Category: Ideas | Page 47 | Just Right Media

024 – God: All About Nothing?

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Sep 272007

God

In our exploration of faith and reality, questions arise that challenge the very foundations of belief: Is God a literal creator or a symbolic representation of existence itself? Society clings to notions of divinity that influence everything from politics to personal choices, with statistics revealing how North Americans envision God as authoritarian, benevolent, critical, or distant—shaping views on issues like abortion, wealth distribution, and even war.

These conceptions often blur the line between mysticism and reason, prompting a deeper look at creation myths versus the axiom that existence simply exists, without beginnings or ends. Concepts like nothingness prove illusory, as even zero in mathematics serves as a placeholder, not an absence of reality. Religion, in its essence, promotes self-restraint and discipline, yet literal interpretations can lead to conflicts with knowledge and free thought.

Morality emerges not from divine decree but from human choice and awareness, navigating the debate between determinism—where every action seems predestined—and free will, which affirms our power to shape destinies. Historical ties between religion and state power, from ancient councils to modern policies, underscore how faith becomes a tool for control.

Politics and religion intertwine inescapably, raising provocative inquiries: Can true freedom of religion exist without freedom from it? Listeners tuning in discover perspectives that provoke thought and challenge assumptions, where understanding these dynamics keeps society balanced in a way that is just right.

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001 – Left and Right: An Orientation

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Apr 192007

Here we are with the very first broadcast of Just Right. I’m Bob Metz, stepping up to the microphone after the retirement of Jim Chapman and the end of Left, Right, and Center. I make it clear right from the start: this isn’t about being right-wing, it’s about being just right – that philosophy of freedom, reason, individual rights, voluntary choice, and tolerance that stands in stark contrast to the left’s statism, force, collectivism, whim, and intolerance, whether it comes wrapped in conservative or liberal packaging.

I lay out the real meaning of left versus right, drawing from Plato and Aristotle all the way to today’s issues like abortion (neither ban nor subsidize), Sunday shopping (treat it like any other day), and pornography (freedom of speech, not bans from the religious right or the feminist left). All Canadian parties? They’re all on the left in my book.

Then I dive into that campus controversy over the Western Gazette‘s April Fool’s spoof – a satirical piece that had the usual suspects screaming for apologies, sensitivity training, ethics codes, and even removing editors by vote. I defend it as legitimate humor and free speech, exposing the intolerance behind calls to censor “offensive” content, the myth of a “rape culture” in the West, and the feminist agenda that confuses sexuality with sexism while demanding force and funding to silence dissent. Throw in some history on pornography laws, the Fraser Committee, and the real story behind Linda Lovelace. I Even touch on a few TV shows like Drive, Lost, and that brilliant Firefly.

In the end, defending freedom of speech, individual justice, and reason against the forces of censorship and collectivism is what being on the side of freedom is all about – and that’s Just Right.