Logically Faithful-Beyond Opinion

Yes, there is strong cosmological evidence for the fine tuning of the universe that points to a designer.  But what is that evidence?  

My guest today is Robin Collins one of the contributors to both my volumes on Apologetics, Debating Chrsitian Theism (Oxford, 2011) and Christian Apologetics: An Anthology of Primary Sources (Zondervan, 2013).  Scroll down for the amazing podcast interview !

Robin Collins hold a Ph.D., from the University of Notre Dame, and is professor at Messiah College, Grantham, PA. He is specializing in the area of science and religion and has written over twenty-five articles and book chapters on a wide range of topics, such as the fine-tuning of the cosmos as evidence for the existence of God, evolution and original sin, the Doctrine of Atonement, Asian religions and Christianity, and Bohm’s theory of quantum mechanics.

Some of his most recent articles/book chapters are “Philosophy of Science and Religion” in The Oxford Handbook of Science and Religion, “Divine Action and Evolution” in The Oxford Handbook of Philosophical Theology (2009)  “The Multiverse Hypothesis: A Theistic Perspective,” in Universe or Multiverse? (Cambridge University Press), and “God and the Laws of Nature,” in Theism or Naturalism: New Philosophical Perspectives (Oxford University Press, forthcoming).  He recently received a grant from the John Templeton Foundation to finish a book that presents the case for design based on physics and cosmology,  tentatively entitled The Well-Tempered Universe: God, Cosmic Fine-tuning, and the Laws of Nature.

See this link to his connection_building argument for God in the problem of evil he mentioned in the interview or this one.

Imagine this scenario Collins writes:

 Suppose we went on a mission to Mars and found a domed structure in which everything was set up just right for life to exist. The temperature, for example, was set around 70o F and the humidity was at 50%; moreover, there was an oxygen recycling system, an energy gathering system, and a whole system for the production of food. Put simply, the domed structure appeared to be a fully functioning biosphere. What conclusion would we draw from finding this structure? Would we draw the conclusion that it just happened to form by chance? Certainly not. Instead, we would unanimously conclude that it was designed by some intelligent being.

Why would we draw this conclusion? Because an intelligent designer appears to be the only plausible explanation for the existence of the structure. That is, the only alternative explanation we can think of–that the structure was formed by some natural process–seems extremely unlikely. Of course, it is possible that, for example, through some volcanic eruption various metals and other compounds could have formed, and then separated out in just the right way to produce the “biosphere,” but such a scenario strikes us as extraordinarily unlikely, thus making this alternative explanation unbelievable.

The universe is analogous to such a “biosphere,” according to recent findings in physics. Almost everything about the basic structure of the universe–for example, the fundamental laws and parameters of physics and the initial distribution of matter and energy–is balanced on a razor’s edge for life to occur. As the eminent Princeton physicist Freeman Dyson notes, “There are many . . . lucky accidents in physics. Without such accidents, water could not exist as liquid, chains of carbon atoms could not form complex organic molecules, and hydrogen atoms could not form breakable bridges between molecules” (p.

Interview with Frank Turek

Frank-turekDownload

I am honored to have the dynamtic Dr. Frank Turek on the show today! We disucss his wonderful book, Legislating Morality. As a dynamic speaker and award-winning author or coauthor of four other books: Stealing from God:  Why Atheists Need God to make their Case, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist, Correct, Not Politically Correct, Frank served as the President of CrossExamined.org and he presents powerful and entertaining evidence for Christianity at churches, high schools and at secular college campuses that often begin hostile to his message. He has also debated several prominent atheists including Christopher Hitchens and David Silverman, president of American Atheists.

Frank hosts an hour-long TV program each week called I Don’t Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist that is broadcast Wednesday nights on DirecTV Channel 378 (NRBTV). His radio program called CrossExamined with Frank Turek airs on 186 stations every Saturday morning at 10 a.m. eastern and is available continuously on the free CrossExamined App.

Frank wrote that “Religion has to do with our duty to God, but morality has to do with our duty to one another.  No one wants to require by law when, where, how, or if you must worship.  That would be legislating religion.  But everyone in politics is trying to tell you how your ought to treat one another, and that’s legislating morality. ” In this interview we discuss this and much more! ….

Frank wrote “If we are called to legislate morality, then whose morality should we legislate? The answer our Founding Fathers gave was the “self-evident” morality given to us by our Creator—the same moral law that the apostle Paul wrote was “written on their hearts” of all people (Rom. 2:14–15). In other words, not my morality or your morality, but the morality—the one we inherited, not the one we invented.

Notice they did not have to establish a particular denomination or force religious practice in order to legislate a moral code. Our country justifies moral rights with theism, but does not require its citizens to acknowledge or practice theism. That is why charges that Christians are trying to impose a “theocracy” or violate the “separation of church and state” fail.

Such objections blur the distinction between religion and morality. Broadly defined, religion involves our duty to God while morality involves our duty to one another. Our lawmakers are not telling people that they need to be a member of a church—that would be legislating religion.

This eposode of LogicallyFaithful we interview the great Fr. Patrick Henry Reardon, pastor of All Saints’ Orthodox Church in Chicago, Illinois. We cover the issues of praying 7 times a day, theistic evolution, suffering and evil, materialism, atheism and even more. He is a senior editor of the wonderful magizne Touchstone. He is the author of more than 500 articles, editorials, and reviews published in Books and Culture, Touchstone, The Scottish Journal of Theology, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, Pro Ecclesia, St. Vladimir’s Theological Quarterly, and other journals on three continents.In addition to the books shown below, he is also author of The Jesus We Missed: The Surprising Truth About the Humanity of Christ.

Other publications of his include: Wise Lives, Reclaiming the Atonement, Volume 1: The Incarnate Word, Christ in the Psalms, Christ in His Saints, The Trial of Job, Chronicles of History and Worship,  and Creation and the Patriarchal Histories.

He has also authored the books below

Romans : An Orthodox Commentary – October 22, 2018 by Patrick Henry Reardon (Author)

The Ancient Faith Prayer Book, green cover. Includes the most ancient and popular prayers of Orthodox Christians.

Reclaiming the Atonement, Volume 1: The Incarnate Word Paperback – December 22, 2015by Patrick Henry Reardon (Author)

How do we live faithfully in a country becoming more and more hostile to our faith? Like the Israelites who were taken captive in Babylon, we must find a way to maintain our faith in the midst of a pagan culture. But that requires we answer two crucial questions: How did we get here? How do we prepare for the dark and difficult days ahead?  …

In this INTERVIEW WITH @ERWIN LUTZER, I am honored to have interviewed my Pastor for 2 decades on his new book, the Church in Babylon. In it, he writes…”I believe that the time is coming, and is already here when the church

will not be able to depend on the media, the courts, our universities, or even some so-called evangelical churches to stand with us as the onslaught against Christianity comes to us from every direction. We have to learn how to conduct ourselves as a minority in a majority post-Christian world. We have to know how to engage the culture without becoming contaminated by it. God’s passionate invitation to Judah is given to us today.

“Return, faithless Israel, declares the Lord.

I will not look on you in anger,

for I am merciful,

declares the Lord;

I will not be angry forever.

Only acknowledge your guilt,

that you rebelled against the Lord your God

and scattered your favors among foreigners under every green tree,

and that you have not obeyed my voice, declares the Lord.

Return, O faithless children,

declares the Lord;

for I am your master.”

(JER. 3:12–14) Moody Church Media The Moody Church #Apologetics #Theology #Love #Motivational #truth #Church #Jesus #Philosophy

How can American Christians remain faithful in a culture increasingly hostile toward our beliefs? Like the Israelites in Babylon, we must find a way to maintain our faith in the midst of a pagan culture. In this incisive study of Jeremiah, Lutzer explains how we got here—and how we can navigate the difficult days ahead.

