Restitutio

Martin Luther King Jr. day is on Monday, so I thought this would be a good time to replay a phenomenal debate on the question of whether or not Christians should use violence or participate in the military.  Peter Kreeft and J. Daryl Charles defend the classic just war position while David Bercot and Dean Taylor advocate for the Anabaptist view.  The debate is cordial and the recording is top-notch.  What’s more the speakers are evenly matched and the debate moves right along.  If you’ve ever wondered about whether or not Christians can use violence, this debate will give you a window into how sincere Christians on both sides explain their positions. Notes and Links: Thank you to Followers of the Way for permission to rebroadcast this debate.  You can watch the full video on youtube as well. Check out Podcast 15: A Theology of Nonviolence, which includes both the audio of my presentation at the 18th Theological Conference as well as the full text of my paper. For more research and resources on Christian pacifism, visit loveyourenemies.wordpress.com Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Let’s say you are sharing your faith with a friend and they say to you, “Well, I’m glad that Christianity works for you, but it sounds like no fun to me.”  How would you respond?  Is Christianity no more than a set of restrictions we set on our lives like a straitjacket?  Listen in to this episode as we discuss how following Jesus is an exciting adventure worth pursuing. Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Check out Shane Claibourne’s book, Jesus for President: Politics for Ordinary Radicals Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Pastor Victor Gluckin of Living Faith Christian Church (Warwick, RI) shares about his journey of faith. He was Mr. Popularity in High School; everyone loved him.  However, he was spiritually dead and lifted up with pride.  His breaking point came when he left his small town and attended George Washington University in DC.  He planned to study political science before launching a career in public service, eventually culminating in his election as the president of the United States.  However, when he got to GW, he discovered that he was just one of many ex-high school presidents with big dreams.  God humbled him and showed him the truth about his heart.  Listen to this episode to hear the rest of his story as well Gluckin’s appeal to you to consider your own life. Notes and Links: You can find more sermons by Victor Gluckin on his church website and on youtube For another episode with Gluckin, check out Podcast 24: Now Is Our Time to Speak Check out his classes Son of David and Kingdom Story You can follow him on Twitter @vgluckin Listen to more testimonies here Intro music: “District Four” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

The youngest part of the bible is nearly 2,000 years old.  How can such an ancient book have any relevance to our complex and technologically advanced world?  How would you answer this objection?  It’s certainly undeniable that our world is so much different from the nomadic shepherds of three millennia ago.  However, science, political innovations, and technology have failed to generate a golden age of tranquility and prosperity.  Our world is just as fragmented and fraught with dysfunction and injustice as ever.  The internet has enabled us to access an unprecedented amount of information from all around the world quickly and cheaply.  However, the net effect has led to information overload as searchers find themselves paralyzed by all of the “authoritative” perspectives and “experts” clamoring for attention.   Increasingly people are turning to ancient analog faiths for answers in our digital age.  The luster of virtual reality has worn off for many as they find their souls empty and isolated after binging on the dainties of television shows and social media.  Many are looking for something real, something tried and tested, something with substance.  This is where the bible has fresh appeal for our age.  When we compare the scriptures to other historical books, they stand head and shoulders above them in that they are better preserved, more accessible, and more practical than the others.  Timeless moral principles, powerful motivation, and encouraging hope make the bible an elixir to the soul’s of countless readers worldwide.  Listen in as we discuss how the bible remains relevant and powerful in our time. Notes and Links: Check out our Off Script episode on Progress where we talk about chronological snobbery and the invisible fictive force many believe is moving us towards a better world. More podcasts and resources on Apologetics available here. Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 15: Gender and Sexual Ethics (Objection 3) This lecture covers some basic Christian sexual ethics, including marriage, divorce, pornography, homosexuality, cohabitation, and adultery.  Sadly, since this was the last lecture, time did not permit a thorough analysis of these subjects.  Even so, I touched on each briefly and biblically in an effort to stake out a Christian position on each and give some evidence to equip you to give an answer to those who critique us. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: on all of these controversial issues comes down to whether or not the bible is true and authoritative how to interpret the bible statistics of success/failure reason from creation (again depends on scripture) remember Satan is working on culture to make it hard to understand the gospel (Mt 13.19) and to blind people’s eyes from seeing it (2 Cor 4.4) Marriage live together before marriage divorce of you don’t get along God invented sex for marriage who do you think designed our genitals, packing them with a ridiculous concentration of erotogenic nerve endings? God’s vision of the world included: naked vegetarians living in a garden making lots of babies God proclaimed the first two people married (Gen 2.23-24) Jesus speaks on divorce & remarriage “whoever divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, and marries another, commits adultery” (Mt 19.3-9) Paul speaks on singleness vs. marriage (1 Cor 7.1-17) good to be single wife does not have authority over her own body..husband does not… don’t deprive each other of sex except for a time of prayer otherwise Satan will tempt you b/c of your lack of self-control remain single better to marry than burn (with passion) Lord says: wife should not separate from her husband if she does anyhow, she should remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband if spouse is unbeliever, don’t divorce him/her spouse is made holy by believer (and kids too) if unbelieving spouse separates, let it happen marriage represents relationship between Christ and the church (Eph 5.31-33) three views of marriage western: it’s good so long as I’m happy or at least not miserable the individual is at the center of the western cultural view towards marriage traditional: it’s good so long as it helps the family/clan biblical: my marriage is a living illustration of Christ and the church Sex Outside of Marriage God designed sex for marriage in the beginning. Thus, sex within marriage is godly and holy and enjoyable and not shameful. problem is when someone takes sex out of this boundary it’s like a nuclear reactor so long as it is contained behind a lead barrier w/ plenty of cooling systems functioning all is well and this immensely powerful reaction does good but take it out from that protected system and you have Fukushima or Chernobyl Jesus on sexual purity Mat 5.8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Mat 5.27-30 don’t look at a woman w/ lustful intent same as committing act of adultery need to be extreme here (gouge out eye, cut off hand): he’s really talking about lust! Paul on purity 1 Thessalonians 4.3-8 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you

