Reconnect

Are religions falsifiable? How would you go about testing a religious truth claim? They typically aren't observable or repeatable? So the scientific method is out. In fact, most of life's important realities aren't subjectable to the scientific method. However, we aren't limited to the scientific method for gleaning knowledge and discerning truth. We also have historiographic testing. Andy reads Chapter 4 of his book, Contradict - They Can't All Be True, to explain the historiographic method and it's three tests. Andy closes by sharing listener feedback for the past four episodes.

Ben Fisher riffs on "12 Arguments Evolutionists Should Avoid" that he shares with his high school class. Answers in Genesis created the list of bad arguments. Do you agree? Are these bad arguments that evolutionists should avoid? Show Links:12 Arguments Evolutionists Should Avoid

"Busting a Myth about Columbus and the flat Earth" by The Washington Post

Is government redistribution of wealth stealing? Show Links:"A Fork to Feed, a Scapel to Heal, or a Sword to Protect?" by Wes BarefordMartin Luther's Large Catechism - "The Seventh Commandment"

"A Voter's Guide to the Ten Commandments" by Bryan WolfmuellerVirtue in the Wasteland - a podcast co-hosted by Wes' professor for Theology 565, Jeff Mallinson. "How Do I Know I am a Christian?" - Reconnect Episode 19 with Wes and George

Wil Hunemuller wrote a blog post entitled, “Smoking to the Glory of God”. I shared it to my Facebook page, Contradict – They Can’t All Be True. The comment section exploded! Many Christians on my page argued that smoking is a sin. The arguments that smoking is addictive and harmful to one’s health were the two most recurring arguments to support the sinfulness of smoking. The verse that was often cited for smoking being a sin due to the bodily harm it is known to cause was 1 Corinthians 6:19, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?” No verse was supplied by the commenters who said smoking was sinful because it’s addictive. The verse I think that shows us that addiction can be sinful is 1 Corinthians 6:12, which says, “"I have the right to do anything," you say--but not everything is beneficial. "I have the right to do anything"--but I will not be mastered by anything.” I believe the closing line about not being mastered by anything can describe what occurs when a person has an addiction.

Do these two verses put the nail in the coffin that smoking is sinful and no Christian should partake in any smoking, at any time, for any reason, unless he or she sins?

To address the addiction argument, I ask the question, “Are all addictions sinful?” I would also state, “Just because something is addictive, that doesn’t mean a person must be addicted to whatever that thing is.” Are any of us not addicted in some way? Aren’t we all addicted to sin? I mean, can any of us stop sinning? Even when we really want to stop? Isn’t that the definition of addiction? And if you say, you don’t have that problem, I’m afraid you are deceiving yourself. To the argument that smoking is sinful because it causes harm to one’s body, I simply ask the question, “Do we really want to go down that route?”

As the discussion was unfolding on my Facebook page, I received a message from Joel Oesch, a guy who I have played basketball with and who now teaches Theology at my Alma mater, Concordia University Irvine. He shared with me an article he had just published on his blog entitled, “Thank you for smoking!”. Joel’s arguments for Christian smoking were similar to Hunemuller’s, namely, smoking can serve as a means to build authentic Christian community. Such a concept will likely come as a shock to many Christians, so for this episode I invited Joel to respond to the arguments posted about smoking being a sin. Joel does a great job of bringing us to see the problem that is bigger than smoking – our sinful nature. He also does a great job explaining our current difficulty of being a part of embodied community – you are after all reading this online! Smoking helps bring us into embodied community and it breaks down all sorts of social barriers – have your doubts? Please give a listen to this episode and hear Joel out. He provides great arguments and explanations. Listen with an open mind and Bible. We visit 1 Corinthians 6 and look at the context of those two key verses at the top of this post, and we also take a look at Romans 14. We unpack an important word that describes the “sin” or “not sin” debate concerning smoking and other issues like it that are divisive in the Body of Christ and how we should navigate them together –adiaphora. If you don’t know what adiaphora is, then you must listen! I welcome all feedback in the comments section. If I don’t reply, I apologize, but I will read it. Show Links

