Think Well

Christians will sometimes point to the violent behavior of atheists like Joseph Stalin or Mao Zedong when showing why atheism is false. Is this a fair argument? Can we suggest that the depravity caused by atheists reflects back on atheism? What about Christianity? Do the evil actions of Christians mean that Christianity is evil? Atheist Armin Navabi, author of "Why There Is No God," addresses this topic in chapter 17. He writes, "The violence within Christianity or Islam can often be traced back to the teachings of those religions because it is embedded in the ideology of the religions themselves." But when it comes to atheists, Armin writes, "While it's true that Stalin and Mao were corrupt leaders who denounced religion among their people, suggesting that their depravity was caused by atheism or that their behavior was at all indicative of atheism as a whole simply does not follow." Join the show as we walk through Armin's chapter and look at how the actions of individuals reflect back on their belief systems. Also, is it true that Christianity has dogma that creates excuses for violence or leads to it? I don't think so, but let's chat! As always, your calls and questions are welcome!

Let's have some fun talking about what's on your mind! Send in your questions in the live chat, or call in once we go live! Help us expand our reach and continue fostering conversations that matter! Generous donors have come together and pledged $14,000 to help meet our budget and fund this important work in 2025! Any gift of $35 or more will receive a free copy of "Stewarding AI: Faithfully Using Creation Resources" once it is published in January. Click here for more info! https://think-well.org/donate/ Content Discussed 0:00 Why this show exists 2:47 Giving you more conversations and apologetics in 2024 4:15 A look forward to 2025. Join me for a book study on apologetics, culture, or worldview! 11:50 Will you give to our year-end challenge? 13:45 Do Mormons and Christians follow the same Jesus? 20:45 How can Acts 7:43 and Amos 5:27 be reconciled? 25:15 What percentage of confidence does the evidence for God get you to? Where does faith come in? 33:38 How should we view secondary doctrines like speaking in tongues and baptism? 48:25 Do you believe that Noah's Ark was a historical event? 53:14 Caller: How long have I been a Christian? 1:02:00 Caller: What led you to deconvert and become an atheist? 1:14:02 Caller: My challenge to naturalism: identity and consciousness 1:33:34 How do you talk to people who won't accept the answer that evil is the absence of good? 1:37:48 Closing thoughts on 2025 and our year-end challenge!

Atheist Armin Navabi concludes his book by addressing the extreme skeptic who says, "We cannot prove that anything exists." He writes, "The reason that some claim that true knowledge is impossible is because we are limited by our senses and experiences, which are ultimately subjective. We perceive reality through our senses and think about it with our brains, and it's impossible to know for sure whether these senses are actually trustworthy." I've heard this objection many times from atheists, especially when it comes to morality. Does the fact that knowledge is limited by our senses mean that everything is subjective? Maybe the hard sciences can give us knowledge, but what else? Join the show as we discuss how the Christian belief about God can be justified. As always, I will be taking your questions! So come join the show, post your questions in the live chat, and call in to discuss what's on your mind! Help us expand our reach and continue fostering conversations that matter! Generous donors have come together and pledged $14,000 to help meet our budget and fund this important work in 2025! Any gift of $35 or more will receive a free copy of "Stewarding AI: Faithfully Using Creation Resources" once it is published in January. Click here for more info! https://think-well.org/donate/ Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 2:17 Join me for a book study next year! 3:21 Year-End Challenge 4:55 The objection of the extreme skeptic 12:47 How can we know anything? Answering hypothetical realities 20:10 What is the best explanation based on the available evidence? 20:30 What is knowledge? 29:23 Scientism: What it is, why it matters, and why it's wrong 44:45 Beliefs can be justified 46:00 Do extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence? 49:53 If God has a mind, then wasn't he created by another mind? 53:52 Are you treating natural and supernatural explanations as equally valid? 56:25 1st Caller: Further discussion on intelligent and natural explanations 59:55 1st Caller: Witness testimony and extraordinary claims 1:04:00 1st Caller: Should we demand proof and evidence for God? 1:07:14 2nd Caller: Do the arguments for God apply to only the Christian God or any God? 1:22:22 Do you have actual evidence for God? 1:35:00 Closing: Look to next week, other content, and year-end challenge

