Stand to Reason Weekly Podcast

Greg talks about the helpfulness of tactics, even for those who are new to using them, tells about hearing from a pastor that virtually all of the junior high girls in their youth group identify as bisexual, and talks to a caller about Trinitarian vs. Unitarian views of God.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: An example of the helpfulness of tactics (00:00)
2. Commentary: Virtually all of the girls in a junior high youth group are openly identifying as bisexual. (36:00)
3. Follow-up call regarding last week’s question about the number of persons in the Trinity—comments on a video debate between William Lane Craig (Trinitarian) and Dale Tuggy (Unitarian) (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions by Greg Koukl
• The Story of Reality: How the World Began, How It Ends, and Everything Important that Happens in Between by Greg Koukl
• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• Reality Student Apologetics Conference – September 23–24 in Orange County, CA; October 14–15 in Seattle, WA; November 11–12 in Minneapolis, MN; February 24–25, 2023 in Dallas, TX; March 24–25, 2023 in Philadelphia, PA; April 21–22, 2023 in Augusta, GA
• Last week’s call about the Trinity
• William Lane Craig and Dale Tuggy Dialogue Opposing Views – Video

Greg answers questions about whether the church should be celebrating the end of Roe v. Wade, the idea that people with same-sex attraction are “born that way,” whether it’s possible there are more persons in the Trinity, and discerning whether a spiritual gift is from God or some other source.

 

Topics:

1. Should the church be celebrating the end of Roe v. Wade, and what should I think of my church remaining silent about it? (06:00)
2. How can I argue that gay people aren’t “born that way” if I seem to have been born with the desire for premarital sex? (19:00)
3. Is it possible there are more than three persons in the Trinity? (39:00)
4. How can I determine if a spiritual gift is coming from God or some other source? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Upcoming events with Stand to Reason speakers
• Submit a recorded question to the show

Greg talks about Senator Warren’s call to shut down crisis pregnancy centers and Jane’s Revenge’s attacks against them, then he talks to a caller about his experience volunteering at a CPC and answers questions about our nation vs. Sodom and Gomorrah and how to respond to someone who’s walking away from Christianity because God didn’t protect him from abuse.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The fight against crisis pregnancy centers (00:00)
2. A former crisis pregnancy center volunteer explains why these centers wouldn’t dare to mislead people. (28:00)
3. What are the differences between our nation and Sodom and Gomorrah, and why is God not destroying us? (39:00)
4. What should I say to someone who is walking away from Christianity because God didn’t protect him from abuse? (49:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• #STRask podcast with Greg and Amy (archives here)
• Elizabeth Warren Wants to Shut Down All of the Country’s Crisis Pregnancy Centers by Liz Wolfe
• Elizabeth Warren Exposes Very Scary Pregnancy Center – Parody video by Allie Beth Stuckey

Greg discusses the moral argument against abortion and answers questions about how to respond to “God made me this way” and how to make a case for Jesus’ deity to a Muslim.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: A moral perspective on abortion (00:00)
2. What is a proper, biblical understanding of “God made me”? (29:00)
3. How can I expand upon the argument that since the Quran affirms the New Testament, Muslims should worship Jesus? (47:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Faithfulness Is Not Theologically Complicated by Greg Koukl

Greg talks about the legal and moral questions behind the recent overturning of Roe v. Wade, then he answers a question about trusting God when you have a life-threatening illness and talks to a caller about the role Greg and Stand to Reason have played in his life.

 

Topics:

1. Commentary: The rule of law protects us. (00:00)
2. How can I trust God in the middle of a life-altering illness? (33:00)
3. A caller thanks Greg for the role he played in his faith as a new Christian. (51:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Greg’s Solid Ground, The Primal Heresy

Greg and Amy respond to questions about whether praying once in faith for something is better than repeatedly requesting the same thing and how to read and apply psalms like Psalm 91 that say God will save us from “deadly pestilence” and other kinds of suffering.

