Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, is reminded of how Western governments, mandated by God to ennoble life, promote justice, and restrain sin, are instead leading a charge toward social chaos. This denigration of civilization is evidenced in the crushing of the foundation and quintessential building blocks of civil society: marriage, government, and church, all of which rest atop the foundation of human life. Consider marriage, once believed to be “the unique, permanent, and comprehensive union of body, mind, emotion, and soul, the proper end of which is the bearing and rearing of children.” But not only has the United States Supreme Court redefined marriage, it has opened Pandora’s grizzly box. How? If there is no special virtue in gender differentiated parenting, is there any magic in the number 2? And why arbitrarily assign 18 as the magical age of consent? Once Western civilization abandons the biblical definition of marriage, there is virtually no limit on where our unsanctified passions will inevitably lead—even to the eradication of gender distinctions ordained by God from the beginning. And today, the lives of children have become expendable. Moreover, the Church has become a microcosm of the culture rather than being a change agent in the culture—the Church has largely succumbed to the onslaught of illiberal liberalism. The Church must once again take the task of Christian education seriously. See Hank Hanegraaff, Truth Matters, Life Matters More: The Unexpected Beauty of an Authentic Christian Life https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-truth-matters-life-matters-more/

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, comments on an article in the Daily Wire by Hank Berrien about a mother “taking legal action against teachers who allegedly persuaded” her “eleven-year-old daughter that she was a boy.” The mother, Jessica Konen, is quoted as saying, “You wouldn’t expect a teacher to be predatorial toward a child.” Berrien explains that the sixth-grader “was allegedly recruited by teachers and encouraged to change her name to a boy’s name while being told not to tell her mother.” Teachers are alleged to have “‘planted the seed’ to convince Konen’s daughter to believe she was bisexual, then urged the girl to believe she was a transgender boy.” The increasing commonality of these kinds of stories potentially desensitizes us to the cultural shift occurring before our eyes. As Western Civilization attempts to decouple biological sex from gender, eradicating the very distinctives given to us by our Creator, we as followers of Christ must not sit by idly to watch it happen. In the words of Abraham Kuyper, “When principles that run against your deepest convictions begin to win the day, then battle is your calling, and peace has become sin; you must, at the price of dearest peace, lay your convictions bare before friend and enemy, with all the fire of your faith.” If we do not pray and stand for truth now, we will lose Western Civilization. See Hank Berrien, “CA Mom Takes Legal Action Against Teachers Who Allegedly Persuaded 11-Year-Old Daughter She Was A Boy,” Daily Wire, January 24, 2022, https://www.dailywire.com/news/ca-mom-takes-legal-action-against-teachers-who-allegedly-persuaded-11-year-old-daughter-she-was-a-boy. For further study, read Ryan T. Anderson’s book, When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment https://www.equip.org/product/when-harry-became-sally-responding-to-the-transgender-moment/; and Rod Dreher’s essential book, Live Not by Lies: A Manuel for Christian Dissidents https://www.equip.org/product/live-not-by-lies-a-manual-for-christian-dissidents/.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, ponders the Saints Valentine—in the plural because there were two! They had something in common. They were both imprisoned, tortured, and killed in the third century. They not only shared the same name, but in sharing the same fate, they became inspirational for Christians into the present day. One was a bishop. The other a presbyter. One was a healer. The other was a valiant defender of marriage. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the personification and paradigm of what is true love—and both saints stood for the truth of Christ no matter the cost. Two men who loved Truth enough to die to self, to live for God, to say that the institution of marriage was created, sustained, and given to us by God Himself. If you redefine marriage, you change the very essence of marriage. And so we remember both Valentines. Are we willing to stand for truth—particularly when it comes to marriage?

