Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Are Christians Who Say There’s Only One Way to God Closed-Minded Religionists?

Greg responds to questions about why Christians recommend Dennis Prager when he teaches things antithetical to Christianity, whether Christians who say there’s only one way to God are closed-minded “religionists,” and a challenge to Greg’s response to the Euthyphro dilemma.

 

Topics:

1. Why do so many Christians recommend Dennis Prager when much of what he teaches seems to be antithetical to Christianity? (00:00)
2. How do I respond to someone who says I shouldn’t be a closed-minded “religionist” who thinks there’s only one way to God? (17:00)
3. In light of the fact that it seems God has given conflicting commands in the past, if God were to do something evil but call it good, how could we make that determination? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl
• Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl
• The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Greg Koukl

Related Links:

• God Cares More about Behavior Than Most People Think by Amy Hall (responding to the idea that God cares about behavior rather than theology)

Is Jesus Dependent on the Father?

Greg answers questions about whether Jesus is dependent on the Father, whether he should be quoting someone who has a mistaken view on homosexuality, whether it’s ever okay for Christians to stand up for their rights, helping a non-believing couple move in together, and circular reasoning.

 

Topics:

1. Is Jesus dependent on the Father (which would mean he can’t be God), or is he independent (which would mean there are two Gods)? (08:00)
2. Should you be quoting Andrew Klavan given his views on homosexuality? (23:00)
3. As Christians, is it ever right to stand up for our rights, or should we always turn our cheek and suffer for Christ? (30:00)
4. What would you do if a non-believing couple asked you to help them move in together? (41:00)
5. Can you help me understand the fallacy of circular reasoning, and is saying “the Bible tells me so” an example of it? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Donate to Stand to Reason
• Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl
• Eternity Is Now: Just Ask Scrooge and George Bailey by Andrew Klavan

The Problem with Positive Rights

Greg talks about the difference between positive rights and negative rights, then he answers questions about how to respond when a spouse initiates divorce, whether it’s moral to kill abortionists, the biblical guidelines for putting yourself in danger, and the biblical way to pray and connect with God.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The problem with positive rights (00:00)
2. Do you have any advice for how I should respond to my wife who has initiated a divorce? (27:00)
3. Is it morally wrong to kill abortionists? (40:00)
4. What are the biblical guidelines for putting yourself in danger? (49:00)
5. In light of your arguments against the common understanding of hearing the voice of God, what is the biblical way to pray and connect with God? (53:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Donate to Stand to Reason
• STR Violence Statement
• The Lord’s Prayer: Learning from Jesus on What, Why, and How to Pray by Kevin DeYoung

Related Links:

• Bomb Discovered at Abortion Clinic by Amy Hall

Interview: Jason Jimenez – Hijacking Jesus

Greg talks to Jason Jimenez, author of Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over His Church, about what progressive Christians believe and why, why their theology is so popular right now, beliefs they reject, their view of the atonement, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Jason Jimenez, author of  Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over His Church (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Hijacking Jesus: How Progressive Christians Are Remaking Him and Taking Over His Church by Jason Jimenez

Is Intelligent Design Pseudoscience?

Greg responds to the claim that intelligent design is pseudoscience, then he answers questions about preaching against abortion even though people in the congregation have had abortions, Bible translations, and the biblical definition of the image of God.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Is intelligent design pseudoscience? (00:00)
2. How can I make a biblical argument to help my pastor see that it’s okay to teach about the case against abortion even if there are people in the congregation who have had abortions? (19:00)
3. What translation do you use and/or consider to be the best out there on the market? (34:00)
4. How is the image of God described in the Bible? (45:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Rock Solid Apologia
• Street Smarts: Using Questions to Answer Christianity’s Toughest Challenges by Greg Koukl
• Stephen Meyer’s books
• Submit a question on the Open Mic Line
• Making Abortion Unthinkable: The Art of Pro-Life Persuasion by Greg Koukl and Scott Klusendorf
• Scribes and Scripture: The Amazing Story of How We Got the Bible by John Meade and Peter Gurry
• STR Outposts

Related Links:

• How Can God Forgive Me? by Amy Hall (for people who are struggling to understand God’s forgiveness)

