In Episode 27, we established that the unborn is biologically human and alive.

But that still leaves another question:

Does being biologically human and alive make the unborn a person with the same basic right to life as you and me?

In Episode 28 of Practical Apologetics, we look at the philosophical question of personhood.

Using Scott Klusendorf’s SLED argument, we examine whether size, level of development, environment, or degree of dependency are enough to justify treating one human being as less valuable than another.

We also look at what happens when human value becomes conditional on traits like intelligence, independence, health, usefulness, wantedness, or convenience.

That takes us into some difficult historical and modern examples, including eugenics, Nazi Germany’s Aktion T4 program, and concerns surrounding Canada’s Medical Assistance in Dying system.

The question underneath all of it is simple:

If some human beings get to decide which other human beings count as persons, who draws the line?

Sources:

The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf

Abortion: A Rational Look at an Emotional Issue by R. C. Sproul

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, “Euthanasia Program and Aktion T4”

Health Canada, Sixth Annual Report on Medical Assistance in Dying in Canada

Canadian Human Rights Commission, What We Learned: Housing for People with Disabilities

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Abortion is one of the most controversial issues in our culture. But before we ask whether abortion is right or wrong, whether it should be legal, or even what the Bible says about it, there’s a more basic question:

What exactly is being aborted?

In the first episode of a four-part series on abortion and the Christian worldview, we begin with science rather than Scripture.

When does a new human organism begin? Is an embryo really “just a clump of cells”? Is the unborn simply part of the mother’s body? And do implantation, cardiac activity, brain development, viability, or birth determine when human life begins?

We’ll look at mainstream medical embryology and the Carnegie stages of human development to separate the biological question from the moral and philosophical questions that will follow later in the series.

Science can tell us what the unborn is. But can science tell us what the unborn is worth?

That’s where the next episode begins.

Sources:

The Developing Human: Clinically Oriented Embryology by Keith L. Moore, T. V. N. Persaud, and Mark G. Torchia

Langman’s Medical Embryology by T. W. Sadler

Carnegie Stages of Human Embryonic Development

The Case for Life by Scott Klusendorf

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The Bible clearly says Jesus drank wine. But was that wine actually alcoholic, or was it more like grape juice?

In this episode of Practical Apologetics, we look at what Scripture says about wine, the wedding at Cana, the difference between drunkenness and drinking, and the common claim that biblical wine was nonalcoholic.

We also trace how the nineteenth-century temperance movement helped popularize the idea of “two wines” in Scripture and how that belief became a piece of Christian folk theology still repeated today.

This episode is not an argument that Christians should drink alcohol. It is an argument that we should practice exegesis rather than eisegesis and let Scripture say what it actually says.

Scripture discussed:
John 2:1–11
Luke 7:33–34
Ephesians 5:18
1 Timothy 5:23
Psalm 104:14–15
Proverbs 20:1
Proverbs 23:29–35

Sources:
John Anthony Dunne, The Mountains Shall Drip Sweet Wine: A Biblical Theology of Alcohol
Christopher C. H. Cook, Alcohol, Addiction and Christian Ethics
John L. Merrill, “The Bible and the American Temperance Movement: Text, Context, and Pretext,” Harvard Theological Review

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What is faith? Is it believing something without evidence, or does the Bible give us a very different picture?

In this episode of Practical Apologetics, we look at what Scripture actually means by faith. Using Abraham as our primary example, we examine the difference between just believing something is true and actually placing our trust in God.

Abraham and Sarah had tried and failed to have children. Sarah was barren, they were growing old, and yet God promised Abraham a son. Abraham couldn't see how God would fulfill that promise, but he trusted the One Who made it.

We'll look at Abraham's struggles, God's command to sacrifice Isaac, what Hebrews means by “the conviction of things not seen,” and Thomas's demand for evidence after the resurrection. We'll also consider insights from William Lane Craig and C. S. Lewis as we examine the relationship between faith, reason, and evidence.

Faith isn't believing without evidence. It's trusting where the evidence leads.

Scripture Referenced:
Genesis 15–16; Genesis 22; Romans 4; Hebrews 11; James 2; John 20

Sources:
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV)

William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics

C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

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What does it actually mean to repent? Is repentance just feeling guilty or sorry for our sin, or does the Bible describe something more?

