Get a better understanding of religion, non-belief, and the world with 10 free audio programs

August 2, 11:20 PMRochester Atheism ExaminerViktor Nagornyy

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Everything that irritates us about others can lead us to an understanding of ourselves. - Carl Jung, Swiss psychiatrist and founder of Analytic psychology.

Jung was right, by understanding those things that we don’t like about others leads to an ultimate understanding of ourselves. It opens the door to your mind that is locked by the society during your childhood. Ideologies are nothing more than limits imposed by the society on one’s mind. It is up to the mind to interpret those limits. It is worthy to note that not all limits are bad. For example, morals are ideological limits that protect the society as a whole, they are good. On the other hand, corruption imposes ideological limits that satisfy ego without any regard to morals.

The following free audio programs will help you get a better understanding of religion and non-belief, which will help you develop a better understanding of yourself. This list is not only for atheists, but for the believers alike. Life is a two-way street. If you try to occupy the whole street and go in one direction you will crash. Would you do it in the real life on the road? Of course not, so why set your life on a definite crash course?

Audios were found on a LearnOutLoud.com, which offers an extensive library of free audio programs and audio books; in addition, they have a huge library of inexpensive audio books. Don't forget to look around the site. You will definitely find something you like.

The audios are not listed in any particular order, so you are free to listen to what you want. However, you will greatly benefit from listening to all of these programs.

• The Big Bang, Stephen Hawking, and God (Part 1 of 2)
• The Big Bang, Stephen Hawking, and God (Part 2 of 2)
  In this talk Dr. Schaefer weaves a discussion of cosmology with an informative biography of well-known physicist Stephen Hawking. In addition to detailing Hawking’s understanding of the beginning of the universe, Dr. Schaefer discusses what many leading theorists claim about the origins of life. Ultimately, Dr. Schaefer gives reasons for his rejection of the Steady State theory of the origin of the universe and explains what implications the theory of the Big Bang has for the existence and nature of God.
• Exploring Darwin's Black Box
  Dr. Behe has established himself as one of the leading proponents of intelligent design. His book, "Darwin's Black Box: The Biochemical Challenge to Evolution", is a New York Times Best-seller that discusses the limitations of neo-Darwinism and argues that living systems are best explained by an intelligent designer. As one of the few scientists who speak regularly on intelligent design, Dr. Behe has the rare ability to offer technical details in an understandable way. Though Dr. Behe’s stance on intelligent design is often criticized by many in the scientific community, he continues to raise questions about the underlying assumptions of evolution. A professor of Biochemistry at Lehigh University, Dr. Behe has published over 40 technical papers in the biological sciences and has written for numerous journals and magazines. He graduated from Drexel University and holds a doctorate in biochemistry from the University of Pennsylvania.
• Diplomacy & Religion in the 21st Century
  The greatest threat in the post-Cold War world, says Douglas Johnston, is the prospective marriage of religious extremism with weapons of mass destruction. Yet the U.S. spends most of its time, resources, and weapons fighting the symptoms of this threat, not the cause. The diplomacy of the future, he is showing, must engage religion as part of the strategic solution to global conflicts.
• A History of Doubt
  Poet and historian Jennifer Michael Hecht says that as a scholar she always noticed the "shadow history" of doubt out of the corner of her eye. She shows how non-belief, skepticism, and doubt have paralleled and at times shaped the world's great religious and secular belief systems. She suggests that only in modern time has doubt been narrowly equated with a complete rejection of faith, or a broader sense of mystery.
• Theism and Atheism
  Dr. Zacharias rightly points out that the most important question shared by theists and atheists is the one of how we should live. In this talk, Zacharias presents a solid case for why atheists have no acceptable answer for this all-important question. Pursuing the question from the angles of philosophy, the arts, and morality, Zacharias provides an illuminating discussion about the importance of this question and the consequences for failing to answer it adequately, while arguing that Christianity presents a satisfying answer.
• Atheism, Theism, and the Meaning of Life
  Dr. Moreland admits that the question of the meaning of life is difficult to answer—so much so that many do not even know where to start. Nevertheless, he maintains that it is as pressing today as it has been for centuries and there are viable ways to answer the question. In this two-pronged talk, Dr. Moreland first discusses the rise of Empiricism and Scientism and the bearing of these two paradigms on question of the meaning of life. Subsequently, he evaluates two competing worldviews—Scientific Naturalism and Christian Theism—arguing that Christian Theism is superior with regard to the issues of freedom and responsibility, intrinsic worth, equality of human rights, and meaning.
• Science, Ethics, & Hope
  When our technology can produce possibilities that can both fascinate and repulse us? Explore the moral intricacies of the places where cosmology, cloning, and faith meet, with innovative views of a social activist, a bioethicist, and a Talmudic scholar.
• Globalization and the Rise of Religion
  Experts once predicted that as the world grew more modern, religion would decline. Precisely the opposite has proven true; religious movements are surging and driving "alternative globalizations" across the world. Two leading thinkers offer a penetrating view of how and why religion of all kinds is shaping the global economy and political order.
• A Reason for Hope
  After 40 years of activism, she is still an inspiration to people across the globe. Her groundbreaking research and her vision of connecting people, animals, and the environment has brought her worldwide recognition. Jane Goodall talks openly about the role spirituality has played in her life and how it has given her the strength to inspire others to better the world for all living things.
• Religious Roots of American Democracy
  Philosopher Jacob Needleman speaks on the spiritual and moral ideals of the American founders — and how these ideals resonate in our culture today. Democracy, Needleman says, is inner work, not just a set of outward structures.

These audio programs will help you get a better understanding of the world around you when it comes to religion and non-belief. Some of them might go against your own beliefs or values, but this is exactly why you need to listen to them. It will help you look deep inside your mind, digging deeper and deeper with every audio; until you will begin to see your true identity.

And for the curious minds who want more. Here's a few free audio books to get you thinking even harder and dig even deeper. Consider these as a bonus: Common Sense, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, As a Man Thinketh and Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion.