Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, continues to reflect on the passing of famous individuals—specifically, John Madden and Harry Reid (both died December 28, 2021). Madden might be called the high priest of football. NFL games are highly ritualized and liturgical, and for many people, the NFL has become an object of worship—their idol. Madden, who won a Superbowl in 1976 with the Oakland Raiders and became the face of a videogame empire based on the NFL, was a coaching phenomenon and football’s greatest evangelist. But he now has passed from this life into eternity. And then there is Harry Reid, who led the Senate from 2007–2015. The Democrats grumbled about his ban on partial-birth abortion and his opposition to Roe v. Wade—and he was a died-in-the-wool Mormon. Thus, Reid passed from this life believing that “God himself was once as we are now, and is an exalted man, and sits enthroned in yonder heavens” (Joseph Smith). He believed that Jesus Christ is not the self-existent Creator of all things but is, rather, the spirit-brother of Lucifer, conceived in heaven by a celestial Mother and then came in flesh as a result of the Father having sex with the virgin Mary. He believed that “the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion” (Joseph Smith). He held to the four Mormon standard works—the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Pearl of Great Price. It’s worth noting that Doctrine and Covenants is a compilation of divine revelations that includes the doctrine of polygamy. Not until the Mormons were threatened by the federal government did Mormon president Wilford Woodruff receive a revelation relegating polygamy to the afterlife. And Pearl of Great Price is notorious for having been used by Mormonism to prevent those of African heritage from entering the priesthood and from being exalted to godhood. Reid believed that Temple Mormons will make it to the Celestial Heaven, but only those who are sealed in secret Temple rituals will make it to the third level of the Celestial Kingdom and become gods of their own planets. Because of such teachings, and many others, Mormonism has little to do with true Christianity. What is vitally important for all of us to recognize is that there is a true faith—the true faith once for all delivered to the saints (Jude 3). Everything else is a corruption of the true faith. Consider how important it is to be in the true faith, because no one gets out of this world alive. Let us glorify God in all that we think, say, and do. For further study, see Hank Hanegraaff, “Is Jesus Christ the Spirit Brother of Satan?” https://www.equip.org/article/is-jesus-christ-the-spirit-brother-of-satan/; Hank Hanegraaff, “Mormonism And Polygamy,” https://www.equip.org/hank_speaks_out/mormonism-and-polygamy/; Eric Johnson, “Plural Marriage and Joseph Smith: A PR Nightmare in Mormonism,” https://www.equip.org/article/plural-marriage-joseph-smith-pr-nightmare-mormonism/; Bill McKeever, “Unexplaining the Mormon Priesthood Ban on Blacks,” https://www.equip.org/article/unexplaining-mormon-priesthood-ban-blacks/; Eric Johnson, “Mormonism, Afterlife, and Striving after Godhood,” https://www.equip.org/article/mormonism-the-afterlife-and-striving-after-godhood/; Bill McKeever and Eric Johnson, “The Mormon View of Salvation: A Gospel That Is Truly Impossible,” https://www.equip.org/article/mormon-view-salvation-gospel-truly-impossible/. See David Colton, “Hank Aaron, Bob Dole, Cicely Tyson, John Madden: Remembering Notables Who Died in 2021,” USA Today, December 19, 2021 (updated December 31, 2021), https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/12/19/famous-people-who-died-2021/6496794001/.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on the tragic legacy of Sarah Weddington, the lawyer who argued the infamous abortion rights case Roe v. Wade before the United States Supreme Court in 1973—essentially legalizing abortion in the United States. Raised as a minister’s daughter, Weddington passionately advanced abortion in America. The ends justifying the means, abortion leaders at the time encouraged the telling of the fabricated story of the rape of Norma McCorvey—a.k.a. Jane Roe. This kind of deception is often justified by a “larger truth”—and that larger truth, from the standpoint of Weddington, is that the painful killing of innocent human beings is a human right. The legalization of abortion has caused the deaths of untold numbers of unborn babies.For further study, see Frederica Mathewes-Green, Real Choices: Listening to Women, Looking for Alternatives to Abortion https://amzn.to/3HOnb9M

