analyses Peterson’s biblical series on YouTube as well as his bestselling book "12 Rules for Life" and his latest "Beyond Order" from a Christian perspective. In this episode, I get to ask Professor Kaczor a few deeper questions about Genesis, human creativity, and true happiness. Not *instead* ... but *before* reading the book, tune in for another great talk! LINKS: Book: https://books.wordonfire.org/peterson-book https://www.amazon.com/Jordan-Peterson-God-Christianity-Meaningful/dp/1943243786/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=kaczor+jordan&qid=1627412081&s=books&sr=1-1 Our book club: https://www.austin-institute.org/events/the-good-life-book-club Koons' episode: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6USikEhKuXigE2WCXmz886

As promised, Dr. Melissa Moschella came back on our show! This time, we talked about true humility and about the ways in which exercising this virtue would improve all of our social interactions. In an age dominated by constant self-awareness and by an actual cult of the self, humility reminds us that we do not need to be "liked," but to be true to others. Even within marriage, humility is necessary to acknowledge our limits and to grow together, as couples and as individuals. Enjoy... with prudence, courage, temperance and justice, of course! What happened to Virtue, the Common Good, and Pluralism, Teachings from Judaism, Christianity, and Islam: https://www.religiousfreedominstitute.org/rfievents/what-happened-to-virtue-the-common-good-and-pluralism

**This episode contains mature content** If there is one thing we absolutely must talk about, that is pornography. We have to talk about it because it affects our children, our friends, our spouses. If you are young, and if you are using it, it will inevitably affect your sexual life (let alone the romantic one). If you are a parent, you need to listen to Dr. Jimmy Myers, Founder and CEO of the Timothy Center, whose experience treating sexual addictions will be an eye-opener for many. Listen, and *do* talk about this! Timothy Center: https://www.timothycenter.com/whatwedo Brain Heart World Documentary: https://brainheartworld.org/screening-type How Porn Can Harm Consumers' Sex Lives: https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-harm-consumers-sex-lives How Porn Can Change the Brain: https://fightthenewdrug.org/how-porn-can-change-the-brain/ Canopy, a digital parenting app that blocks pornography: http://canopy.us Pornographic Double-Bind by Professor Mark Regnerus https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2014/11/the-pornographic-double-bind?fbclid=IwAR1sDl_XK39JdSYpMFwz6FID2eYLKJYalzC7z4FUQDoctt1IPexf6g9Lv-s

In this episode, Austin Institute's Senior Fellow, UT Professor of Philosophy Robert Koons, offers a brilliant description of the reasons why modern science does not disprove the existence of God. Last spring, Professor Koons presented these arguments more extensively, in the context of a compact seminar that he led for Austin Institute's attendees. (Be sure to subscribe for the next compact seminars: they are not recorded!) Go to www.austin-institute.org to check out our upcoming events! Enjoy! Links: Where The Conflict Really Lies: Science, Religion, and Naturalism, by Alvin Plantinga: https://www.amazon.com/Where-Conflict-Really-Lies-Naturalism/dp/0199812098 Science and Theism: Concord, not Conflict*: http://robkoons.net/uploads/1/3/5/2/135276253/science_and_theism.pdf