In this episode of Practical Apologetics, we look at the biblical meaning of repentance and why Scripture distinguishes genuine repentance from remorse. We examine what it means to turn away from sin and toward Jesus Christ, why repentance does not mean earning salvation or achieving sinless perfection, and the important difference between struggling with sin and defending it.

Biblical repentance is more than looking back at our sin and wishing we had done something differently. It is a genuine change of mind and direction, turning away from sin and toward Christ.

Sources referenced in this episode:

The Gospel According to Jesus by John MacArthur
Chosen But Free by Norman Geisler

Scripture References:

Matthew 3:8, Matthew 27:3-5, Mark 1:14-15, Luke 5:31-32, Luke 13:3, Luke 22:62, John 21, Acts 2:38, Acts 3:19, Acts 11:18, Ephesians 2:8-9, 2 Corinthians 7:10, 1 John 1:8-9

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Can Christianity change with the culture? Or is Christianity meant to change the culture?

The phrase "Progressive Christianity" has become increasingly common, but what does it actually mean? Does the Bible teach that God's truth evolves with society, or does Scripture present God's revelation as unchanging?

In this episode, we examine what the Bible says about God's unchanging character, the authority of Scripture, and the difference between biblical reform and cultural revision. We'll also explore how Christianity has historically transformed societies while remaining anchored to the same gospel that was "once for all delivered to the saints."

Can Christians grow in their understanding of Scripture? Absolutely. But does that mean Christianity itself changes? Join us as we examine this important question through the lens of Scripture.

Bible Verses Referenced:
Malachi 3:6; Psalm 119:89; Isaiah 40:8; Matthew 24:35; Romans 12:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17; Galatians 1:6-9; Jude 3; 2 Timothy 4:3-4; James 1:17; Hebrews 13:8; Genesis 1:26-27; Matthew 22:39; Matthew 7:12; Galatians 3:28; Philemon 16

Sources:
Progressive Christianity? by Michael J. Kruger
Another Gospel? by Alisa Childers
The Deconstruction of Christianity by Alisa Childers and Tim Barnett
The Heresy of Orthodoxy by Andreas J. Köstenberger and Michael J. Kruger
Taking God at His Word by Kevin DeYoung
Canon Revisited by Michael J. Kruger

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Sexuality is one of the most discussed and debated topics in our culture today. Many people assume the Bible is simply a list of outdated rules, but is that really the case?

In this episode of Practical Apologetics, we step back from the cultural debate and begin where Scripture begins: creation. What was God's original design for humanity, marriage, and sexuality? Why does the Bible place boundaries around sex? What does it teach about adultery, pornography, premarital sex, and same-sex relationships? And how should Christians respond with both truth and compassion?

We'll also briefly explore what it means to be made in the image of God, why Scripture says we are "fearfully and wonderfully made," and why those truths are foundational to today's conversations about identity. A future episode will take a deeper look at what the Bible teaches specifically about gender identity.

Most importantly, we'll see that the Bible's message is not one of condemnation, but of redemption. Every one of us has fallen short of God's design, and every one of us is invited to receive God's grace through Jesus Christ.

Bible Verses Referenced (ESV):
Genesis 1:26-28, Genesis 2:18-25, Genesis 3, Psalm 139:13-16, Matthew 5:27-28, Matthew 19:3-6, Exodus 20:14, Romans 1:18-32, 1 Corinthians 6:9-20, Ephesians 5:1-5, Hebrews 13:4

Sources:

• The Bible and Homosexual Practice by Robert A. J. Gagnon
• People to Be Loved by Preston Sprinkle
• Embodied: Transgender Identities, the Church, and What the Bible Has to Say by Preston Sprinkle
• Love Thy Body by Nancy Pearcey
• The Meaning of Marriage by Timothy Keller and Kathy Keller
• Strange New World by Carl R. Trueman

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Does the Bible condone slavery?

It's one of the most common objections raised against Christianity. Skeptics often argue that because the Bible regulates slavery, it must therefore endorse it. But is that what Scripture actually teaches?

