Segments
Do you ignore facts? Find evidence-based claims to be onerous and annoying? Turns out you’re not alone! This week on State of Belief, Interfaith Alliance’s radio show and podcast, our host Rev. Welton Gaddy speaks with Dr. Robert Proctor on the multi-million-dollar ignorance industry. We’ll hear from Interfaith Alliance President Rabbi Jack Moline about the difficult choices our commitment to religious freedom sometimes demands of us. And – to quote Megyn Kelly at the first Republican primary debate – “After the break, God.”
Oo-ooh Take the Money and Run… a Community Service from a House of Worship?
Interfaith Alliance’s commitment to religious freedom tells us that government money shouldn’t go to houses of worship – it is the only way to maintain an independent and authentic religious life. But in some instances – when natural disasters hit houses of worship or when a religious group runs a service that also benefits the broader community – that can be a hard sacrifice to ask. This week Welton catches up with Interfaith Alliance President Rabbi Jack Moline to discuss Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Pauley, a potentially groundbreaking Supreme Court case about a church playground and what it tells us about this issue and the rightwing campaign to funnel government money to churches.
Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance
From climate change to LGBT equality, it appears harder and harder to have a fact-based conversation about concrete issues in American politics. Maybe too much information decreases our ability to recognize and process real knowledge. Or maybe there’s an insidious, multi-million-dollar campaign to promote and peddle ignorance. Dr. Robert Proctor coined the term Agnotology to describe his study of not-knowing and wrote the book Agnotology: The Making and Unmaking of Ignorance. He’ll join Welton to share his insights on what we might be seeing in American politics today. But, whatever you learn about this, this dark art is likely at play all around you.
Morgan Freeman and The Story of God
For some, playing God means trying to exert a power you do not have… for Morgan Freeman it’s just another day at the office. After twice playing God in major motion pictures, Morgan Freeman has returned to the issue as the host of a new National Geographic series The Story of God, a six part documentary that explores faith and religion around the world on the National Geographic Channel. Get a look behind the scenes of this ambitious project as we interview the series’ executive producer, James Younger.