 

Holiness is the subject of Yuan’s latest book “Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story,”  In this interview, we cover: Sexual Identity and “this is who I am” theories. , Masculinity, Nature of God, and how to reach our struggling neighbor. “What is sexuality for?” “Why do we have desires?” and “What’s the purpose of marriage?”  It was an honor to interview him.  I hope you enjoy and get something from the interview.

Yuan offers answers that are not only grounded in Scripture, but that also debunk the lies of our culture—lies like, “abstaining from sex is impossible,” or “unconditional love means unconditional approval,” or the biggest lie of all, “I am the sum of my desires.”

“My identity,” writes Yuan, “is not gay, is not ex-gay, is not even heterosexual … my identity as a child of the living God must be in Jesus Christ, alone.”

Out of his clear thinking about sexuality and personhood, Yuan offers advice for those who have a loved one who confesses a struggle with same-sex attraction. He tells readers first to acknowledge that trust, and to let that son, daughter, sibling, or friend know up front that they’re not alone — that you will walk with them, love them, and pray with them no matter what.

Video interview, audio, and commentary on the book are below.

https://waterbrookmultnomah.com/books/557224/holy-sexuality-and-the-gospel-by-christopher-yuan-foreword-by-rosaria-butterfield/

 

“If you truly care about other people, you must embrace their beliefs, values, lifestyles, and believe that their truth claims are in fact true, because they believe them, otherwise, you are a bigot and intolerant!”  This is a common mantra that is sadly embraced by our current culture warriors.  However, there are counter culture warriors who see things differently.  Sean McDowell is my guest today.  He is an associate professor in the Christian Apologetics program at Biola University and is the Resident Scholar for Summit California.

In this episode, we discuss truth, tolerance, faith and other small topics!! 🙂

In 2008, Sean McDowell received the Educator of the Year award for San Juan Capistrano, Calif. The Association of Christian Schools International awarded Exemplary Status to his apologetics training. Sean is listed among the top 100 apologists. He graduated summa cum laude from Talbot School of Theology with a master’s degree in theology and another in philosophy. He earned a Ph.D. in Apologetics and Worldview Studies in 2014 from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.  Sean has also appeared as a guest on radio shows such as The Michael Medved Show, Family Life Today, Point of View, Stand to Reason, Common Sense Atheism and the Hugh Hewitt Show. Sean has been quoted in many publications, including the New York Times.

Sean is the author, co-author or editor of over 18 books including So The Next Generation Will Know (David C. Cook, 2019), Sharing the Good News with Mormons (Harvest House, 2018), Evidence that Demands a Verdict (Harper Collins, 2017), A New Kind of Apologist (Harvest House, 2016); The Beauty of Intolerance (Barbour, 2016); The Fate of the Apostles (Routledge, 2015); Same-Sex Marriage: A Thoughtful Approach to God’s Design for Marriage (Baker, 2014); Is God Just a Human Invention? (Kregel, 2010) and Understanding Intelligent Design (Harvest House, 2008). Sean has also written multiple books with his father, Josh McDowell, including The Unshakable Truth, More Than A Carpenter and Evidence that Demands a Verdict. Sean is the general editor for The Apologetics Study Bible for Students. He has also written for YouthWorker Journal, Decision Magazine and the Christian Research Journal. Follow the dialogue with Sean as he blogs regularly at seanmcdowell.org.

In April 2000, Sean married his high school sweetheart, Stephanie. They have three children and live in San Juan Capistrano. Sean played college basketball at Biola and was captain his senior year on a team that went 30-7.

 

He argues that his study of evolution did not make him an atheist but a stronger Christian. His name is Perry Marshall, he is my guest and author of Evolution 2.0: Breaking The Deadlock Between Darwin and Design But how did that happen?

