Apologetics Profile

By James Walker and Daniel RayReligion & Spirituality Christianity

Apologetics Profile episodes

December 16, 2020Episode 45: 45 BONUS - The Future of Our Ministry from the Board of Directors (6-min. Update)
In this very short, special bonus edition of Apologetics Profile, Daniel Grissom shares a two-minute update about the future of our ministry. Daniel is a former Jehovah's Witness who serves on our Board of Directors.

End-of-Year Ministry Update

As we come to the close of 2020, we are at a crossroads. Our ministry opportunities have never been higher but our donations have dropped drastically. Barring a miracle between now and the end of the year, our support will drop to a 20-year low. We are asking for your prayers and financial support to finish the year strong. We want to go into 2021 ready to maximize our calling and ministry. We want to continue:
Training and sending missionary teams to Utah each year

Reaching nonbelievers through our Atheist & Christian Book Club

Publishing 4-page Profiles on cults and alternative religions

Broadcasting two weekly podcasts: Good Heavens! and Apologetics Profile

Hosting our Mormons in Transition monthly meetup for Latter-day Saints with questions

Sharing the gospel with those of other faiths and religions (and much more!)

We know many are now unable to support the ministry because of health, finances, or both. Believe me, we understand! For those who can help, now is the critical time. Your help is much needed and greatly appreciated.

SUPPORT: If you are able to stand with us, please consider a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give. Every gift counts!

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
6 min
December 14, 2020Episode 44: 44 Ex-Jehovah's Witness Daniel Grissom Shares His Story with James Walker (Part 1)
Daniel Grissom was one of Jehovah's Witnesses when he first connected with James Walker and the Watchman Fellowship ministry team. Daniel left the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society for the grace of Jesus Christ and now serves on our Board of Directors. In part one of this discussion, Daniel shares his journey from the Kingdom Hall to the Kingdom of God:
When he first got the knock at his front door, what attracted Daniel to listen to the Jehovah's Witnesses and initially embrace their teachings?
What caused Daniel to mistake the Jehovah's Witnesses sincerity for their accuracy?
Why is it difficult for former Jehovah's Witnesses to believe in Jesus even after they learn their religion was wrong?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our free 4-page Profile on the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society by Jason Barker: www.watchman.org/profiles/pdf/watchtowerprofile.pdf
Jesus Is Not Your Mediator by Daniel Grissom (YouTube): https://youtu.be/upJtFKKw2vA
Watchtower documentation for Jesus Is Not Your Mediator: www.watchman.org/mediator.pdf
Crisis of Conscious by Raymond Frans, former Governing Body member of the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society (594-pages): www.watchman.org/Crisis
Ministry update from the Board of Directors by Daniel Grissom (video 2-min.): www.watchman.org/video
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
35 min
December 07, 2020Episode 43: 43 Kip McKean and the International Christian Churches (Part 2) with Steve Matthews
In this week's episode Brady Blevins and Steve Matthews conclude their conversation about Kip McKean, World Missions Evangelist of the controversial International Christian Church (ICC). Brady and Steve address some questions underlying decades of criticism the the movement has received from Christian discernment ministries and secular cult-watch organizations:
How can we distinguish between a strong commitment to Christian discipleship and inappropriate high-demand organizations which can foster spiritual abuse?

To what degree and on what level should a "discipler" be given control of a follower's personal discussion-making?

Does salvation require water baptism into a ICC-style "discipling" church?
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our free 4-page Profile on the International Churches of Christ (ICC) by Steve Matthews and Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC

Our original 4-page Profile on the Boston Church of Christ / International Churches of Christ (ICOC) by Rick Branch: www.watchman.org/Boston

Our 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: www.watchman.org/Abuse

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
33 min
November 30, 202042 Kip McKean and the International Christian Churches (Part 1) with Steve Matthews
In this week's episode Brady Blevins and Steve Matthews discuss Kip McKean, World Missions Evangelist of the controversial International Christian Church (ICC), a worldwide movement headquartered in Los Angeles. In part one of this two-part discussion we explore the history, growth and some of the criticisms directed at the organization that first began as an on campus discipling ministry of the Crossroads Church of Christ at the University of Florida in Gainesville.