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, shares part of another missive from his sister Jobje, who is battling pancreatic cancer. Jobje writes, “During the last few weeks, I have been pondering a couple of precious verses. They convict me to deny myself. They coax me to willingly surrender to God’s sovereign will, no matter what. These verses come from Romans 5:2–5. ‘We rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in sufferings because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance produces character, and character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint us. Because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the precious Holy Spirit who he has given to us.’” Jobje continues, “O how blessed I am to have a living Word that I can turn to in my suffering. It keeps producing in my character more hope and His desire for my life. Simultaneously, I am thrilled with the wonderful care that I have been privileged to receive. Yet this continual process is physically exhausting, emotionally draining. It feels like I am now traveling in an invisible wheelchair—a wheelchair of pancreatic cancer. I cannot skip along the path of life like a care-free child. I do not cruise on the highway of life like a strong young adult. My invisible mode of transportation—this infirmity wheelchair—has me hampered in. Yet I am still journeying onward. And even in this the Lord has given me huge blessings and the sacred privilege of being refined into His image.” In the midst of suffering, Jobje is an example of the authentic Christian life.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast, comments on a sensationalistic headline in USA Today, “The Rapidly Cooling Core of Earth Is Cause for Concern” (print edition). Scott Gleeson writes, “Earth's interior is cooling faster than we previously estimated, according to a recent study (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.117329), prompting questions about how long people can live on the planet.” The lead author of the peer-reviewed study indicates that Earth may become what Mercury and Mars are like today—just another rocky and uninhabitable planet. Earth’s magnetic field, which would be lost in the cooling, protects life from lethal cosmic radiation—just one aspect of what makes Earth a privileged planet. Despite the “cause for concern,” the cooling process “should be hundreds of millions or even billions of years.” Sensationalism never seems to end. The reality is that Earth is a singularly privileged planet designed for discovery. The unique conditions necessary to support intelligent life turn out to provide the best overall conditions for scientific discovery.See Scott Gleeson, “Earth's Core Is Rapidly Cooling, Study Reveals. Is Our Planet Becoming ‘Inactive’”? USA Today, January 19, 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/01/19/earth-interior-cooling-faster-study/6576214001/.For further study, see The Privileged Planet (DVD and book) https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resources-the-privileged-planet-dvd-and-book-ea/. And see the article, “Is Earth a Privileged Planet?” https://www.equip.org/bible_answers/earth-privileged-planet/.🔴 Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/CRInstitute?sub_confirmation=1--------------------------------------------------Connect with Hank Hanegraaff and the Christian Research Institute (CRI):🔴 Subscribe to the Bible Answer Man on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bible-answer-man-podcast-with-hank-hanegraaff/id569236334 ✔️ Subscribe to “Hank Unplugged” on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/hank-unplugged-essential-christian-conversations/id1243088708✅ For a complete list of all platforms with our broadcast and podcast content:https://www.equip.org/connect/ 📒 For past Bible Answer Man episodes, hundreds of free articles (podcasts and video), and curated resources visit CRI’s website: http://www.equip.org/✔️ Subscribe to our print magazine the Cʜʀɪsᴛɪᴀɴ Rᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ Jᴏᴜʀɴᴀʟ https://www.equip.org/product/crj-subscription/👥 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BibleAnswerManBroadcast/🐦Bible Answer Man on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CRIBAM📸 Bible Answer Man on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bibleanswerman/✅ Listen to the Bible Answer Man broadcast live streaming Monday through Friday from 6-6:30 PM ET online at http://www.equip.org/ #hankhanegraaff #bibleanswerman #creation