In this episode of Practical Apologetics, we examine one of the Bible's most difficult topics by looking at the historical context of the ancient Near East, the different forms of servitude found in Scripture, and the distinction between regulating an existing institution and declaring it to be God's moral ideal. We'll also examine key passages like Exodus 21 and Leviticus 25, explore how the New Testament reshapes the relationship between master and servant, and ask whether the Bible ultimately points toward human dignity and freedom rather than oppression.

Rather than avoiding the difficult passages, we'll read them carefully, compare Scripture with Scripture, and let the Bible define its own terms.

Bible passages referenced:
Genesis 1:27
Exodus 21:2-6
Exodus 21:16
Exodus 21:26-27
Leviticus 25:39-46
Matthew 19:3-9
Galatians 3:28
Philemon 1:15-16
Colossians 4:1
1 Timothy 1:10

Sources referenced:
The Holy Bible (ESV)

Is God a Moral Monster? Making Sense of the Old Testament God by Paul Copan

Hard Sayings of the Bible by Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Peter H. Davids, F. F. Bruce, and Manfred T. Brauch

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament by John H. Walton, Victor H. Matthews, and Mark W. Chavalas

The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament by Craig S. Keener

The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis, edited by Willem A. VanGemeren

The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology and Exegesis, edited by Moisés Silva

Amazing Grace: William Wilberforce and the Heroic Campaign to End Slavery by Eric Metaxas

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How should Christians respond to atheists?

Should we debate every objection? Avoid difficult conversations? Or does Scripture give us a better model?

In this milestone 20th episode of Practical Apologetics, Kenneth Willis explores how Christians can engage atheists with both truth and compassion. Rather than focusing on "winning" arguments, this episode examines the biblical call to listen well, answer thoughtfully, defend the faith with gentleness and respect, and faithfully represent Christ in every conversation.

Along the way, we'll discuss common atheist objections, the role of evidence, how to respond when conversations become hostile, why apologetics matters, and why ultimately only the Holy Spirit can change a heart.

Whether you're talking with a friend, family member, coworker, or someone online, this episode will help equip you to confidently and graciously defend your faith.

Bible Verses

• Genesis 1:26–27
• Proverbs 18:13
• Matthew 22:39
• Matthew 24:9
• Luke 23:34
• John 11:35
• John 13:35
• Acts 17:22–31
• Romans 10:17
• 1 Corinthians 2:14
• 1 Corinthians 3:6–7
• 2 Timothy 2:24–25
• Titus 3:9
• 1 Peter 3:15
• Revelation 21:4

Referenced Sources

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. Crossway, 2016.

• Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig
• On Guard by William Lane Craig
• I Don't Have Enough Faith to Be an Atheist by Norman L. Geisler and Frank Turek
• Evidence That Demands a Verdict by Josh McDowell and Sean McDowell
• Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli
• Mere Christianity by C. S. Lewis
• Why Believe? Christian Apologetics for a Skeptical Age by Tawa J. Anderson and Heath A. Thomas
• A Popular Survey of Apologetics for Today by Ron Rhodes
• Presuppositional Apologetics: Stated and Defended by Greg L. Bahnsen

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Hinduism is one of the oldest and most influential religions in the world, shaping the beliefs of more than a billion people. It teaches concepts like karma, reincarnation, dharma, and moksha, and many believe it is simply another path to the same God Christians worship.

But is that true?

In this episode of Practical Apologetics, Kenneth Willis examines Hinduism's central teachings and compares them with the claims of Christianity. Is ultimate reality an impersonal force or a personal Creator? Is humanity's greatest problem ignorance or sin? Can karma provide justice without forgiveness? And what does Hinduism do with the exclusive claims of Jesus Christ?

Rather than attacking those who practice Hinduism, this episode respectfully examines whether Hinduism's truth claims can be reconciled with the gospel and whether they ultimately lead to truth.

Bible Verses Referenced:

• Genesis 1:1
• Isaiah 45:5
• Romans 3:23
• Romans 6:23
• Hebrews 9:27
• John 14:6
• 2 Corinthians 5:21

Sources:

• The Holy Bible (ESV)
• Bhagavad Gita
• The Upanishads
• The Lotus and the Cross by Ravi Zacharias
• Jesus Among Other Gods by Ravi Zacharias
• Truth and Transformation by Vishal Mangalwadi
• The Kingdom of the Cults by Walter Martin

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