Answers for Ambassadors

By David Vogel

Religion & Spirituality

What's Answers for Ambassadors about?

Equipping Christians to thoughtfully answer tough questions from unbelievers.

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." --II Corinthians 5:20

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Answers for Ambassadors episodes:

06.21.2017
Making An Abortionist (Life's Work, Pt 4) | Ep 44
Our final episode on "Life's Work" steps back to ask how and why a boy who dreamed of becoming a pastor turned into an evangelist for abortion. It's a story of failures by family and church which offers lessons for...
05.23.2017
Is It A Person? (Life's Work, Pt 3) | Ep 43
In this week's episode on "Life's Work" by Dr. Willie Parker, we continue our examination of the key question related to abortion: What is it? After considering whether the fetus was a living organism last episode, this week we examine...
05.09.2017
Is It Alive? (Life's Work, Pt 2) | Ep 42
Last week's episode on Dr. Willie Parker's "Life's Work" sets up this week's key question: What is it? We look at why this is the essential question and then start answering it by considering whether the fetus meets the definition...
05.03.2017
Dr. Parker, Christian Abortionist (Life's Work, Pt 1) | Ep 41
This week's episode starts a new series, "A Blind Doctor: Dr. Willie Parker's Deadly Compassion." In it, we'll survey the new book "Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice" in which self-proclaimed Christian abortionist Willie Parker argues that Christian compassion...
04.12.2017
Happiness, Excellence, and Paganism (Pt 7, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 40
"Choose to be Happy" is the final section of "Your Best Life Now." In this episode, we consider Joel Osteen's exhortation to be people of happiness, excellence, and integrity, then step back to draw out some lessons from our survey...
04.05.2017
Giving In Faith (Pt 6, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 39
We should give generously, but why? In Part 6 of "Your Best Life Now," Joel Osteen says we should "live to give." His emphasis on generosity is very biblical, but his reasoning misses an important element of the promises of...
03.29.2017
Walking With Faith (Pt 5, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 38
In Part 5 of "Your Best Life Now," Joel Osteen encourages us to remain confident through trials and trust God's timing. There is much biblical truth in these chapters, but also some reasons for caution which lead to a key...
03.21.2017
Dealing With Pain (Pt 4, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 37
In Part 4 of "Your Best Life Now," Joel Osteen discusses how to deal with pain and disappointment. His counsel to forgive and move on is good, but are we forgiving for the right reason? And what if we don't...
03.14.2017
Power of Thoughts and Words (Pt 3, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 36
Part 3 of "Your Best Life Now" is all about the power of our thoughts and words. Joel Osteen is right that how we think and speak is important, but he misses the biblical mark in three important ways which...
03.07.2017
See Who You Are (Pt 2, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 35
Part 2 of "Your Best Life Now" talks about the importance of our self-image. We need to realize that God delights in us, wants us to be happy, and sees us as champions, Joel Osteen declares. But what does the...
02.28.2017
Enlarging Our Vision (Pt 1, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 34
In the inaugural podcast on Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now," we examine his promise that God plans great things for you if you'll just believe. Does Osteen expect too much from God... or too little? Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at...
02.14.2017
A God-Shaped Gap? (Ch10, The God Delusion)
In the final chapter of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that religion isn't needed for "explanation, exhortation, consolation, or inspiration." As we finish the book, this episode uses those four ideas to distinguish between the atheistic and Christian worldviews.
02.07.2017
What's Wrong With Religion? (Ch8-9, The God Delusion)
Is religion, in itself, a harmful force? In Chapters 8 and 9 of "The God Delusion," Dawkins argues that it is, and that raising children in a religious tradition is abuse. This episode counters Dawkins' understanding of faith and considers...
01.31.2017
The Moral Zeitgeist and American Politics
This week's episode takes a break from The God Delusion, using Dawkins' theory of "the Moral Zeitgeist" as a jumping-off point to consider the philosophical roots of progressivism and how it contrasts with a Christian understanding of human nature and...
01.24.2017
Morality and a Moral Zeitgeist (Ch7, The God Delusion)
Having argued that the Bible is not an adequate foundation for morality, Dawkins finishes Chapter 7 of The God Delusion by suggesting instead that our morality is based upon "the moral Zeitgeist," inevitable moral progress which is the result of...
01.10.2017
Morality of the New Testament (Ch7, The God Delusion)
What about the New Testament? After criticizing the morality of the Old Testament in Chapter 7 of The God Delusion, Dawkins turns his attention to the New, arguing that Christ's atonement is "sadomasochism" and that "love thy neighbor" doesn't mean...
01.04.2017
Morality of the Old Testament (Ch7, The God Delusion)
Is the Old Testament immoral? In Chapter 7 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that it is, citing examples like Noah's flood and the destruction of Jericho. This episode replies, looking at the two big problems with Dawkins' understanding of...
12.27.2016
The Roots of Morality (Ch6, The God Delusion)
Can we be good without God? In Chapter 6 of The God Delusion, Dawkins asks where morality could come from in an atheistic world. His answer is somewhat plausible but cannot answer one crucial question. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel
12.13.2016
The Roots of Religion (Ch5, The God Delusion)
If there is no God, why is almost everyone religious? For an atheist like Richard Dawkins, it's a puzzling question; one which he tackles in Chapter 5 of The God Delusion. This episode looks at Dawkins' attempt to explain away...
12.06.2016
The Appearance of Design (Ch4, The God Delusion)
Does the appearance of design mean there must be a universal Designer? In Chapter 4 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that not only is design explicable without a God, but complexity and design actually demonstrate that there almost certainly...
11.29.2016
Religious Scientists and Pascal's Wager (Ch3, The God Delusion)
Today's episode finishes up our consideration of The God Delusion's Chapter 3, looking at Pascal's famous wager for belief in God and considering whether scientists are usually Christians (and whether it matters). Dawkins is responding to poor arguments for theism...