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, comments on a USA Today opinion piece, “Pornography Is Hurting the Children of America: Eilish’s Experience Is Much Too Common,” January 20, 2022 (print edition), by Theresa Olohan. Billie Eilish’s fans were shocked by her recent condemnation of pornography. She had been “exposed to sexually explicit acts online when she was only 11 years old.” The article goes on to note that a study by the Crimes Against Children Research Center at the University of New Hampshire reports that “93% of boys and 62% of girls are exposed to pornography before age 18.” Children are exposed at startlingly young ages in an era when pornography is becoming increasingly acceptable—the norm rather than the exception. But the dangers have not changed. Pornography “desensitizes viewers”—one requires more and more degrading representations of sexual activity to be stimulated by them. And it is a precursor to increasingly dangerous sexual practices. In adults, pornography is known “to cause developmental problems, body image issues as well as erectile dysfunction.” It “normalizes sexual objectification and distorts healthy views of sex.” Consequences for children are incomprehensibly worse. Yet the portal to porn is often in the palm of the hands of young children in the form of smartphones. As a follower of Christ, you must “be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour” (1 Peter 5:8 NIV). Our Lord warned, “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). For further study, see Joe Dallas, “Darkening Our Minds: The Problem of Pornography Among Christians” https://www.equip.org/article/darkening-our-minds-the-problem-of-pornography-among-christians/. And a book by Joe Dallas, The Game Plan : The Men’s 30-Day Strategy for Attaining Sexual Integrity https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-the-game-plan-the-mens-30-day-strategy-for-attaining-sexual-integrity-yt/.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Hank Unplugged podcast, exhorts followers of Christ to be able to demonstrate that Christianity is not an illusion. Karl Marx said, “Religion is the sigh of the oppressed creature, the heart of a heartless world, and the soul of soulless conditions. It is the opium of the people.” We should pay attention to that word “oppressed” because for Marx everything was a battle between the oppressed and the oppressor. In the evolution of civilization, religion must be destroyed. Why? According to Marx, “The abolition of religion as the illusory happiness of the people is the demand for their real happiness.” What’s the antidote to that? To demonstrate that true religion is not an illusion but is faith grounded in irrefutable fact. Marx was a devotee of Charles Darwin, and Darwin has won the day in our culture. Thus, Christians must demonstrate truth. There is an experience that we can have that transcends all philosophical speculation. The truth of Christianity is not about only this life, but it is about life as a continuum that goes on for all eternity. And as Vladimir Lossky so eloquently wrote, “After the Fall, human history is a long shipwreck awaiting rescue: but the port of salvation is not the goal; it is the possibility for the shipwrecked to resume his journey whose sole goal is union with God.”

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, shares a note from his dear sister Jobje—a note written in humility through tears, as she journeys through the travails of pancreatic cancer. She is most thankful for your prayers! “The prayers of God’s people” help her “to keep plodding along” what she describes as “an uncertain road.” Jobje explains, “I am truly overwhelmed, humbled, I’m so grateful that you still continue to pray even after fifteen months have gone by since my diagnosis.” She writes, “My nights have been plagued by long sleepless times as I try to relearn to rest in His promises anew, in those dark alone hours. It is amazing how the darkness of the night spawns so many doubts. So many fears, not to mention the Devil attacking my thoughts to reinforce those fears. Oh, to learn to trust during those dark restless nights in my mind and soul. Then I pray all the more in earnest, ‘Lord, help me to trust. Help me to be at peace’” She goes on to express, “I’m so glad I learned to trust in Him, my precious Savior, my friend. I know that He is with me and will be with me until the end. The thought of Jesus being with me to the end should be so comforting, and yet sometimes in those dark and deep valleys of dismay and despair, my trust seems to evaporate in the pervasive fog of that dark valley. And its surroundings make me again lose sight that He is still with me. Oh, ye of little faith.” And “Yes, it is so sweet to trust in Jesus / Just from sin and self to cease; / Just from Jesus simply taking / Life, and rest, and joy, and peace.” That shall be eternal life—rest, joy, and final peace. Ending her note with those six memorable words, “I look forward to that Day.” Please pray for Jobje.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, comments on a news report by Mark A. Kellner in the Washington Times, “Evangelical Lutheran LGBTQ Ministry Group Suspends First Transgender Bishop” (December 21, 2021). The article states, “A group promoting LGBTQ clergy in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America [ELCA] has suspended its first transgender bishop over allegations of ‘racist words and actions.’” The Renaissance humanist scholar Desiderius Erasmus warned about loosing a floodgate of iniquity. Once you are loosed from the restraining fetters of apostolic tradition, the creeds, and the ecumenical councils, you can re-imagine the church in such a way that it is no longer the hope of civilization but rather becomes a destructive force in civilization. See https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2021/dec/21/evangelical-lutheran-lgbtq-ministry-group-suspends/

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Hank Unplugged podcast, exhorts us as followers of Christ to be difference-makers in the face of the devolution of western civilization. Like the ancient Roman Empire before its fall, we are poised for either ruin or revival. It is followers of Christ, not pagans, who are the deciding factors. Pagans exercise their job description—what else would they do? The question is are we as followers of Christ going to exercise our job description? What is that? We are called to be ambassadors for Jesus Christ—not just by what we say but the example we set through living in the light of Christ. The apostle Paul said that “we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us” (2 Corinthians 5:20).