Apologetics 315 Podcast

SummaryRobbie Lashua discusses the Stand to Reason (STR) Outposts initiative, its purpose, and the process of starting one at a local church. He shares his journey of getting involved with STR and his role as the outpost coordinator. The conversation also covers the flexibility of outposts, the target audience, and the use of STRU courses for small group discussions. Robbie is interviewed about STR's Outpost program, which equips local churches with apologetics resources. The program allows flexibility for churches to use other materials but requires adherence to STR's mission statement. Outposts are not meant to teach doctrinal distinctives, and the local church is responsible for indoctrinating its members. Outpost directors have access to resources and support from STR for managing difficult personalities and theological issues. The program has seen significant growth and is open to churches of all sizes.https://www.str.org/outpostsTakeawaysSTR Outposts provide small group curriculum for training lay people in apologetics within local churches.The target audience for STR Outposts is lay people in the church who are not equipped to compete in the marketplace of ideas and culture.The use of STRU courses and small group discussions makes apologetics training more accessible and digestible for lay people in the church. STR's Outpost program equips local churches with apologetics resources and allows flexibility in using other materials.Outposts are not meant to teach doctrinal distinctives, and the responsibility for indoctrinating members lies with the local church.Outpost directors have access to resources and support from STR for managing difficult personalities and theological issues.The program has seen significant growth and is open to churches of all sizes.Chapters00:00 The Purpose of STR Outposts03:16 Starting an STR Outpost at Your Church06:00 Flexibility and Target Audience of STR Outposts22:33 Equipping Local Churches with Apologetics Resources26:24 Navigating Doctrinal Distinctives and Flexibility in Apologetics38:37 Support and Resources for Outpost Directors42:26 Growth and Inclusivity of the Outpost Program================================We appreciate your feedback.If you’re on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com

Former debate teacher Nate Sala shares his journey to becoming a Christian, insights on debate and persuasion, and the importance of objectivity in analysis. Topics include debate preparation, styles, emotions in debates, personal biases, and the art of cross-examination.

Travis Dickinson discusses the argument from reason, highlighting how naturalism and Platonism fall short in accounting for logical principles. He argues that the existence of God provides the most plausible explanation. The conversation explores practical apologetics and using reasoning to engage skeptics, pointing towards Christ as the ultimate source of logic.

In this episode, Brian Auten & Chad Gross engage with philosopher Paul Gould to discuss the profound connection between beauty, love, theism. They delve into why beauty is more likely on theism than naturalism and explore various philosophical perspectives on love and the recognition of beauty.Topics Covered:1. Introduction to the Topic of Beauty:   - Beauty in Theism vs. Naturalism:     - Gould explains why beauty is more likely on theism than naturalism.     - Discussion on the analogy between human artistic creativity and the universe's beauty.     - The improbability of a universe saturated with beauty under naturalism's unguided, blind forces.2. Philosophical Arguments and Analogies:   - Human Artistic Creativity:     - Creating beautiful art requires skill and intention, paralleling the idea of a divine artist behind the universe.   - Entropy and Beauty:     - Examination of why beauty persists despite the laws of entropy and randomness under naturalism.3. Exploring the Nature of Love:   - Defining Love:     - Gould outlines five features of love:       1. Multi-directed       2. Complex       3. Deep and Enduring       4. Active and Passive       5. Valuable     - Discussion on how contemporary philosophical views often fail to capture these features fully.     - Aquinas's wisdom on love as a comprehensive framework.4. Beauty as a Properly Basic Belief:   - Plantinga's Concept of Properly Basic Beliefs:     - Inquiry into whether the recognition of beauty can be considered a properly basic belief, not needing argumentation to be justified.   - Experiences of Beauty:     - Distinctions between judgments of beauty, experiences of beauty, beautiful things, and beauty itself.     - The Christian story's integration of beauty, truth, and goodness, particularly through the narrative of the cross.5. Listener Questions and Practical Insights:   - Interacting with Listener Inquiries:     - Addressing questions about the recognition and judgment of beauty.     - Discussion on the practical implications of philosophical views on love and beauty.Key Quotes:- Paul Gould on Beauty and Naturalism:  "If naturalism is true, and the universe is just the result of unguided, blind forces, you would not expect beauty to saturate the world. By analogy, just as beauty is very hard for human artists, it's surprising for it to saturate the world without a divine artist."- **Brian Auten on the Christian Story:**  "The cross being the God of the universe, sacrificing himself for sinners to save them, even when they hate him, is the most beautiful story there is. It brings tears to your eyes because it's beautiful."- Paul Gould on Love:  "Love is multi-directed, complex, deep and enduring, active and passive, and valuable. We need an account of love that captures all these features."================================We appreciate your feedback.If you’re on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com