We take a break from our normal Off Script format to share some seasonal reminiscences and lighthearted banter about Christmas past and present.  In this somewhat silly episode you’ll learn what Christmas song Rose hates, Dan’s most cherished childhood present, and Sean’s Christmas-eve meal preference.  Other exciting topics discussed in this podcast include: why Handel’s Messiah is awesome, how to poach a Christmas tree from state land, and when it’s ok to start listening to Christmas music.  Additionally, Rose will reveal an ethnic secret about herself that you won’t want to miss.

Apologetics 14: Science (Objection 2) Although our culture commonly pits science and faith against each other, as if they’ve been at war for centuries, the truth is that faith gave birth to science.  In this lecture, you’ll learn about some of the main science objections that skeptics bring against Christianity and how to respond to them. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade. Notes: Why Isn’t God’s Existence Obvious? no scientific test you can use to prove God’s existence “Confronted with the Almighty, [Bertrand Russell] would ask, ‘Sir, why did you not give me better evidence?'”[1] Isaiah 45.15 talks about the hiddenness of God Dembski’s point in In Defense of the Bible ch 14 is that God is hidden enough not to coerce belief God is visible enough to be found by those who seek him “This seems to be the pattern in God’s revelation of himself: provide enough evidence to convince those who are honestly seeking truth but not so much evidence as to force belief on those who prefer to believe a lie.”[2]   Theists Pioneered Most Branches of Science belief in God led to belief in rational universe belief that external world cohered w/ our observation/perception belief that God used stable physical laws belief that studying creation was a good b/c it indirectly extolled the Creator Copernicus, Kepler, Newton, James Clerk Maxwell “To know the mighty works of God, to comprehend His wisdom and majesty and power; to appreciate, in degree, the wonderful workings of His laws, surely all this must be a pleasing and acceptable mode of worship to the Most High, to whom ignorance cannot be more grateful than knowledge.” –Nicolaus Copernicus, the mathematician and astronomer (1473-1543) who formulated a heliocentric model of the universe “…Those laws are within the grasp of the human mind. God wanted us to recognize them by creating us after his own image so that we could share in his own thoughts.”  –Johannes Kepler, the German mathematician and astronomer who discovered the laws of planetary motion “If you study science deep enough and long enough, it will force you to believe in God.”  —Lord William Kelvin, who was noted for his theoretical work on thermodynamics, the concept of absolute zero and the Kelvin temperature scale based upon it. “In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God’s existence.” “I have a fundamental belief in the Bible as the Word of God, written by those who were inspired. I study the Bible daily.”—Sir Isaac Newton, who is widely regarded to have been the greatest scientist the world has ever produced. “There can never be any real opposition between religion and science; for the one is the complement of the other. Every serious and reflective person realizes, I think, that the religious element in his nature must be recognized and cultivated if all the powers of the human soul are to act together in perfect balance and harmony. And indeed it was not by accident that the greatest thinkers of all ages were deeply religious souls.”  —Max Planck, the Nobel Prize winning physicist considered to be the founder of quantum theory, and one of the most important physicists of the 20th century, indeed of all time. “The gift of mental power comes from God, Divine Being, and if we concentrate our minds on that truth, we become in tune with this great power.”  –Nikola Tesla, the inventor and futurist scientist known for nume

