For those who may not remember, Terri Schiavo was a profoundly cognitively disabled woman who became the subject of a legal and cultural battle that made international headlines. The case became a bitter and protracted conflict between Michael Schiavo, Terri’s husband who wanted to pull her feeding tube, and the Schindler family that fought to save their child and sister’s life. In the end, the courts granted Schiavo permission to do as he wanted. It took two weeks for Terri to die. This year marks the 20th anniversary of her death, and it seems a good time to take stock of the meaning and legacy of her case. Wesley’s guest is Terri’s brother, Bobby Schindler. He is president of the Terri Schiavo Life & Hope Network that advocates for the medically …
We live in an increasingly secular age in which religious believers — particularly Christians — are accused of believing in myths, meaning false stories. But are religious myths really false? Moreover, do modernists have their own myths by which they live? And why do humans create myths and what societal purposes do they serve, anyway? The classical educator and Orthodox Christian David V. Hicks has thought deeply about these questions, which he explores in a fascinating new book: The Stones Cry Out: Reflections on the Myths We Live By. In the known universe, only man quests for both “meaning” and “truth.” Hicks notes that myths are our primary means of pursuing these dual human exceptionalist pursuits. The myths about which he writes are not just religious …
The creation of the modern hospice movement was a major advance in the care for people with terminal illnesses. Alas, in recent years, hospice has entered something of a crisis, with too many facilities offering inadequate care and some patients receiving short shrift of services to which they are entitled. To get to the bottom of the problem, Wesley invited one of the movement’s leading lights, Dr. Ira Byock, to discuss what has gone wrong with hospice and what can be done about it. Ira Byock, M.D., F.A.A.H.P.M., is a leading medical authority, author, and public advocate for improving care for people living with serious medical conditions. He is an active emeritus professor of medicine and community & family medicine at Dartmouth’s Geisel School of Medicine. He …
The public health sector has been roiled by controversy and political turmoil in the last few years, what with the COVID pandemic, the fight over vaccine mandates, and questions about politicization of the sector. Beyond that, viruses make the news like never before. So, Wesley turned to an expert in both fields to learn more about virology, the government’s response to COVID, and the potential threat of bird flu. Robert R. Redfield, M.D., is a virologist. He has been a public health leader actively engaged in clinical research and clinical care of chronic human viral infections and infectious diseases, especially HIV, for more than 30 years. From 2018-2021, Dr. Redfield served as the 18th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (“CDC”) and …
Brian R. Krouse, Angus J. Menuge, and Michael R. Egnor
January 13, 2025
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What is the “mind”? Is it a pure product of raw brain activity? Or, is it something “other” — that can be experienced, but not measured, observed but not fully defined? Does free will exist? Are our brains just so many meat computers? A new anthology, Minding the Brain, explores these and related issues in depth — both from philosophical and scientific viewpoints — explaining how and why “mind” and “brain” are distinct things. Three of the contributors to the book — all Discovery Institute colleagues — join Wesley on Humanize to discuss this fascinating topic. Editor and Contributor Brian R. Krouse is a software engineer with research interests in the philosophy of the mind, computer science, and neuroscience. He has a …