McKean became the world leader when the sect was known as the Boston Church of Christ and later as the group expanded its worldwide strategies under the name International Church of Christ (ICOC). In the midst of external and internal criticisms and calls for reform, McKean resigned from the ICOC later forming his rival organization, the ICC.

The movement has been under fire for decades even being banned from major university campuses including "American University, the University of Lowell (Mass.), Birmingham University (United Kingdom), the University of Manchester (United Kingdom), Boston College, Marquette University, Boston University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Harvard University, the University of London (United Kingdom), Vanderbilt University, the University of Miami, Northeastern University, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Smith College, the United States Military Academy, the University of Southern California and York University (Canada)."1

Why is the ICC so popular and what drives the criticisms? Brady and Steve discuss some of the controversies surrounding Kip McKean and the ICC including their theological distinctives and questionable discipleship practices.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our free 4-page Profile on the International Churches of Christ (ICC) by Steve Matthews and Brady Blevins: www.watchman.org/ICC
Our original 4-page Profile on the Boston Church of Christ / International Churches of Christ (ICOC) by Rick Branch www.watchman.org/Boston
Our 4-page Profile on Spiritual Abuse by David Henke: www.watchman.org/Abuse

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

1 John W. Morehead, "International Christian Churches: Disciples of Abuse?" www.apologeticsindex.org/i05.html
36 min
November 23, 202041 What is Scientism? (Part 2) with Astrophysicist and Cosmologist Dr. Luke Barnes
In this week's episode Daniel Ray and Dr. Luke Barnes conclude their discussion of the question "What is Scientism?" Science is fully compatible with the Christian worldview and for the most part has done much to expand knowledge and in most cases provided tremendous progress in advancing human wellbeing and flourishing. There is, however, a controversial philosophy of science that seems to be growing in popularity that can be called Scientism.

In part two of their conversation, Daniel and Luke critique some assumptions and draw some conclusions on and questions raised by Scientism:
Must science and religion be seen as in conflict?

Has science disproven the existence of God?

Is science the best or even only way to know truth?

For anything to be true, does it have to be observable, testable, repeatable and peer reviewed?
Luke A. Barnes is a theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and postdoctoral researcher at Western Sydney University. He received his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2009. He is a John Templeton Fellow. He has published papers in the fields of galaxy formation and the fine-tuning of the Universe for life. For more on Dr. Barnes, see his CV here: http://bit.ly/LukeBarnes

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our free 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: www.watchman.org/Scientism

A Fortunate Universe by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/2GaGDDD

The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/34FvXGD

The Story of the Cosmos by Daniel Ray and Paul Gould: www.watchman.org/CosmosBook

Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology by JP Moreland: https://bit.ly/Scientism1

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
49 min
November 16, 202040 What is Scientism? (Part 1) with Astrophysicist and Cosmologist Dr. Luke Barnes
In this week's episode Daniel Ray and Dr. Luke Barnes explore the question "What is Scientism?" Science is fully compatible with the Christian worldview and for the most part has done much to expand knowledge and in most cases provided tremendous progress in advancing human wellbeing and flourishing. There is, however, a controversial philosophy of science that seems to be growing in popularity that can be called Scientism.
In part one of this two-part conversation, Daniel and Luke discuss some of the assumptions made and questions raised by Scientism:
Must science and religion be seen as in conflict?

Has science disproven the existence of God?

Is science the best or even only way to know truth?

For anything to be true, does it have to be observable, testable, repeatable and peer reviewed?
Luke A. Barnes is a theoretical astrophysicist, cosmologist, and postdoctoral researcher at Western Sydney University. He received his PhD in Astronomy from the University of Cambridge in 2009. He is a John Templeton Fellow. He has published papers in the fields of galaxy formation and the fine-tuning of the Universe for life. For more on Dr. Barnes, see his CV here: http://bit.ly/LukeBarnes

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Our free 4-page Profile on Scientism by Luke Barnes and Daniel Ray: www.watchman.org/Scientism

A Fortunate Universe by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/2GaGDDD

The Cosmic Revolutionary's Handbook by Geraint Lewis and Luke Barnes: https://amzn.to/34FvXGD