“Smoking to the Glory of God” by Wil Hunemuller

“Thank you for smoking!” by Joel Oesch

Fishing for Leviathan – Joel’s Website

The Christian Gentlemen’s Smoking Companion

Health Benefits to Smoking

The Bible teaches that God created all things. The Bible also teaches that his existence is known by everyone from what he has made, but men have exchanged this truth for a lie. (Romans 1) The beauty and design evident within nature screams for there to be a Creator. Looking beyond intelligent design, observation tells us that life does not come from non-life. There must be a God. Primal Pastures is a family run farm in Murrieta, CA. They are one of many farms that are growing crops and raising livestock following God’s plan for farming. Andy’s guest for this episode, Paul Greive, one of Primal Pastures’ farmers shares more about this design for growing food that God has built into his creation. Since Reconnect is a podcast dedicated to sharing and defending the Good News of Jesus Christ, there is a connection to sharing the Christian faith that Paul shares often arises on Primal Pastures’ farm tours.

Show Links: Primal Pastures Paul Greive’s Concordia University Irvine Bio and Primal Pastures Article Primal Pastures’ Online Store Primal Pastures’ Resources Page Polyface Farms

Articles Against Theistic Evolution:

• Theistic Evolution Articles (answersingenesis.org)
• "Is it Necessary to Believe in a Literal Adam and a Literal Fall?" (blog.answersingenesis.org)
• "Couldn't have God Used Evolution?" (answersingenesis.org)
• "Why Shouldn't Christians Accept Millions of Years?" (answersingenesis.org)

Articles For Theistic Evolution:

• "Is Evolution a 'Salvation Issue'? The Bible is Clear, Despite Young Earth Creationist's (YEC's) Attempt to Muddy its Message"(godofevolution.com)
• "Is Evolution Unworthy of the God of the Bible and the Christian Faith?" (godofevolution.com)

Analysis Questions:

1. What is theistic evolution?
2. Can you be saved and go to heaven if you believe in theistic evolution?
3. What dangers/theological problems is there in believing in theistic evolution?
4. Is it possible that God could have used evolution to eventually create man?
5. How does the following statement apply to the issue of theistic evolution? "Filling in where the text doesn't speak and speculating is not interpreting Scripture. Interpretation is to give the meaning of what is written."
6. Is it possible to preach the message of the cross and the Gospel without a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis?

There are in fact twelve days of Christmas. In the Western Church calendar, the twelve days of Christmas start on Dec. 25th and end on January 5th. A break down of the days are as follows:Dec. 25 - ChristmasDec. 26 - The Feast of StephenDec. 27 - John the Baptist’s martyrdomDec. 28 - Feast of the Holy InnocentsJan. 1 - Feast of the Name and Circumcision of JesusJan. 5 - Day of the MagiThis means that the famous song, "The Twelve Days of Christmas" is connected to the Church calendar, and some people have certainly made some deeper connections to the meaning of the gifts from the "True Love" of the song by finding Biblical parallels. Was this song intentionally written as code to teach the Christian faith? And even if it wasn't, can these Biblical connections add a new sense of wonder to the song and help remind us that we have way more to celebrate and remember in the Church calendar for the Christmas Season? I think so. Listen and find out more! Show Links:12 Days of Christmas Show Notes

St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Irvine

The Force Awakens this Friday, December 18th. Star Wars will likely dominate many families' Christmas gatherings. With this in mind, Andy sought advice from Pastor Rob Mrosko, who has been a fan of Star Wars since seeing Episode 4 in 1977 when he was six years old. Pastor Rob shares why he thinks the Star Wars franchise has been so popular before sharing ways that the series connects with Biblical themes that Christians can use in conversations to share the Gospel. Pastor Rob also addresses two approaches Christians often times take when approaching secular films like Star Wars: approaching it just as entertainment with no discernment or avoiding it all together due to certain elements that oppose Scriptural truths. Andy also asks if the Star Wars series has a Christ-like figure and who the hero actually is since it appears that the Dark Side has a popularity in toy and clothing marketing and products. Finally, Pastor Rob gives some pastoral advice for Christians to consider when entering into this new trilogy.

George and Andy apply the Reconnect theme of sharing and defending the Gospel and apply it to the Christmas season. Together they answer the following three questions:1. Do you have any ideas for sharing the Gospel during the Christmas season? 2. Any particular Christmas movies that you think do a good job of sharing the Gospel message?3. What's your response to this year's Starbucks red cup and the "movement" that was attempted by Joshua Feuerstein?Show LinksLinus Explains the Meaning of ChristmasBad Religion's Christmas Songs Merry Christmas Starbucks in the News