The Problem with Altar Calls

Greg talks about the problem with altar calls, then he answers questions about why it matters what kind of arguments we make for Christianity if only God can change a person’s mind and how best to use the LDS Gospel Topic Essays when witnessing to Mormons.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The problem with altar calls (00:00)
2. If our arguments always fail unless God changes the person’s mind, why does it matter what kind of arguments we make for Christianity? (30:00)
3. How can we best use the LDS Gospel Topic Essays when witnessing to Mormons? (44:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• You’ll Never Change Anyone’s Mind about God by Greg Koukl
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – February 23–24, 2024 in Dallas, TX; March 22–23, 2024 in Philadelphia, PA; April 19–20, 2024 in Augusta, GA
• Gospel Topic Essays Index – Mormonism Research Ministry lists links to the Gospel Topic Essays along with links to responses

Don’t Use Empty Rhetoric

Greg responds to a caller’s story about being accused of hate because of his pro-life bumper stickers, then he answers questions about whether the blood sprinkled on the mercy seat was cleaned off, a family whose pastor objects to their spending time out of town, and whether God created the possibility to sin.

 

Topics:

1. A story about a note the caller received responding to the pro-life stickers on his car. (02:00)
2. Did the blood sprinkled on the Day of Atonement (Lev. 16:14–15) stay on the mercy seat in the most holy place year after year, or did they clean it off? (23:00)
3. Is it legalism if my pastor is objecting to my family missing Sundays at our church when we’re staying at our vacation house out of town? (33:00)
4. Did God create the possibility to sin? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy

Should Christians Make Judgments about Other Christians?

Greg answers questions about the differences between rules, principles, etc., Christian nationalism, Christians making judgments about other Christians, how people who haven’t heard the gospel will be judged, how to respond to someone who says God isn’t real, and an explanation of the book of Job.

 

Topics:

1. What are the differences between rules, principles, guidelines, and policies? (03:00)
2. What’s your understanding of the definition of “Christian Nationalism”? (13:00)
3. Can you clarify how and when Christians ought to make judgments about other Christians? (30:00)
4. Does John 15:24 mean that people who haven’t heard the gospel will be judged based solely on how they responded to their conscience? (43:00)
5. What do you do if someone says to you that God’s not real? (50:00)
6. I no longer believe in the Bible because I can’t accept that a loving God could do such a horrible thing to Job and his family. (53:00)

Related Links:

• #STRask: How can God be a loving Father when he allows a “blameless and upright man” like Job to suffer so much instead of protecting him?
• Five Truths for Sufferers from the Book of Job by Eric Ortlund

Well Done, Melinda

Greg talks about Melinda Penner, cofounder of Stand to Reason, who went home to be with the Lord last week, then he answers questions about men teasing each other, the biblically appropriate role of the military, and whether 1 Timothy 3 is descriptive or prescriptive.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: Well done, Melinda. (00:00)
2. Since men who are close to each other tend to tease each other, do you think that’s part of being a man, and do you think the Bible has anything to say about this kind of behavior? (07:00)
3. What is the biblically appropriate role of the military? (14:00)
4. Is 1 Timothy 3 descriptive or prescriptive? (39:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Melinda Penner’s Homecoming – 1959–2023

Interview: Justin Brierley – The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God

Greg interviews Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again, about the rise and fall of the New Atheist movement, why he thanks God for Richard Dawkins, a shift in many atheists’ view of Christianity, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Justin Brierley, author of The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again (00:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Justin Brierley
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God: Why New Atheism Grew Old and Secular Thinkers Are Considering Christianity Again by Justin Brierley
• The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God – The podcast
• Unbelievable?: Why After Ten Years of Talking with Atheists, I'm Still a Christian by Justin Brierley
• Coming to Faith Through Dawkins: 12 Essays on the Pathway from New Atheism to Christianity
• The Air We Breathe: How We All Came to Believe in Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality by Glen Scrivener

Related Links:

• Jesus Built Western Civilization by Amy Hall (quote by Tom Holland)
• We Take Christianity’s Influence on the World for Granted by Amy Hall (video of Tom Holland)
• Answering the New Atheists—Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3
• Greg Koukl and Michael Shermer at the End of the Decade of the New Atheists
• To the Atheist Who Called Jesus “The Magic Carpenter” (And a Warning to Churches) by Amy Hall