 

Topics:

1. Is praying once in faith for something and leaving it with God better than repeatedly raising up the same requests?
2. How should I read and apply psalms like Psalm 91 that say God will save us from “deadly pestilence” and other kinds of suffering?

If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe or listen to archived episodes of #STRask here.

Greg and Amy respond to questions about what to say to a Wiccan who says her beliefs are proved by the efficacy of her spells, how to explain people having spiritual experiences outside of Christianity, and recommended materials for teaching elementary-aged kids critical thinking.

 

Topics:

1. What would you say to a Wiccan who says her beliefs are proved by the efficacy of her spells?
2. How do we explain the fact that people have had spiritual experiences outside of Christianity?
3. What materials would you recommend for teaching elementary-aged kids critical thinking skills?

If you enjoyed this episode, you can subscribe or listen to archived episodes of #STRask here.

Guest Host: Tim Barnett

 

Tim talks to Mike Winger about different aspects of progressive Christianity and the core belief that ties it all together.

 

Topics:

1. Interview: Mike Winger on Progressive Christianity (00:00)

Download the mp3...

 

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Mike Winger’s website: Bible Thinker
• Divorce and Remarriage: Everything the Bible Says about It by Mike Winger

Related Links:

• The Danger of Building Your Theology on Anything Other Than the Bible by Amy Hall

Guest Host: Tim Barnett

 

Tim and Alan continue their discussion about responses to popular pro-choice memes that say the Bible gives instructions on how to perform an abortion, if you don’t support requiring vasectomies for men, you shouldn’t support controlling women’s bodies, and nobody has the right to use your body against your will.

 

Topics:

1. More responses to popular pro-choice memes. (00:00)
2. The only time the Bible mentions abortion is to give you a magic potion to perform one. (02:00)
3. If you don’t support giving every young man a reversible vasectomy, then don’t support controlling women’s bodies. (12:00)
4. It doesn’t matter when life begins because nobody has the right to use your body against your will. (17:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• Did God Ordain Abortion as Punishment for Infidelity? by Alan Shlemon

Related Links:

• Pro-Life Crash Course by Amy Hall
• Only One Question (What Is the Unborn?) by Greg Koukl
• Does This Bible Verse Support Abortion? by Tim Barnett (Red Pen Logic)
• Do Pro-Lifers Want the Government to Regulate a Woman’s Body? by Alan Shlemon
• Unstringing the Violinist by Greg Koukl
• A New Response to the Violinist Argument by Amy Hall

Guest Host: Tim Barnett

 

Tim and Alan make a quick pro-life case then chat about responses to some popular pro-choice memes that claim life begins at first breath, a fetus is only a potential human, you can freeze an embryo because it isn’t alive, saving one newborn vs. five embryos, no brain activity means legally dead, if you think abortion is wrong, don’t get one, and more.

 

Topics:

1. Responding to Pro-Choice Memes (00:00)
2. Life begins at first breath. (14:00)
3. You can only ban safe abortions. (25:00)
4. An acorn is only a potential tree, so a fetus is only a potential human. (29:00)
5. You can freeze an embryo but not a baby because an embryo isn’t alive. (35:00)
6. Would you save one newborn or five frozen embryos? (39:00)
7. A person who doesn’t have brain activity is legally dead, so a heartbeat doesn’t mean the embryo is alive. (46:00)
8. Meme: If you think abortion is wrong, don’t get an abortion. (52:00)

Mentioned on the Show: 

• The Matter of Life film
• Red Pen Logic – YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, Facebook

Related Links:

• Pro-Life Crash Course by Amy Hall
• Does the Bible Teach That Life Begins at First Breath? by Tim Barnett
• Does Human Life Begin When We Take Our First Breath? by Amy Hall
• Fetal Personhood: It’s Simple by Greg Koukl
• Does the Fertility Clinic Illustration Disprove the Value of Human Embryos? by Greg Koukl
• Toddlers or Embryos: Which Would You Save? by Tim Barnett (Red Pen Logic)