The Story of the Cosmos by Daniel Ray and Paul Gould: www.watchman.org/CosmosBook

Scientism and Secularism: Learning to Respond to a Dangerous Ideology by JP Moreland: https://bit.ly/Scientism1

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
48 min
November 09, 2020 39 Dispelling the Myths of Science and Religion (Part 2) with Dr. Michael Keas
British philosopher Mary Midgley suggests that evolutionary "theory itself has again and again been distorted by biases flowing from over-simple, unbalanced world-pictures. The trouble does not, of course, lie in mere wish-fulfilment of the obvious kind that paints the world as we should like it to be. It involves being obsessed by a picture so colorful and striking that it numbs thought about the evidence required to support it. Standards of proof fall headlong.”

Midgley notes that there is an underlying assumption about evolution she calls “hypertrophied forms of cosmic optimism...” Essentially, the “cosmic optimism” is the idea that evolution is a kind of progress from “gas to genius,” that the future is one of guaranteed improvement of our species toward what Midgely calls “some superhuman spiritual stratosphere”.

On part two of our discussion with Discovery Institute fellow Dr. Michael Keas, we explore the falsehoods and false hopes of the messianic-like blank check myth of our time. This myth suggests that either through the discovery of benevolent superintelligent extraterrestrial beings and/or sheer technological progress, mankind will eventually progress from his sullied and sad state of death, disease, and decay into a poorly defined "superhman spiritual stratosphere", a kind of "Singularity" as many futurists term it, where man and machine combine to produce a quasi kind of spiritual perfection and eternal existence.

Will artificial intelligence or extraterrestrial intelligence save us? No, Keas reminds us. "The futuristic ET enlightenment myth and its terrestrial Singularity companion share a strong aversion to Christianity... Both ET and AI salvation are supposed to occur by technological good works, not by accepting the undeserved sacrificial gift of Jesus," Keas writes.

We hope this episode will equip and encourage you to think biblically about the modern futuristic myths promulgated by science and give you the tools to respond to your secular friends, neighbors, and family members who may be caught up in the utopic-like hopes of modern science.

As the Apostle Peter proclaims of the Lord Jesus Christ, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12).

For more information on Dr. Keas' work, you can visit his website at the Discovery Institute (https://www.discovery.org/p/keas/). We also encourage you to check out his latest book, Unbelievable - 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion (http://bit.ly/MikeKeas).
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.

46 min
November 05, 202038 BONUS God, Black Holes, and the End of the Universe with Dr. Sarah Salviander
Welcome to this special combinded edition of our two podcasts, Good Heavens! (www.watchman.org/GoodHeavens) and Apologetics Profile (www.watchman.org/Podcast). This episode is a recent talk by Dr. Sarah Salviander's presenting her chapter on God and black holes from our book, The Story of the Cosmos - How the Heavens Declare the Glory of God (www.TheStoryOfTheCosmos.com).

What is a black hole? Where are they? How were they discovered? How does the majesty, mystery, and enigma of black holes point to the glory of God? Come along on this special episode and find out!

Dr. Sarah Salviander received her PhD in astrophysics from the University of Texas at Austin. She was a researcher at UT for sixteen years, where she specialized in the study of quasars, supermassive black holes, and galaxies. She is the author of several peer-reviewed journal papers and a comprehensive Astronomy & Astrophysics homeschool curriculum. She is currently writing books about the remarkable confluence between Christianity and modern science.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Watch the video edition of this podcast on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xi0CwpY5ICg