Perry Marshall is an author, speaker, engineer and world-renowned business consultant in Chicago. With a decade of research, he brings a fresh perspective to the 150-year old evolution debate. Bill Gates of Microsoft and the founders of Google revolutionized software and the Internet through their status as outsiders. Similarly, Perry harnesses a communication engineer’s outsider’s perspective to reveal a century of unrecognized research and discoveries.

Evolution 2.0 builds its case on standard, peer-reviewed mainstream research. It resolves the conflict between Darwin and Design, opening new avenues of scientific research and raising tantalizing new questions. Perry’s work in digital communication networks, control systems, acoustics, and e-commerce bring practical insight to questions about nature and science. His books include 80/20 Sales & Marketing, Ultimate Guide to Google AdWords, and Industrial Ethernet.

His work has been published in Harvard Business Review, and his business methods are taught at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labs at the California Institute of Technology. He has a degree in Electrical Engineering and does well in interviews!

I would love to know your thoughts on this issue.

Why bother living if it all ends with death?  Why are we all not despairing and in a constant state of anxiety?  There is a good reason not to be.

On this podcast, I interview, Dr. Gary R. Habermas.  He is Distinguished Research Professor and Chair of the Department of Philosophy and Theology at Liberty University.  He has authored, coauthored, or edited thirty-six books and contributed more than sixty chapters or articles to other books.

While his chief areas of research (and the topic of eighteen of his books) are issues related to Jesus’ resurrection, he has also published frequently on the afterlife as well as the subjects of suffering and religious doubt.

Visit his Web site (http://www.garyhabermas.com/) to access some of his publications.

He and his wife, Eileen, have seven children and ten grandchildren, all of whom live in Lynchburg, Virginia.

Habermas is a staunch defender of the resurrection of Jesus, historically using evidence.  Habermas’s case for the resurrection is based on a number of facts:

* Jesus died by crucifixion.

* He was buried.

* His death caused the disciples to despair and lose hope.

* The tomb was empty (the most contested).

* The disciples had experiences which they believed were literal appearances of the risen Jesus (the most important proof).

* The disciples were transformed from doubters to bold proclaimers.

* The resurrection was the central message.

* They preached the message of Jesus’ resurrection in Jerusalem.

* The Church was born and grew.

* Orthodox Jews who believed in Christ made Sunday their primary day of worship.

* James was converted to the faith when he saw the resurrected Jesus (James was a family skeptic).

* Paul was converted to the faith (Paul was an outsider skeptic).

Mentioned in the podcast are the following :

Blackwell Companion to Substance Dualism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What evidence is there for out of body experiences or near death experiences?

See the two volumes by Melvin Morse (with Paul Perry), Closer to the Light: Learning from Children’s Near-Death Experiences (N.Y.: Random House, 1990)

Transformed by the Light: The Powerful Effect of Near-Death Experiences on People’s Lives (N.Y.: Random House, 1992)

Michael Sabom, Light and Death: One Doctor’s Fascinating Account of Near-Death Experiences (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998),

Howard Storm, My Descent into Death: A Second Chance at Life (New York: Doubleday, 2005)

Gary R. Habermas and J.P. Moreland,

It is my privilege to interview Professor John Lennox on Science and Faith! Scroll down to hear it.

He is Professor of Mathematics (emeritus) at the University of Oxford and Fellow in Mathematics and the Philosophy of Science at Green Templeton College, Oxford. He is also an Associate Fellow of the Said Business School, Oxford University, and teaches for the Oxford Strategic Leadership Programme. In addition, he is an Adjunct Lecturer at Wycliffe Hall, Oxford University, and at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, as well as being a Senior Fellow of the Trinity Forum and Ravi Zacharias International Ministries.

Lennox debated Richard Dawkins on “The God Delusion” in the University of Alabama (2007) and on “Has Science buried God?” in the Oxford Museum of Natural History (2008). He has also debated Christopher Hitchens on the New Atheism (Edinburgh Festival, 2008) and the question of “Is God Great?” (Samford University, 2010), as well as Peter Singer on the topic of “Is there a God?” (Melbourne, 2011). Furthermore, he has participated in public discussions on similar topics with many other academics on campuses around the world.

