Answers for Ambassadors

Our final episode on "Life's Work" steps back to ask how and why a boy who dreamed of becoming a pastor turned into an evangelist for abortion. It's a story of failures by family and church which offers lessons for us all. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In this week's episode on "Life's Work" by Dr. Willie Parker, we continue our examination of the key question related to abortion: What is it? After considering whether the fetus was a living organism last episode, this week we examine whether the fetus is a person (and whether that question is even meaningful!). Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Last week's episode on Dr. Willie Parker's "Life's Work" sets up this week's key question: What is it? We look at why this is the essential question and then start answering it by considering whether the fetus meets the definition of a living organism. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

This week's episode starts a new series, "A Blind Doctor: Dr. Willie Parker's Deadly Compassion." In it, we'll survey the new book "Life's Work: A Moral Argument for Choice" in which self-proclaimed Christian abortionist Willie Parker argues that Christian compassion requires an affirming, pro-choice position. In this first episode, we'll look at what we can get out of the book, at Dr. Parker's own story, and at the basics of his pro-abortion argument. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

"Choose to be Happy" is the final section of "Your Best Life Now." In this episode, we consider Joel Osteen's exhortation to be people of happiness, excellence, and integrity, then step back to draw out some lessons from our survey of Osteen's famous book. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

We should give generously, but why? In Part 6 of "Your Best Life Now," Joel Osteen says we should "live to give." His emphasis on generosity is very biblical, but his reasoning misses an important element of the promises of God. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In Part 5 of "Your Best Life Now," Joel Osteen encourages us to remain confident through trials and trust God's timing. There is much biblical truth in these chapters, but also some reasons for caution which lead to a key question: What is biblical faith? Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In Part 4 of "Your Best Life Now," Joel Osteen discusses how to deal with pain and disappointment. His counsel to forgive and move on is good, but are we forgiving for the right reason? And what if we don't have the strength to just move on? Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Part 3 of "Your Best Life Now" is all about the power of our thoughts and words. Joel Osteen is right that how we think and speak is important, but he misses the biblical mark in three important ways which this episode explores. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Part 2 of "Your Best Life Now" talks about the importance of our self-image. We need to realize that God delights in us, wants us to be happy, and sees us as champions, Joel Osteen declares. But what does the Bible really say about our identity in Christ? And how should those truths shape our self-image and expectations? Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In the inaugural podcast on Joel Osteen's "Your Best Life Now," we examine his promise that God plans great things for you if you'll just believe. Does Osteen expect too much from God... or too little? Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In the final chapter of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that religion isn't needed for "explanation, exhortation, consolation, or inspiration." As we finish the book, this episode uses those four ideas to distinguish between the atheistic and Christian worldviews.

Is religion, in itself, a harmful force? In Chapters 8 and 9 of "The God Delusion," Dawkins argues that it is, and that raising children in a religious tradition is abuse. This episode counters Dawkins' understanding of faith and considers his other arguments against religion.

This week's episode takes a break from The God Delusion, using Dawkins' theory of "the Moral Zeitgeist" as a jumping-off point to consider the philosophical roots of progressivism and how it contrasts with a Christian understanding of human nature and social progress. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Having argued that the Bible is not an adequate foundation for morality, Dawkins finishes Chapter 7 of The God Delusion by suggesting instead that our morality is based upon "the moral Zeitgeist," inevitable moral progress which is the result of growing understanding and education. But is moral progress even a coherent idea in an atheistic world? Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

What about the New Testament? After criticizing the morality of the Old Testament in Chapter 7 of The God Delusion, Dawkins turns his attention to the New, arguing that Christ's atonement is "sadomasochism" and that "love thy neighbor" doesn't mean what we think it does. This episode responds to those arguments.

Is the Old Testament immoral? In Chapter 7 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that it is, citing examples like Noah's flood and the destruction of Jericho. This episode replies, looking at the two big problems with Dawkins' understanding of the Old Testament. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Can we be good without God? In Chapter 6 of The God Delusion, Dawkins asks where morality could come from in an atheistic world. His answer is somewhat plausible but cannot answer one crucial question. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

If there is no God, why is almost everyone religious? For an atheist like Richard Dawkins, it's a puzzling question; one which he tackles in Chapter 5 of The God Delusion. This episode looks at Dawkins' attempt to explain away religion as an "evolutionary byproduct." He offers a plausible hypothesis, but Romans 1 offers a different explanation for the roots of religion. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Does the appearance of design mean there must be a universal Designer? In Chapter 4 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that not only is design explicable without a God, but complexity and design actually demonstrate that there almost certainly is no God. This episode considers Dawkins' "Ultimate 747 Argument" against God's existence, as well as his attempts to explain biological and cosmological complexity through natural processes alone.