Introduction- Chad and Brian discuss their favorite and most memorable debates between Christian apologists/philosophers and atheists/skepticsChad's Debate Picks1. James Crossley vs. William Lane Craig - Was Jesus Raised from the Dead? (2012)   - Highlights Craig's case for the resurrection based on postmortem appearances    - Contrasting styles of young Crossley vs distinguished Craig2. Jeffrey Lowder vs. Frank Turek - What Better Explains Reality: Naturalism or Theism? (2016)     - Appreciates Lowder's formal case for naturalism reminiscent of Craig   - Admires the cordiality and clash of Lowder's logic vs Turek's rhetoric  3. Christopher Hitchens vs. William Lane Craig   - The "prizefight" lead-up and spectacle surrounding this legendary debate   - Contrasts Craig's arguments vs Hitchens' emotional appeals4. Braxton Hunter vs. Matt Dillahunty (2019)   - Hunter exposes issues in Dillahunty's epistemology    - Effectively argues for Kalam cosmological argument and argument from free will5. Craig vs Francisco Ayala - Is Intelligent Design Viable? (2013)   - Craig debates an award-winning evolutionary scientist   - Craig has to think on his feet against unfamiliar arguments from Ayala6. Chris Date vs. Dale Tuggy - Is Jesus Human and Not Divine?     - High-level, rich, respectful debate between able defenders of their positions   - Highlights Date's ancient bird imagery argument for Christ's deity7. Paul Draper vs. William Lane Craig   - Craig debates a formidable philosophical adversary   - Interesting to see Craig on his heels against some unfamiliar argumentsBrian's Debate Picks  1. William Lane Craig vs. Peter Atkins   - The famous "put that in your pipe" moment where Craig lists what science can't explain2. Norm Geisler vs. Paul Kurtz on John Ankerberg Show     - Admires Geisler's rapid-fire responses to a breadth of objectionsBonus: Worst Debate - Jeff Durbin & James White vs Dr. Clark & Dan Ellis (2020)  - Dr. Clark engaged in bizarre antics like throwing books, demanding miracles  - One of the most cringeworthy debates they've seenFind links here: https://truthbomb.blogspot.com/2024/02/some-of-my-favorite-debates.html================================We appreciate your feedback.If you’re on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com

In this episode, Brian and Chad discuss the importance of listening to debates. This is a kind of PART 1, and part 2 will discuss specific debates.Brian's seven reasons for listening to debates were: 1) Hearing the best defenders of each view, 2) Hearing actual arguments without interruptions, 3) Finding the cutting edge of the current debate, 4) Getting used to hearing opposing views without anxiety, 5) Seeing that Christianity can hold its own intellectually, 6) Observing how a cumulative case is made and critics' counters, and 7) Realizing the debate is just an entry point to a much deeper topic. Throughout explaining his seven reasons, Brian and Chad discussed the value of debates utilizing good logic (logos), credibility (ethos), and emotional appeals (pathos). They noted how the best debates are well-moderated with clear time limits. Listening to debates can boost confidence in the Christian faith by seeing it withstand scrutiny. However, the debate is just the start in grasping the full depth of a topic which opens up avenues for further study.================================We appreciate your feedback.If you’re on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com

In this episode, Brian and Chad interview Chris Date about his view on conditional immortality, which is the idea that the final punishment of the wicked is death and total destruction rather than eternal conscious torment. Chris provides an overview of the two contrasting views and shares his journey of how he became convinced of annihilationism after originally believing in eternal conscious torment.He then dives into key biblical texts that are often used to argue for eternal torment, such as Mark 9:48, Matthew 25:46, Revelation 14:9-11, and Jude 7, demonstrating how these passages can actually better support conditionalism. Chris also makes a concise case for his view by looking at biblical evidence on immortality, the vision of eternity, substitutionary atonement, and the fate of the wicked described as death and destruction.For more resources from Chris on this topic, check out the Rethinking Hell website www.rethinkinghell.com and YouTube channelhttps://www.youtube.com/@RethinkingHellas well as Chris' personal website at https://chrisdate.info While Chris hopes listeners will consider his perspective, his ultimate desire is for unity in the body of Christ despite differences on this non-essential doctrine.================================We appreciate your feedback.If you’re on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com

Astrophysicist Hugh Ross discusses how modern scientific discoveries support biblical inerrancy, challenges surrounding human origins and Adam and Eve, the concordist approach to science and Scripture, and the regional interpretation of Noah's Flood. Ross presents evidence for a recent origin of humanity and emphasizes the need for nuanced approaches in harmonizing science and theology.

Historian Dr. John Dickson joins the show to discuss his book, Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History. Dickson provides an insightful, nuanced perspective on some of the most controversial episodes in Christian history, from the Crusades to the Galileo affair. He argues that while Christians have certainly made grave mistakes throughout history, the influence of Christianity has also been profoundly positive, pioneering hospitals, abolitionism, and education. Dickson is candid about the church's failures but also highlights inspiring figures like Eligius, Gregory of Nyssa, and the courageous early Christian martyrs. He aims to provide an objective account that combats overly negative portrayals of Christian history while also avoiding Christian triumphalism.Key topics discussed include Constantine's role in the Christianization of Rome, myths about the "Dark Ages," the confident humility of early Christian martyrs, myths surrounding Galileo's persecution, and more. Dickson provides illuminating historical context and thoughtful analysis of these complex issues. His book provides a thoughtful corrective to biased accounts on both sides, appealing to secular and religious readers alike.Links:* Bullies and Saints book* John Dickson's website* Dickson's Undeceptions podcast================================We appreciate your feedback.If you’re on TWITTER, you can follow Chad @TBapologetics.You can follow Brian @TheBrianAutenAnd of course, you can follow @Apologetics315If you have a question or comment for the podcast, record it and send it our way using www.speakpipe.com/Apologetics315 or you can email us at podcast@apologetics315.com

Alisa Childers, author of The Deconstruction of Christianity, talks about the faith deconstruction movement, its origins, and its impact on young people. Deconstruction involves re-examining one's childhood faith and questioning objective truth. She advises resolving intellectual doubts through study, but emotional doubts may require counseling. Understanding the philosophical roots and maintaining a loving presence are crucial when dealing with deconstructing loved ones. The podcast also explores the challenges of accepting God's wrath, navigating relationships in deconstruction, and addressing toxicity and lack of discipleship in churches.