Spiritually Incorrect

One of the few philosophical topics that has become mainstream is the idea that everything you know - your family, your friends, and even your whole life - is just the product of one giant simulation. We're all stuck inside a computer program with no way of figuring out that our world isn't really real (at least not real in the way we think it is!). As wacky as this idea sounds, it actually has been defended by many major thinkers, and people no less famous than Elon Musk, Neil Degrasse Tyson, and Joe Rogan have taken it seriously. It's an idea that just won't die, and, in fact, seems to be gaining in popularity. Buckle up and get prepared to enter the Matrix, because on today's episode, we invite the philosopher extraordinaire Parker Settecase (host of Parker's Pensées) to explain the simulation hypothesis and what it might mean for the church. Should we fear it or utilize it? Does it rule out God? Is there even any evidence for it? Thank the programmers, Parker dives into the weeds on all these questions and more, helping us to grapple with what might be the popular philosophical topic in America today. Listeners be warned: This episode is the most technical to date. Get your simulated brains ready for a hard but fascinating topic!

Social Media. Everyone has it. In fact, most of us have multiple accounts on different platforms, and it seems a new one pops up every couple of years. Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, Instagram... We all use it and enjoy it. But, until recently, very few stopped and wondered if these media titans were good for society. Many are already familiar with the controversies around fake news, selling personal data, and election tampering, but these might be just the tip of the iceberg. New data shows that social media consumption might have harmful effects on many groups of people. Are you part of that group? How ought the church respond? How ought you respond? Should Christian boycott these platforms altogether, or is there a healthy way to consume social media? To answer these questions and many more, we have Dr. Chad Ragsdale, an expert on the rise of social media and its relationship to the church.

History books are filled with stories of colonization, oppression, and cultural genocide perpetrated by the hands of European settlers. It's an unfortunate saga, to say the least, and it is made all the more painful by the church's participation in the conquest. Across the world and to varying degrees, the church stood by and often participated in some of the most appalling instances of what would collectively be referred to as colonization. To this day, it is a scar on the history of the church, and the involvement of missionaries in the building of European empires at the expense of indigenous people has led many to question whether missions as a whole bears a permanent mark of shame. Yet today, as much as ever, the church sends out missionaries in hopes of reaching others for Christ. How are we to square this with its less-than-perfect history? Are missionaries, as a whole, just perpetuating the sins of our past? Should the whole enterprise be abandoned? These are tough questions, and they deserve honest answers.  Luckily, we have an expert. Today, with Dr. Chris DeWelt, we ask whether missionaries are still guilty of colonization. 

In the United States, we don't have a good history with royalty. As Lorde so aptly put it, we will never be royals. In fact, most of Western history has been one long slide away from monarchies. While the transition hasn't always been smooth, it's been consistent, and even in the UK, the monarchy is coming under severe attack. It seems that if we can agree on anything, it's that kings and queens are positively medieval. Is that correct? It's rarely challenged, yet it's a question worth asking: Did we make a mistake by getting rid of royal lineages? Believe it or not, there are many today who think so, and Dr. James Orr, a Cambridge philosopher and guest on Jordan Peterson's Exodus series, joins us to defend the place of monarchy in our 21st-century world. 

In the second part of our alien series, we bring in Cambridge professor Andrew Davison, famed for a recent series of articles about theologians funded by NASA to investigate the religious implications of extraterrestrial life. Bearing the (remarkably appropriate) title Starbridge Professor in Theology and Natural Sciences, Dr. Davison has doctorates in both biochemistry and theology. In a book releasing next year, Dr. Davison tackles the most difficult issues around alien life and the church. Will extraterrestrials need a savior? Would God incarnate on their planet? If we ever make contact, how ought the church regard such beings? In this episode, we get a great sneak peek of his answers and ask him all the awkward questions every Christian has wondered yet few dare to ask. Grab your tinfoil hats and get ready for one of our best interviews to date!

It's been over five hundred years since the beginning of the Protestant Reformation, and tensions within the Western church haven't abated. However, the 20th century saw renewed efforts to open communication between the two largest branches of Christianity. Catholics began to refer to Protestants as "separated brethren" rather than heretics and schismatics. The formation of the document Evangelicals and Catholics Together was approved in 1994 which communicated a new era of ecumenicism. Yet the division remains, and there is little hope for further reunification in the near future. For many, this is no bad thing.  In many Evangelical circles, accusations against Catholics are rampant: the worship of saints, extra-biblical heresies, and works-based salvation. Are they true? What do Catholics actually believe? What are the walls separating us, and are our battles better spent fighting the growing secularization of the West? Or would such an alliance ultimately prove harmful?  Here to discuss these increasingly important topics is Prof. Jonathan Reimer, the John H. Van Gorden Assistant Professor of History at Eastern University. Prof. Reimer is not only an expert in the Protestant Reformation but is himself a convert to Catholicism from Protestantism. As such, there seems to be no better person to talk for both sides and help illuminate us on the truths about the one billion-strong church next door.  For those curious about what actually goes on behind those giant Gothic doors, this episode is for you. 

God's grace can cover any sin, right? Well, there is that one unforgivable sin, and then Jesus does say that those who don't forgive others won't be forgiven... Does grace have a limit, then? And, if so, what is it? Are serial killers beyond the scope of forgiveness? In this episode, we tackle the bloody and horrific reality of serial killer conversions. Many high-profile murderers have become Christians in their final moments. How should we as Christians interpret this? Do we embrace them as fellow repentant sinners? Or does the reality of some unforgivable sins make us pause?

Few subjects are more taboo than the topic of mental telepathy, and this might be especially true in the church. The idea that we can somehow tap into the thoughts and feelings of others seems like pure science fiction. Yet, astonishingly, there's a live scientific research program aimed at demonstrating its truth. While it might be convenient to ignore such programs, it might not be wise. Is telepathy real? And if so, how would that impact our understanding of Christianity? There seem to be few more equipped to answer this question than Prof. Rupert Sheldrake, a Cambridge-trained scientist whose research may suggest the phenomenon is, in fact, a reality. But, more importantly, Prof. Sheldrake is also a professing Christian and convert from atheism.  In this episode of Spiritually Incorrect, we ask Prof. Sheldrake to share some of his research and how he squares his belief in telepathic powers with his faith in Jesus Christ. It's an episode you don't want to miss.

Demonic Possession. It's not something we usually like to talk about. For nonbelievers, it's the perfect example of the religious clinging to medieval superstitions. For believers, it is an uncomfortable and frightful topic, one few seem comfortable addressing.  But is it real? Are there really dark forces lurking around us waiting to overtake our bodies? Do people really manifest ungodly, supernatural powers, or is this just a movie spectacle? In this Halloween special, we bring in Father Vincent Lampert to answer these very questions. If you don't know him, he is the designated exorcist of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, having performed dozens of exorcisms over the past few decades. We ask him to share his spookiest stories and convince us the devil truly does still haunt our modern world.  For Christian and non-Christian alike, you will not want to miss this episode. 

Science fiction has had a heyday speculating on whether or not we are alone in the universe, but there are, in fact, real scientists trying to discover life on other worlds as we speak. What would it mean for our faith if they are successful? What would such life look like?  On this week's episode, we ask Dr. Paul Rimmer, a Christian and geochemist at the University of Cambridge and the Leverhulme Centre for Life in the Universe, about his thoughts on the question. As someone who has actually participated in this research, what are the chances we will find life on other worlds in our lifetime? How ought the church respond? How would it impact your faith? Should we baptize a Martian?