Ask Jim: When does science say life begins? What about IVF? And other answers to tough questions.

Dr. Jim Denison and Dr. Mark Turman answer four audience questions: does the “1619 project” reflect badly on the New York Times, is God male or genderless, when does life begin, and how do you love people in public sin without compromising your witness?  

 

Show notes:

 

Dr. Jim Denison responds to your questions on a wide range of topics. In this episode, he begins by addressing the controversial “1619 project.” The journalistic project looks at history and claims that American history truly began when the first African slaves arrived in 1619. Dr. Denison explains why this is faulty reasoning and discusses journalistic standards and the New York Times (1:28). They digress into discussing political biases in reporting. They then move on to discuss whether God is a “male,” whether God has a gender, and the use of metaphor in the Bible (15:10). Third, they go in-depth into Dr. Denisons’ position on when life begins. They consider IVF and think through the consequences of differing views (26:15). Finally, they answer a question about doing ministry alongside people in public sin. They consider Jesus’ heart, which is to become friends with sinners (like we all are), and how to not be naive or compromise our witness, especially with friends in the LGTBQ community (51:24).   

 

Resources and further reading:

 

• “What does the Bible say about abortion?” - Jim Denison
• “What does the Bible say about homosexuality?” - Jim Denison
• “What does the Bible say about racism?” - Jim Denison
• “How to seek the truth when it comes to fake news” - Steve Yount

 

About the hosts 

 

Jim Denison, Ph.D., is an author, speaker, and the CEO of Denison Ministries, which is transforming 6.8 million lives through meaningful digital content. 

 

Dr. Mark Turman is the executive director of Denison Forum. He received his DMin from Truett at Baylor and previously served as lead pastor of Crosspoint Church.