In this episode, we pick up the conversation where the last lecture in my Apologetics class left off.  We review six reasons the bible gives for suffering as well as how to face pain and hardship. By looking at Jesus and Paul, we see that God did not spare either of them from adversity.  Jesus came into this world as a hunted refugee, faced conflict and opposition his entire ministry, and then, in =the end, faced torture and execution.  Similarly Paul endured rejection, whippings, beatings, shipwreck, and martyrdom.  We can learn from these examples about how we can deal with difficulty in our own lives. Also, we discuss the prosperity gospel and play a clip from John Piper who puts his finger on why such a theology is so dangerous.  Lastly, we draw inspiration from the words of the prophet Habakkuk who cried out to God to do something to deal with the rampant injustice of his day. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to first listen to podcast episode 62: Why Does God Allow Suffering? before listening to this episode.  It should be the one right before this one.  Here now is off script episode 19: more on why God Allows Suffering Notes and Links: Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.

Apologetics 13: Problem of Evil (Objection 1) Now that we’ve established the existence of God, the historicity of Christ’s resurrection, and the bible’s veracity, we come to objections commonly brought against Christianity. The chief classical question posed to Christians throughout the eons is, “How can you believe in God when there is so much pain and suffering in the world?” Thankfully, the bible provides a range of answers to that question though, it’s not always clear which answer applies to a given situation.  In what follows I address the logical argument against God’s existence before going on to cover 6 major reasons why God allows suffering, including: (1) the Fall, (2) the devil, (3) God’s judgments, (4) using suffering for good, (5) lack of faith, and (6) time and chance.  Lastly, I explore some of what the scriptures teach us about dealing with suffering. If you would like to take this class for credit, please contact the Atlanta Bible College so you can register and do the necessary work for a grade.   Notes: The Problem of Evil This is a serious problem I don’t have the problem of evil totally figured out, however this is the way I understand it right now. Your thoughts, doubts, and comments are appreciated. “The problem of evil is the most serious problem in the world. It is also the one serious objection to the existence of God. More people have abandoned their faith because of the problem of evil than for any other reason. It is certainly the greatest test of faith, the greatest temptation to unbelief. And it’s not just an intellectual objection. We feel it. We live it.” –Peter Kreeft[1] outline show how this objection fails to disprove God’s existence explore reasons why God allows evil consider how to deal with suffering   1. How the POE Fails to Disprove God’s Existence The problem stated and some possible solutions the problem of evil is “If there is a God then why is there so much pain and suffering?” Proof against God’s existence God is all-loving God is all-powerful Evil exists \There is no God Some suggested solutions God is not all loving: He really can stop all evil but he doesn’t care enough about our puny lives to put forth the effort. he is distant (deists) hard predestination (you’re a worthless maggot to whom God owes nothing) molinism (God’s arranged the proper amount of suffering to maximize the number who would freely choose him) his focus is not on individual but the group (utilitarian) God is not all-powerful: Harold Kuschner: “God does not reach down to interrupt the workings of laws of nature to protect the righteous from harm. This is a second area of our world which causes bad things to happen to good people, and God does not cause it and cannot stop it”[2] reformulating the proof proof God is all-loving God is all-powerful evil (still) exists God has not eliminated evil yet can’t prove God doesn’t have some reason(s) for allowing evil a world w/ minimal suffering might not be best from God’s perspective a world w/ constant gratuitous evil would probably crush people’s faith a world w/ lots of suffering, lots of beauty, lots of kindness would probably maximize the number of people who turn to God and freely choose to put their faith in him evil points to a source of evil shouldn’t presume the absence of a source of good

In part two of our series on objections to Christianity, we look at the issue of hypocrisy.  Many are unwilling to even consider Christianity as a viable option because they’ve witnessed or heard about some horrible act of hypocrisy by a Christian leader.  It’s hard to deny that hypocrisy is a major problem in Christianity today.  Whether we look at child molestation among Catholic priests, evangelicals who fall into adultery, or prosperity gospel preachers who squeeze every penny out of their poor congregations, hypocrisy is a black eye on the bride of Christ.  How can we talk to skeptics and unbelievers about this issue?  How can we avoid hypocrisy in our own lives?  The cure lies in the teaching and example of Jesus.  Listen to this frank discussion and learn how to respond to this ubiquitous objection. Notes and Links: For more on Rosaria Butterfield’s story, see this post. Episodes in this series on Overcoming Objections to Christianity: Is Jesus the Only Way to God? Christians Are Hypocrites Why Does God Allow Suffering? The Bible Is Too Antiquated Christianity Is Lame Intro music: “Protofunk” by Kevin MacLeod.  Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License.