Some Christians claim that since some intelligent people believe in God, it must be true! Who are we to say that they are wrong? Well, as Armin writes, "Experts are not always right. Even very smart people can be wrong." So, is there a connection between genius minds and belief in God? Atheist Armin Navabi addresses this argument in chapter 19 of his book, "Why There Is No God." He contends that this line of argumentation commits the logical fallacy of an appeal to authority. "A fact isn't true because someone said it was...Therefore, accepting a claim only because an expert made it and ignoring evidence to support or refute the claim flies in the face of the scientific method." At the same time, "belief in a deity does not automatically make someone stupid." Join the show as we walk through Armin's chapter and look at how to think about intelligent people who believe in God. As always, I will be taking your questions! So come join the show, post your questions in the live chat, and call in to discuss what's on your mind! Help us expand our reach and continue fostering conversations that matter! Generous donors have come together and pledged $14,000 to help meet our budget and fund this important work in 2025! Any gift of $35 or more will receive a free copy of "Stewarding AI: Faithfully Using Creation Resources" once it is published in January. Click here for more info! https://think-well.org/donate/ Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 2:00 Here's What to Expect in 2025 6:15 Our $14,000 Year-End Challenge Grant! 8:15 Do smart Christians mean Christianity is true? Response to chapter 19 34:17 Can we ever say, "I know I am right" if it's possible we might be wrong? 37:17 Do you reject all claims of certainty? 38:19 1st Caller: The explanatory power of the God hypothesis vs naturalism 41:50 1st Caller: The origin of life is better explained by God than naturalism 44:11 1st Caller: Is this just "God of the Gaps" reasoning? 48:10 1st Caller: How our Bias Affects Our Evaluation of the Evidence 57:38 2nd Caller: Is science limited to only natural explanations? 1:08:05 2nd Caller: How do you move from deism to Christianity? 1:12:45 2nd Caller: Are we constantly changing our identity, or do we have an enduring self? Can we judge people for previous crimes? 1:31:00 Closing comments about future shows and our year-end challenge

Let's have some fun talking about what's on your mind! Send in your questions in the live chat, or call in once we go live! Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 2:46 Are the virgins in Matthew 25 brides of the groom or guests at the wedding? 6:05 What would convince you that your faith is wrong? 13:00 1st Caller: Is Christianity falsifiable? 55:42 What led me to reject a literal 6 24-hour day creation? 1:01:42 2nd Caller: Falsifiability and Proof of Evolution 1:29:27 3rd Caller: How can we make sense of the killing of the Canaanites?

Does the fact that so many people have died for God or their religion mean it is true? Atheist Armin Navabi writes, "Holy wars have been fought between different factions of believers, martyrs have willingly given up their lives for their religious beliefs, people have been sacrificed to appease angry gods and victims have been tortured and killed in the name of religion." However, he concludes, "This history says more about the violent and harmful aspects of human nature than it does about the existence of God." If this is true, then why do people look at martyrs as evidence for their religious beliefs? We will continue to evaluate Armin's objections and look at how Christians and atheists can have better conversations about the evidence for Christianity. I will be taking your questions and calls, so bring your questions!

Atheist Armin Navabi writes, "Life is, objectively, meaningless; given the size and scope of the universe and our tiny role within it, it's absurd to think that we might have any sort of cosmically vital role." At the same time, he also believes that "We have the ability to create meaning for our lives" by doing worthwhile goals, none of which require the existence of God. With that in mind, why do Christians say that life would be meaningless without God? Armin addresses this question and attempts to show how meaning can be found without God in chapter 15 of his book, "Why There Is No God." Join the show as we discuss the Christian and Atheist approaches to the meaning of life. As always, there's a call-in portion at the end, so bring your questions! Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 4:23 Why Christians say that life without God would be absurd 17:55 Is the Christian purpose to worship and glorify God? 20:17 Is Christian purpose to enact laws that reflect a strict biblical interpretation? 21:47 Why is eternal purpose better than no purpose at all? 22:56 Armin's response to the absurdity of life without God 33:17 The Christian challenge to Armin's response 39:02 Can I say that owning a person or capital punishment is wrong? 41:49 Why does God use humans to spread his message? 43:55 1st Caller: How do things like meaning and purpose change our life? 1:08:20 1st Caller: Is morality objective?

Atheist Armin Navabi tackles Matt Slick's version of the transcendental argument for God (TAG) in chapter 14 of his book, "Why There Is No God." TAG is an attempt to demonstrate the existence of God using the Laws of Logic. These laws would include the Law of Identity, the Law of Non-Contradiction, and the Law of Excluded Middle. Armin believes that while the argument is structurally sound, it commits the fallacy of equivocation. He states, "The phenomena these laws refer to would continue to exist regardless of whether a deity or anyone else thought about them... Minds are necessary only to describe that phenomenon, not to make it true." Is TAG a good argument, or should it be discarded as a failed attempt to demonstrate that God exists? This will be the topic of today's show! As always, come join the show and bring your questions! Callers welcome at the end.

What is the soul? How do we know it is real? Why does it really matter? Eric Hernandez joins the show to answer your questions and make a case for a Christian view of the soul. Eric Hernandez is an evangelist, apologist, and author of "The Lazy Approach to Evangelism: A Simple Guide for Conversing with Nonbelievers." He is the Apologetics Lead and Millennial Specialist for The Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Atheist Armin Navabi writes, "A vague concept of God becomes impossible to disprove, but it is also impossible to support with any type of evidence. If you claim that God exists but cannot say what God is, your claim is ultimately meaningless." Today's discussion will evaluate chapter 13 of Armin Nababi's book, "Why There Is No God." I will also respond to some YouTube comments that requested an explanation of God's attributes. The goal is to have a clear view of who God is and why he exists. As always, come join the show and bring your questions! Callers welcome at the end.