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on an opinion piece in USA Today by Steven Petrow, titled, “Stop Gloating When Anti-vaxxers Die of COVID-19. It’s Tragic” (December 20, 2021, 7A). The piece centers on Marcus Lamb, head of Daystar Television Network, who died of COVID-19 on November 30. We are not to practice the uncivilized, unchristian ethic of dancing on someone’s grave. Unfortunately, Petrow also talks about “ineffective” means of combatting COVID-19, and one of those means that he cites is prayer. In reality, however, prayer is the most effective thing that we can do as Christians because there is no doubt that God exists—“the heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalm 19:1)—and that Christ, the eternal Son of God, “became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). When we pray to Him, God responds. He answers prayer. As St. John wrote, “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests that we have asked of him” (1 John 5:14–15 ESV). And St. James declared, “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (James 5:16 NIV). For further study, see Christianity in Crisis—21st Century by Hank Hanegraaff https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resource-christianity-in-crisis-21st-century/; and Truth Matters, Life Matters More by Hank Hanegraaff 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, reflects on the continuing word crisis that threatens to undo western civilization. The word “insurrection” is plastered in the headlines today. Writing in the Wall Street Journal, Jeffrey Scott Shapiro laments the application of the word “insurrection” to the events of January 6, 2021. But Shapiro notes, “The events of Jan. 6…fail to meet the dictionary definition of insurrection, which Merriam-Webster defines as ‘an act or instance of revolting against civil authority or an established government’….the word implies an ‘armed uprising.’” Shapiro contends that “a real insurrection would have required the armed forces to quell an armed resistance,” as in the Whiskey Rebellion of 1794. Shapiro concludes, “Those who violated the law inside the U.S. Capitol should be prosecuted and, if convicted, sentenced accordingly. But dramatizing a riot as an organized, racist, armed insurrection is false reporting and dangerous political gaslighting. The misuse of words, especially involving criminal accusations, can easily result in overreaching enforcement of the law and a chilling effect on free speech, all of which have already happened—and in this case, endanger the very system the rioters’ accusers purport to protect.” Consider also, the word “marriage.” As Sean McDowell and John Stonestreet note, marriage has always been defined as “a relationship between men and women” because of “the dual, gender-distinct nature of humanity.” As such, the relationship “between marriage and procreation is more than just incidental.” All of this has been up for grabs as a result of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who not only redefined the word “marriage” but pontificated that the historical definition fosters ill will and animosity. What must surely have been self-evident to this supremely erudite arbiter of justice is that virtually every redefinition of marriage, including his own, excludes someone (siblings, the polygamous, those underage, etc.). But is this due to hate or to common sense? If marriage means everything, in the end it may well mean nothing at all. See Jeffrey Scott Shapiro, “Stop Calling Jan. 6 an ‘Insurrection,’” Wall Street Journal, January 5, 2022, https://www.wsj.com/articles/stop-calling-jan-6-an-insurrection-capitol-riot-civil-disorder-insurgency-protest-first-amendment-11641417543. Sean McDowell and John Stonestreet, Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God’s Design for Marriage (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2014). See Justice Anthony Kennedy, United States v. Windsor (2013). D. K. Matthews, “Seduced: The Crisis of Word and the Fragmentation of Civilization,” Christian Research Journal, vol. 43, no. 01 (2020), https://www.equip.org/article/seduced-the-crisis-of-word-and-the-fragmentation-of-civilization/.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, ponders the demise of civilizations. This reflection was provoked by reading a recent post about “the European Union’s LGBTQ+ goodwill ambassador” who had “cross-dressed as a bearded Virgin Mary”—“a same-sex rendition of the Holy Family draped in the colors of the transgender flag.” Christians must not curse the darkness but build a lighthouse in the midst of the gathering storm. Christians took the lead in building a new order called Europe after the fall of the Roman Empire. Christians must again take the lead to transform today’s culture for Christ.

