The Philosopher’s Brew Podcast

In studying the testimony of those who have 'deconverted' from Christianity, I've been struck by the importance of something Jesus said--to have eternal life, he said the first step is to "deny" yourself in exchange for a new, supernatural life--a new "you". Yet today there is a trend to not talk about this, or to even affirm the opposite in order to make it as easy as possible for the person to put their "faith" in Christ when, in fact, they have not even taken that first step of faith--laying aside everything they are and cherish, in exchange for what Christ offers. Thus, many people think they are Christians only to be shocked on the day they stand before God and hear him say, "I never knew you."

Intelligent design is entrenched in science to the point where we can no longer deny or ignore it. When we apply a scientific method to the information encoded in the genomes of life, it tests positive for an intelligent origin. The fingerprints of intelligence are all over the genomes of life.

It might be surprising what emerges as we take a philosophical perspective in answering three questions: Is hell necessary? Does it have to be forever? And could it be a five-star resort?

Many people believe that modern science is the ultimate bastion of truth. The reality, however, has become quite different.

Some have argued that the fact that since many people have sincerely searched for God and not found him, he probably does not exist. This is the problem of "divine hiddenness,' but what if God is, in fact, calling each person in ways they have not anticipated and, therefore, missing?

As science advances, some gaps in our understanding not only are getting much wider, but the evidence is pointing quite strongly in the direction of an intelligent mind behind the universe and behind life. Rather than acknowledge this, those scientists who are committed to scientism appeal to something other scientists describe as a non-testable "fantasy".

People often mistakenly label any argument for the existence of God as a 'God of the Gaps' argument. In this podcast, we discuss these mistakes and how to avoid them.

In this episode, Heather recounts how she has worked through the emotional trauma of the sudden death of her husband, with the hope that others may find at least one thing helpful when they face the sudden loss of a loved one.

Continuing from Part 1 in the previous episode, we look at more hints, reasons, and clues from God as to why suffering and evil are permitted to occur in this world.

Although the justification for permitting an event may span millions of future consequences, God does give different reasons or factors involved in some specific examples of suffering. In this episode, we look at some of them, especially the death of children.