Father Spitzer’s Universe

Religion is experiencing an alarming decline worldwide. Our hosts discuss the causes for this rise in secular thinking, and why it will lead to a decline in objective moral norms.

The latest news, viewer questions, our book of the month, plus hosts Father Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss eight common laws that pervade most religions and many moral philosophies.

Why is the secular culture more permissive of sins like adultery and abortion, but less tolerant of cheating, lying and stealing? Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck offer some theories.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck discuss how the Enlightenment ideal led to a progressively more radical view of freedom, an end in itself and the meaning of life in contemporary culture.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck explain how the loss of objective moral norms within our culture and in some respects in our churches, has led to the decline of love, civility and faith.

Our hosts discuss how human flourishing is impossible without a culture of life. It keeps the powerful, wealthy and influential from controlling the lives of those at the margins.

Viewers pose questions of faith for Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck, asking why can’t we pray for ourselves in Purgatory and how do we discern if our thoughts are our own or from God?

A discussion on how contrary to popular myth, religion is not an impediment to strong principles and ideals, but rather is one of the greatest motivators of them.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug discuss how all human life is endowed with intrinsic dignity. This prohibits antilife measures such as abortion, birth control or gender affirming therapy.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck explode the myth that religion is an impediment to strong principles and ideals, explaining how it instead is one of the greatest motivators of them.

Fr. Spitzer and Doug Keck answer viewer questions about faith. They discuss topics such as why did God allow Adam to name Eve, and did St Paul really struggle with habitual sin.

Our hosts discuss the best way to deal with the problem of pornography is to resist it at the outset, turning to the Lord and availing ourselves of the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

Satan works by leading us to an opportunity for sin, enflaming our imagination, providing rationalizations, and gambling that we will freely choose to follow him into temptation.

Our hosts discuss the spiritual effects of pornography, explaining how we tend to rationalize pornography as victimless and “minor among sins” because so many people are doing it.

Our hosts discuss the phenomenon of “social norming.” Expectations of appropriate behavior that society expects have increased dramatically with the internet and social media.