CAN SCIENCE EXPLAIN EVERYTHING? 

29 Jan 2019 | Tags: Video Resources, Interviews

Here is a clip from  C. S. Lewis, who wrote an essay “The Laws of Nature” from God in the Dock:Essays on Theology and  Ethics:

The laws of physics, I understand, decree that when one billiards ball (A) sets another billiards ball (B) in motion, the momentum lost by A exactly equals the momentum gained by B. This is a Law. That is, this is the pattern to which the movement of the two billiards balls must conform. Provided, of course that something sets ball A in motion. And here comes the snag. The law won’t set it in motion. It is usually a man with a cue who does that. But a man with a cue would send us back to free-will, so let us assume that it was lying on a table in a liner and that what set it in motion was a lurch of the ship. In that case it was not the law which produced the movement; it was a wave. And that wave, though it certainly moved according to the laws of physics, was not moved by them. It was shoved by other waves, and by winds, and so forth. And however far you traced the story back you would never find the laws of Nature causing anything.

The dazzlingly obvious conclusion now arose, in my mind:  in the whole history of the universe the laws of Nature have never produced a single event. They are the pattern to which every event must conform, provided only that it can be induced to happen. But how do you get it to do that? How do you get a move on? The laws of Nature can give you no help there. All events obey them, just as all operations with money obey the laws of arithmetic. Up till now I had had a vague idea that the laws of Nature could make things happen. I now saw that this was exactly like thinking that you could increase your income by doing sums about it. The laws are the pattern to which events conform: the source of events must be sought elsewhere.

This may be put in the form that the laws of Nature explain everything except the source of events. But this is rather a formidable exception. The laws, in one sense, cover the whole of reality except–well, except that continuous cataract of real events which makes up the actual universe. They explain everything except what we should ordinarily call ‘everything’. The only thing they omit is — the whole universe.

No purpose to life, no meaning, no hope?

There is no meaning to life. “The universe has at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but pitiless indifference.” — Richard Dawkins, River Out of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life

Do you believe what Dawkins wrote? Well may do not believe it, but many do feel it! In this podcast, I talk with JP Moreland on feeling that life has no meaning and what to do about it!!

J.P. Moreland’s is my guest on this podcast today. and author of many other books including one of my favorites Love Your God With All Your Mind Having earned a B.S. in chemistry from the University of Missouri, an M.A. in philosophy from the University of California, Riverside, and a Th.M in Theology from the Dallas Theological Seminary prior to earning his Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Southern California in 1985. He currently holds the title of Distinguished Professor of Philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology at Biola University in La Miranda California and is a member of the Board of Advisors for the Center on Culture and Civil Society at the Independent Institute. Moreland’s work combines metaphysics, philosophy of mind, chemistry, and theology, and he is known for his defense of the existence of God and the supernatural, as well as “Old-Earth” creationism (a form of creationism that is somewhat more compatible with modern science than the “New-Earth” version)

Today I am talking about doubt with JP. He lays out 3 basic things you can do when in doubt .

First, distinguish between intellectual doubt from emotional doubt. Remember doubt is part of growing in faith. Unbelief is opposite of faith not doubt. Its when you set your self against wanting to believe in and trust God. Keep looking and asking questions. Don’t panic —its normal to doubt.

Second, Consider if you have emotional blockage or something in your past (abuse, drama, death, divorce) blocking you from attaching and trusting others. Get a therapist who can guide you o do this well if necessary.

Third, Practice the discipline of gratitude every morning. When you are disappointed with life and blame God….remember all the good in your life now. Speak words of hope to your soul daily. Contemplative prayer is one way to do that, writing them down helps, or just verbalizing them. Make time to do it.

On a personal level, I play great music to bring my soul and work out, or talk a walk. The I pray and mediate.

What do you do with doubt?