11.16.2016
Copying and Canon (Ch3, The God Delusion)
Can we trust the people between us and the original authors of the Bible? Dawkins argues in The God Delusion that fallible scribes with their own agendas corrupted the manuscripts upon which our modern Bibles are based. He also accuses...
11.08.2016
Objections To The Gospels (Ch3, The God Delusion)
Were the Gospel authors reliable narrators? In Chapter 3 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues they were not, citing seeming discrepancies in their accounts of Jesus' birth and genealogy. This episode looks at those particular objections as well as some...
11.01.2016
Are Bible Accounts Trustworthy? (Ch3, The God Delusion)
Can we trust what the Bible says? In Chapter 3 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues we can't. It will take a few episodes to fully respond, but this podcast gets the ball rolling by surveying the reasons why we...
10.25.2016
Arguments For God (Ch3, The God Delusion)
What evidence is there that God is real? In Chapter 3 of The God Delusion, Dawkins briefly critiques common arguments for God's existence. This episode responds to his rebuttals, but first we have to consider what place evidential arguments should...
10.18.2016
Agnosticism and Evidence (Ch2, The God Delusion)
In the second part of Chapter 2 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that an absolute agnosticism which refuses to consider evidence for or against religion is irrational. Rather, he urges that religious claims can be evaluated scientifically. And he's...
10.11.2016
About God (Ch2, The God Delusion)
In Chapter 2 of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins surveys different ideas of God and says he opposes all of them. In this episode, we'll look at how it is easier to attack an idea than to defend it, why...
10.04.2016
About Religion (Ch1, The God Delusion)
This episode begins a series considering The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. In Chapter 1, Dawkins argues that we need to distinguish between a mystical sense of the majesty of nature and what he labels "supernatural religion." He also attacks...
10.19.2015
Are All Religions Basically the Same?
Most religions teach something like the Golden Rule. Is it true, then, that all religions are basically the same, or is there more to a religion than what it says about right and wrong?
09.28.2015
Can Leaving Religion Bring Peace?
Atheists often describe feeling a sense of peace and relief after rejecting their faith. How could that be, if God is the God of peace? Is there a difference between the peace of a Christian and the peace of an...
09.21.2015
Science, Civics, and Religion
Physicist and popular author Lawrence Krauss writes that civic questions like those raised by Kim Davis’ resistance to issuing same-sex marriage licenses would be better answered if the law rejected any religious claim of what is "sacred" and stuck to...
09.14.2015
NT Historicity, Part 5: Is the Resurrection Account Credible?
The resurrection story is the heart of Christian faith, and also its most contested claim. This episode shows how, using only facts acknowledged by most secular historians, we can give skeptics a good reason to believe that the gospel accounts...
08.31.2015
NT Historicity, Part 4: Were the Disciples Reliable Narrators?
Though textual analysis shows that we have accurate copies of the Bible writers’ accounts, skeptics can still accuse the disciples of being unreliable narrators, either through confusion or dishonesty. This episode looks at why multiple attestation, verifiable details, and the...
08.24.2015
NT Historicity, Part 3: Are the Surviving Manuscripts Accurate?
Once the gospels were written down, scribes repeatedly copied them to spread the manuscripts across the Mediterranean world. Since the original manuscripts are lost, all we have today are some of those copies, yet skeptics point out that they have...
08.17.2015
NT Historicity, Part 2: Can We Trust the Early Church’s Memory?
After Jesus’ ascension, the early church remembered his life and teaching through oral tradition for about 30 years before the first gospel was written down. Would that sort of collective memory within a first-century community be trustworthy?
08.10.2015
Historicity of the New Testament, Part 1
Is the New Testament reliable history? This episode starts a series on NT historicity by looking at what historical apologetics can and cannot accomplish, laying out the four historical stages that bring us to our modern Bible translations, and beginning...
08.03.2015
Is God's Foreknowledge Illogical?
If God knows the future, is he constrained by his own foreknowledge? Could people, or God himself, choose anything other than what he foreknew? This episode considers whether divine foreknowledge is incompatible with other Bible truths, and, along the way,...
07.27.2015
How Are Free Choices Possible If God Is Sovereign?
The Bible says that God sovereignly controls everything, but also that people make real, meaningful choices. At first glance these doctrines seem contradictory, but are they? We need to remember that free will can only exist in a theistic universe...
07.20.2015
Is My Sin Really So Bad?
The gospel is only good news if we have sins from which we must be saved, but many today feel that they just aren't that bad. Without a gut-level sense of guilt and moral need, how can we help our...
07.13.2015
Where is the Scientific Evidence for Spiritual Beings?
If Christianity is true, then angels and other spiritual beings exist. However, skeptics point to the lack of scientific evidence for such claims. Is this a real problem for the Christian apologist, or are unbelievers forgetting that “absence of irrelevant...
07.06.2015
Is Christianity Falsifiable?
Many atheist thinkers argue that Christian claims are necessarily meaningless because they are "unfalsifiable." Since there is no way to prove Christian claims wrong, they argue, such claims are irrational. This episode looks at falsifiability, the difference between scientific and...
06.29.2015
Could Morality Have Evolved?
Atheists often try to explain the existence of morality within a godless world by appealing to evolution. This episode asks whether morality could have evolved and introduces the "imaginary world" tactic to show that evolved morality is not really morality...
06.22.2015
Is Morality Possible in a World Without God?
An atheist's question, "What makes something moral or immoral?" generates a discussion about right and wrong, the difference between preferences and obligations, and whether morality could be meaningful in a godless world.
06.14.2015
Who Defines Christianity?
An article arguing that Caitlyn Jenner exemplifies a new form of "Americanized Christianity" prompts a discussion about what Christianity actually is. Is it the set of beliefs held by self-identified Christians, or is it something more objective: the way set...

