Agree to Argue

“Imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking ‘This is an interesting world I find myself in, an interesting hole I find myself in; it fits me rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well! It must have been made to have me in it!’” —Douglas Adams One needn’t be a theist to note that the entire universe appears perfectly suited for advanced life on Earth. But, much like the puddle analogy, was the natural emergence of life inevitable? Or was the cosmos intentionally fine-tuned by a Mind for the purpose of advanced life—specifically humanity?  Fuz and Steve welcome heavy hitters, physicist Paul Davies and astronomer Hugh Ross to field their questions on cosmic design. Of course, the audience has questions of their own. 

Picture a Sunday school class where the teacher has just made the statement, “The Bible is God-breathed and has no errors.” An eager student raises his hand, then the questions begin to flow: Then how was there light before the sun was created? What about talking animals? Why did Jesus say the mustard seed is the smallest? Didn’t he know about orchids? In this episode, no punches are pulled as Steve brings challenges about commonly held biblical “errors” to Fuz, a PhD biochemist and EVP at a ministry that explores the integration of science and the Christian faith.

Part 2 of this controversial conversation kicks off with the question: Is God pro-slavery? Dr. Josh Bowen returns to join Steve, Fuz, and new guest Dr. Joe Miller to finish what they started. This time, we dive deep into questions like: Were slaves treated like property or hired servants? Did slaves benefit from constraints found in Old Testament law? And—the biggest question of all—Why only offer constraints instead of outright condemning slavery altogether?

Did you know that 72% of Americans believe in heaven, but only 58% believe in hell? By and large, this gap is because many people, religious and non religious, can’t conceive of a loving God sending people to hell for eternity. So, what’s the story? Is it a justified, eternal “time-out” for those who chose to reject God and embrace evil? Or is it an unjust and cruel punishment to send someone to infinite torture for a finite trespass?

When Fuz and Steve agreed to grapple with the challenge of whether science can detect the supernatural, none of us had any idea the depth and breadth this topic would take on. We go far beyond the topic of supernatural design in the universe, discussing such topics as angels, demons, even ghosts! Steve, Fuz, and guest Mark Perez, who holds an MA in analytic philosophy of science, address questions like: What counts as supernatural? What is science? What does it mean to detect something? What counts as evidence of that detection, and what standard of proof do we presume in concluding the answer to the show’s topic? The tentacles on this monster are many and long—making for a thought-provoking discussion!

While Christians argue that slavery in the Old Testament was different from the chattel slavery that was practiced in the US and elsewhere. Nontheists and atheists challenge this reasoning, stating “If God could forbid eating shellfish, couldn’t he have simply forbidden owning slaves?”Special guest Dr. Josh Bowen, author of Did the Old Testament Endorse Slavery?, jumps into the mix with Steve and Fuz for what promises to be an intriguing discussion.

Steve and Fuz share their religious experiences.  Does the breadth of experience validate it?  How do we explain different faiths having religous experiences?  Can God communicate through dreams and hallucinations?

Morals: Inherent through God’s Image or Evolution? Is There More to Morality than Practical Benefit? Is Lying Bad Just Because God Said So?

Isn't the design argument undermined by bad designs? 

What's a nontheist and why don't they like to be called "atheist"? What's the spectrum of nontheism? Do all Christians/Creationists have the same beliefs? The pitfalls of broadbrushing.