The Story of the Cosmos book: www.watchman.org/CosmosBook

The Story of the Cosmos online video course: www.watchman.org/CosmosCourse

Dr. Salviander's Author Website: www.sarahsalviander.com

Follow Sarah on Twitter: @SarahSalviander

Sarah presented her talk at LifePoint Church in League City, Texas (South Houston) on October 21st, 2020, as part of their Wednesday Night "Unfiltered. Conversations that Matter" apologetics ministry. Thanks to Trevor Shakiba and Pastor Josh Sharpe for coordinating the event and for the assistance in the production of the video. You can visit the church’s website at https://golifepointchurch.org. LifePoint provided the audio and video. Daniel Ray of Watchman Fellowship edited and produced the final video. Daniel is also the co-editor and co-contributor to The Story of the Cosmos.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
1 hr 19 min
November 02, 2020 37 Dispelling the Myths of Science and Religion (Part 1) with Dr. Michael Keas
C.S. Lewis once wrote that there is a certain kind of “mythology that follows in the wake of science." A prescient insight for our time, as secular popularizers of science, with the awe, aura, and authority of science surrounding them, perpetuate many myths that are simply unsound on a multitude of levels; scientific, philosophical, historical, and theological just to name a few.

On this two-part episode Daniel Ray sits down with Dr. Michael Newton Keas of the Discovery Institute (https://www.discovery.org/p/keas/) to talk about several of these modern myths that have come about in the "wake of science"; myths in relation to the interplay between science and religion, more specifically.

We discuss his newest book, Unbelievable - 7 Myths About the History and Future of Science and Religion (http://bit.ly/MikeKeas). Dr. Keas outlines the predominant myths that are promulgated today, ideas he has heard in his over 25 years of teaching science at the university and collegiate levels. Keas exposes the falsehoods of these myths by providing a solid historical background for how they've grown and taken on a life of their own in the minds of popular culture.

About Dr. Keas: "After earning a Ph.D. in the history of science from the University of Oklahoma, Mike Keas won research grants from such organizations as the National Science Foundation and the American Council of Learned Societies. He experienced some of the last historic moments behind the Berlin Wall as a Fulbright scholar in East Germany. Keas serves as lecturer in the history and philosophy of science at Biola University and on the board of directors of Ratio Christi, an alliance of apologetics clubs on college campuses."
On part one, Dr. Keas provides the genesis of his book, discusses why we indeed have a special and unique purpose in the cosmos and we discuss the kind of salvific hope that undergirds many of the myths of our time.

Watch a short presentation on science and religion (https://youtu.be/8zC8tOVLjdE) from Dr. Keas produced by the Gospel Coalition. For more information on Dr. Keas' work, be sure to visit his homepage at the Discovery Institute in the link above.
FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
36 min
October 28, 202036 BONUS - CS Lewis's 'The Wardrobe' at 70 with Dr. Michael Ward
C.S. Lewis's The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe turned 70 this month (October 2020). In the midst of a difficult year of pandemics and politics, now is the perfect time to reacquaint yourself with C.S. Lewis's timeless classic. What's in your "spare oom" that can lead to adventures undreamt and unsought?

BONUS EPISODE: Come along with us on this special edition broadcast which is a joint program of both Watchman Fellowship podcasts -- Good Heavens! and Apologetics Profile. In this show Daniel Ray celebrates the imaginative, cosmological, literary, and apologetic wonders of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with C.S. Lewis scholar Dr. Michael Ward.

Dr. Ward served as Daniel's master's thesis advisor at Houston Baptist University in 2016. Daniel is the first to have written a master's thesis on Dr. Ward's 2008 book, Planet Narnia - The Seven Heavens in the Imagination of C.S. Lewis.

Michael is the author of several published works and scholarly articles about Lewis, the imagination, and theology. He has lectured in 30 of the 50 states, holds a doctorate of divinity from St. Andrews, and has made numerous radio, podcast, and television appearances. More on Michael's work can be found here and here.

BONUS LINKS: Here are some additional resources:
Michael Ward with Eric Metaxas in conversation about Planet Narnia.

Michael and others from around the world reading from The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Laura Miller's book mentioned in the broadcast. The Magician's Book - A Skeptic's Adventure in Narnia.

FREE: We are also offering a free subscription to our 4-page bimonthly Profiles here: www.watchman.org/Free.

SUPPORT: Help us create more content like this. Make a tax-deductible donation here: www.watchman.org/give.

Apologetics Profile is a ministry of Watchman Fellowship
For more information, visit www.watchman.org © Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
1 hr 15 min

About Apologetics Profile

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Apologetics Profile is a weekly podcast discussing apologetics, world religions, atheism, cults, the occult, alternative religions, controversial doctrines and spiritual practices. We are an…