​How do some birds, turtles, and insects possess navigational abilities that rival the best manmade navigational technologies? Who or what taught the honey bee its dance, or its hive mates how to read the complex message of the dance? How do blind mound-building termites master passive heating and cooling strategies that dazzle skilled human architects? In The Origin of Species Charles Darwin conceded that such instincts are “so wonderful” that the mystery of their origin would strike many “as a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory.” Hank Hanegraaff is joined by Eric Cassell to discuss these mysteries and more as addressed in his book book Animal Algorithms and how the continued discoveries of incredible instincts in the animal world would lead one to believe that they are strong evidence that the origins of life are the product of Intelligent Design rather than a blind, purposeless evolutionary process. To learn more about receiving this book for your partnering gift please click here. https://www.equip.org/product/cri-resources-animal-algorithms-and-the-comprehensive-guide-to-science-and-faith-hup/Topics discussed include: The complex navigational systems and activities of ants (5:30); the waggle dance of the honeybee and other complex behaviors (11:00); the long-distance migration patterns and abilities of birds (13:00); what did Darwin know about genetics? (14:45); complex programmed behavior—animal algorithms (17:45); the mysterious metamorphosis of the butterfly (24:30); the unique navigational abilities of the Loggerhead sea turtle (26:15); the navigational processes and built-in compasses of animals (29:15); how can people believe that these complex processes evolved from a blind, purposeless evolutionary process? (34:35); is climate change less of an existential threat than the recent ice age? (43:00); studying animal algorithms from the top down perspective of an engineer (45:25); how evolution accounts for the coordinated development between the eyes and the brain (48:40); the wonder of the wasp sting (53:30); complex programmed societies in the animal kingdom (54:45); how could evolution explain altruism in the animal kingdom? (58:00); the sophisticated architectural abilities of animals (59:05); humans still can’t replicate the silk of spider webs (1:02:40); the challenges that complexity present for convergent evolution (1:06:00); does the word science mean the same thing to everyone? (1:13:05); survival of the fittest vs. arrival of the fittest (1:14:35); why won’t many scientists allow the explanations of Intelligent Design? (1:16:45); teleophobia in the sciences (1:20:25); addressing several of the most common objections to Intelligent Design (1:22:50). ________________________________________Listen to Hank’s podcast and follow Hank off the grid where he is joined by some of the brightest minds discussing topics you care about. Get equipped to be a cultural change agent.Archived episodes are on our Website and available at the additional channels listed below.You can help spread the word about Hank Unplugged by giving us a rating and review from the other channels we are listed on.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast, distinguishes between ministry-centric giving and soul-centric giving. CRI is committed to that which is soul-centric—interested in the spiritual benefit that giving abounds to the account of the giver. Less focused on the needs of ministry—though important and significant—CRI focuses more on the nous (mind/soul—“the eye of the heart,” “the seat of our spiritual perceptions”) of the giver. Become conscious of the blessings inherent in giving—that giving changes the giver. Give because in giving you will be transformed. As we approach the end of 2021, thank you to all who have given to the life-changing work of the Christian Research Institute—the Bible Answer Man broadcast, Hank Unplugged podcast, Christian Research Journal, equip.org, and the other ministry work of CRI that your generosity enables. To partner with CRI, click here for more info: https://www.equip.org/donate/

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast, reflects on a scene from James Michener’s historical novel, The Covenant. Among the Xhosa people in South Africa, there was a shaman who looked into a dark pool of water and predicted that the great chiefs who once ruled the Xhosa people would miraculously return and regain control of the land, and the people would once again flourish—on the condition that Xhosa warriors first kill all of the Xhosa cattle and burn all of their grain. The shaman set a particular date on which the great miracle would happen. The warriors killed their cattle and burned their grain, and the people watched the sun rise and set on the day in which the prophecy was to be fulfilled. But there was no fulfillment, and soon tens of thousands of the Xhosa people horrifically perished from starvation. And we in the Christian world have our own shamans—people who are constantly predicting that the end is nigh, that a rapture would take us away while all hell breaks loose on earth. Multitudes make life decisions based on these predictions, concluding there is “no need to polish brass on a sinking ship.” But Christians must learn to discern what Scripture actually teaches—and develop immunity to errant apocalyptic fever.

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the 𝘉𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘈𝘯𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘳 𝘔𝘢𝘯 broadcast, wishes all a glorious new year—a new year in which we are connected to the epicenter of the universe, which is the church. It is in the church that God dispenses the graces that transform us and prepare us for eternity. May God use us all this year for His glory and for the extension of His kingdom—“not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit” (Zechariah 4:6).

Hank Hanegraaff, president of the Christian Research Institute and host of the Bible Answer Man broadcast, reflects on the rage of the organization known as People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). This time over the World Series because baseball pitchers warm up in what is called the “bullpen,” a term most insensitive to cattle. PETA suggests “Arm Barn.” As ridiculous as that may seem, it raises the question of what organizations like PETA are up to in the first place. Ultimately, they seek to elevate animals to the status of human beings—and ascribe to animals the personhood reserved for a child. Some, such as bioethicist Peter Singer, go so far as to elevate chimpanzees above disabled children. Wrongheaded, ridiculous, and utterly horrifying. In reality, humans beings are created in the image of God, which ensures that a Down Syndrome child is afforded the same dignity given to a professor like Singer. While we may eat lamb as our Lord did during Passover celebrations, we must never treat lambs in a way that dishonors their Creator. A primary precept of biblical theology is that animals occupy a special role in the hierarchy of creation. While we must never supplant human exceptionalism for animal equality, we are nonetheless called to the ethical treatment of animals.