What's Answers for Ambassadors about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Answers for Ambassadors episodes:

Making An Abortionist (Life's Work, Pt 4) | Ep 44

Is It A Person? (Life's Work, Pt 3) | Ep 43

Is It Alive? (Life's Work, Pt 2) | Ep 42

Dr. Parker, Christian Abortionist (Life's Work, Pt 1) | Ep 41

Happiness, Excellence, and Paganism (Pt 7, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 40

Giving In Faith (Pt 6, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 39

Walking With Faith (Pt 5, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 38

Dealing With Pain (Pt 4, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 37

Power of Thoughts and Words (Pt 3, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 36

See Who You Are (Pt 2, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 35

Enlarging Our Vision (Pt 1, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 34

A God-Shaped Gap? (Ch10, The God Delusion)

What's Wrong With Religion? (Ch8-9, The God Delusion)

The Moral Zeitgeist and American Politics

Morality and a Moral Zeitgeist (Ch7, The God Delusion)

Morality of the New Testament (Ch7, The God Delusion)

Morality of the Old Testament (Ch7, The God Delusion)

The Roots of Morality (Ch6, The God Delusion)

The Roots of Religion (Ch5, The God Delusion)

The Appearance of Design (Ch4, The God Delusion)

Religious Scientists and Pascal's Wager (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Copying and Canon (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Objections To The Gospels (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Are Bible Accounts Trustworthy? (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Arguments For God (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Agnosticism and Evidence (Ch2, The God Delusion)

About God (Ch2, The God Delusion)

About Religion (Ch1, The God Delusion)

Are All Religions Basically the Same?

Can Leaving Religion Bring Peace?

Science, Civics, and Religion

NT Historicity, Part 5: Is the Resurrection Account Credible?

NT Historicity, Part 4: Were the Disciples Reliable Narrators?

NT Historicity, Part 3: Are the Surviving Manuscripts Accurate?

NT Historicity, Part 2: Can We Trust the Early Church’s Memory?

Historicity of the New Testament, Part 1

Is God's Foreknowledge Illogical?

How Are Free Choices Possible If God Is Sovereign?

Is My Sin Really So Bad?

Where is the Scientific Evidence for Spiritual Beings?

Is Christianity Falsifiable?

Could Morality Have Evolved?

Is Morality Possible in a World Without God?

Who Defines Christianity?