Today's episode finishes up our consideration of The God Delusion's Chapter 3, looking at Pascal's famous wager for belief in God and considering whether scientists are usually Christians (and whether it matters). Dawkins is responding to poor arguments for theism in this section, but poor arguments can still offer good lessons! Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Can we trust the people between us and the original authors of the Bible? Dawkins argues in The God Delusion that fallible scribes with their own agendas corrupted the manuscripts upon which our modern Bibles are based. He also accuses the early church of playing favorites by picking four Gospel accounts while leaving others out of the canon. This episode evaluates both objections, looking at the manuscript evidence and how the New Testament canon developed. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Were the Gospel authors reliable narrators? In Chapter 3 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues they were not, citing seeming discrepancies in their accounts of Jesus' birth and genealogy. This episode looks at those particular objections as well as some general considerations for evaluating the trustworthiness of the Gospels. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Can we trust what the Bible says? In Chapter 3 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues we can't. It will take a few episodes to fully respond, but this podcast gets the ball rolling by surveying the reasons why we believe the Bible is true, responding to Dawkins' criticism of the "Christological Trilemma," and considering whether the authors of the Gospels were trying to write accurate history. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

What evidence is there that God is real? In Chapter 3 of The God Delusion, Dawkins briefly critiques common arguments for God's existence. This episode responds to his rebuttals, but first we have to consider what place evidential arguments should have in Christian apologetics. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In the second part of Chapter 2 of The God Delusion, Dawkins argues that an absolute agnosticism which refuses to consider evidence for or against religion is irrational. Rather, he urges that religious claims can be evaluated scientifically. And he's mostly correct! However, Dawkins' assumption that all knowledge must be scientific has its own problems. This episode considers Dawkins' theory of knowledge and offers a more biblical (and reasonable) alternative. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

In Chapter 2 of The God Delusion, Richard Dawkins surveys different ideas of God and says he opposes all of them. In this episode, we'll look at how it is easier to attack an idea than to defend it, why the worldwide religious shift toward monotheism points to Jesus, and why Christians believe in the Trinity. Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

This episode begins a series considering The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. In Chapter 1, Dawkins argues that we need to distinguish between a mystical sense of the majesty of nature and what he labels "supernatural religion." He also attacks the idea that religion deserves any special accommodation in the rough and tumble world of ideas. And he is largely right on both counts... Visit http://www.DavidVogel.net Follow https://www.facebook.com/davidvogel.author Support at https://www.patreon.com/davidvogel

Most religions teach something like the Golden Rule. Is it true, then, that all religions are basically the same, or is there more to a religion than what it says about right and wrong?

Atheists often describe feeling a sense of peace and relief after rejecting their faith. How could that be, if God is the God of peace? Is there a difference between the peace of a Christian and the peace of an atheist?

Physicist and popular author Lawrence Krauss writes that civic questions like those raised by Kim Davis’ resistance to issuing same-sex marriage licenses would be better answered if the law rejected any religious claim of what is "sacred" and stuck to a scientific, skeptical approach. Is he right about either what science says or what the law should say?

The resurrection story is the heart of Christian faith, and also its most contested claim. This episode shows how, using only facts acknowledged by most secular historians, we can give skeptics a good reason to believe that the gospel accounts are true.

Though textual analysis shows that we have accurate copies of the Bible writers’ accounts, skeptics can still accuse the disciples of being unreliable narrators, either through confusion or dishonesty. This episode looks at why multiple attestation, verifiable details, and the testimony of their own actions all confirm the reliability of the apostolic witness.

Once the gospels were written down, scribes repeatedly copied them to spread the manuscripts across the Mediterranean world. Since the original manuscripts are lost, all we have today are some of those copies, yet skeptics point out that they have thousands of mistakes and discrepancies. This episode looks at the science of textual analysis and what it can tell us about what the authors of the Bible actually wrote.

After Jesus’ ascension, the early church remembered his life and teaching through oral tradition for about 30 years before the first gospel was written down. Would that sort of collective memory within a first-century community be trustworthy?

Is the New Testament reliable history? This episode starts a series on NT historicity by looking at what historical apologetics can and cannot accomplish, laying out the four historical stages that bring us to our modern Bible translations, and beginning to consider the first stage: oral transmission of the gospel by the early church.

If God knows the future, is he constrained by his own foreknowledge? Could people, or God himself, choose anything other than what he foreknew? This episode considers whether divine foreknowledge is incompatible with other Bible truths, and, along the way, touches on the importance of humility and faith in apologetics.

The Bible says that God sovereignly controls everything, but also that people make real, meaningful choices. At first glance these doctrines seem contradictory, but are they? We need to remember that free will can only exist in a theistic universe and that there is a difference between a formal and an implied contradiction.

The gospel is only good news if we have sins from which we must be saved, but many today feel that they just aren't that bad. Without a gut-level sense of guilt and moral need, how can we help our neighbors to see their own sinfulness, and therefore their need for a Savior?

If Christianity is true, then angels and other spiritual beings exist. However, skeptics point to the lack of scientific evidence for such claims. Is this a real problem for the Christian apologist, or are unbelievers forgetting that “absence of irrelevant evidence is irrelevant”?

Many atheist thinkers argue that Christian claims are necessarily meaningless because they are "unfalsifiable." Since there is no way to prove Christian claims wrong, they argue, such claims are irrational. This episode looks at falsifiability, the difference between scientific and historical claims, and the sort of reasons we have for religious belief.

Atheists often try to explain the existence of morality within a godless world by appealing to evolution. This episode asks whether morality could have evolved and introduces the "imaginary world" tactic to show that evolved morality is not really morality at all.

An atheist's question, "What makes something moral or immoral?" generates a discussion about right and wrong, the difference between preferences and obligations, and whether morality could be meaningful in a godless world.

An article arguing that Caitlyn Jenner exemplifies a new form of "Americanized Christianity" prompts a discussion about what Christianity actually is. Is it the set of beliefs held by self-identified Christians, or is it something more objective: the way set out by Jesus for coming to our Heavenly Father?