Does Science Prove the Universe Had a Beginning? Apologetics Study Part 2 (James Sinclair)
"The Cosmological argument is a family of arguments that seek to demonstrate the existence of a Sufficient Reason or First Cause of the existence of the cosmos... The kalam cosmological argument traces its roots to the efforts of early Christian theologians who, out of their commitment to the biblical teaching of creation ex nihilo, sought to rebut the Aristotelian doctrine of the eternity of the universe." The argument is extremely simple:
1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause.
2. The universe began to exist.
3. Therefore, the universe has a cause.
This is part 2 of our apologetics study as we work through "The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology." James Sinclair, co-author of the chapter on the kalam cosmological argument with William Lane Craig, joins the show to discuss the scientific evidence in support of premise 2. We look at the FRW mode, astronomical evidence for the Big Bang, the Hawking-Penrose singularity theorems, the BVG theorem, quantum gravity approaches, and the exceptions to each of these approaches. Come join the conversation and bring your questions!
James D. Sinclair (MS Physics Texas A&M, BS Physics Carnegie-Mellon) is a senior anti-air warfare analyst for the United States Navy with a specialty in the constructive (digital only) modeling of air-to-air combat. Some career accomplishments include analytical support for the fielding of the AIM-9X Sidewinder missile, combat utility evaluation of the F-35 Lighting II, and presentations at public symposia such as the Military Operations Research Society (MORS) and the Combat Identification Systems Conference (CISC). He began to interview cosmologists in the early 2000s on the topic of the beginnings of the universe, bringing Navy knowledge integration methods to the formulation known as the Kalam Cosmological Argument. This ultimately led to a collaboration with philosopher William Lane Craig and two co-authored articles: “The Kalam Cosmological Argument,” in The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology and “On Non-Singular Spacetimes and the Beginning of the Universe,” in Scientific Approaches to the Philosophy of Religion. He also co-authored the article "Fine-Tuning and Indications of Transcendent Intelligence" with Robert Spitzer.
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1:33:06
A More Compelling Narrative on Sexuality (Culture Study Part 4)
Andrew and Christian Walker write, "The logic of bodily sex differences helps explain the moral logic of biblical sexual ethics overall. The mandate for sexual relations in Scripture is tied to the design of the body... The end for which the body is organized--namely, reproduction--tells us what sexual actions are proper to the body and which actions are immoral."
If you were to take a poll on the most controversial and delicate biblical views, homosexuality would probably be near the top if not at the very top. Because of this, if we are going to stand in our Christian convictions, then we must know what the Bible teaches and why it teaches it. For those who object to the Christian view, it is equally important for them to understand the what and the why in order to offer an accurate and fair critique.
Today's show will take a look at homosexuality as we walk through chapter 5 of Andrew and Christian Walker's new book, "What Do I Say When...?: A Parents' Guide to Navigating Cultural Chaos for Children & Teens." I've done a few shows on this topic (see below), so I aim to keep the teaching short and get to your calls and questions as soon as possible. Join me for an important conversation!
Content Discussed
0:00 Intro
6:14 Think Well Merch Store!
8:58 A look at future shows
10:33 The cultural narrative based on the Sexual Revolution
18:19 A more compelling Christian narrative
27:55 1st Biblical Principle - Everywhere homosexuality is mentioned in the Bible, it is mentioned critically
29:45 2nd Biblical Principle - The Bible prohibits all forms of homosexuality
34:19 3rd Biblical Principle - The Bible's prohibition against homosexuality is grounded in a creation mandate
38:58 4th Biblical Principle - Jesus affirms the immorality of homosexuality
42:15 5th Biblical Principle - Any identity at odds with Scripture is never fulfilling
49:13 A more authentic community
51:52 LIVE QUESTION: Am I presenting a false choice between biblical marriage and gay marriage?
53:41 LIVE QUESTION: Does the Bible ever look at slavery as an immoral institution?
56:40 LIVE QUESTION: Do you think all sinful acts should be illegal?
58:39 LIVE QUESTION: Has the Bible ever settled any argument? Christians are always disagreeing
1:02:00 CALLER: How do we make sense of Jesus's confusing parables and answers to questions?
1:06:37 CALLER: How do we explain gay penguins? Doesn't nature show that homosexuality is normal? Should gay marriage be legal?
1:39:56 CALLER: Questions on Christopher Yuan and biblical sexuality being oriented toward procreation.
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1:59:57
12 Steps to Break Free from Reactive Thinking
Wouldn't we all benefit from a better understanding of what it means to think well? If so, why don't we do it?
Alan Jacobs is the author of "How to Think." He serves as a Distinguished Professor of Humanities in the Honors Program at Baylor University and a Senior Fellow of the Institute for Advanced Studies in Culture at the University of Virginia. He writes, "Relatively few people want to think. Thinking troubles us; thinking tires us. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits; thinking can complicate our lives; thinking can set us at odds, or at least complicate our relationships, with those we admire or live or follow. Who needs thinking?" Would you agree?
Alan Jacobs finishes his book by giving The Thinking Person's Checklist. This 12-point checklist is designed to help us think well, and have better conversations. This conversation will offer "hope that each of us can reclaim our mental lives from the impediments that plague us all. Because if we can learn to think together, maybe we can learn to live together, too." Join the conversation, learn to Think Well, and bring your questions so we can put this checklist into practice. Callers are welcome!
Content Discussed
0:00-7:52 Announcements, Merch Launch, and upcoming shows
7:53-54:09 The Thinking Person's Checklist
54:10-1:28:30 CALLER
1:28:31-1:45:07 LIVE QUESTIONS
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1:45:35
How to Read the Bible Without Blind Faith (or Cynicism) - Worldview Study Part 3
Christians believe that God has personally, truthfully, and sufficiently revealed himself in the Bible. This should not be a blind following but is the result of the deep intellection tradition of biblical and theological studies. However, "pragmatism, consumerism, and an entertainment mentality have shifted the priorities of some churches away from our primary calling to devote ourselves to knowing God deeply through his Word."
Why does theology matter? "Knowledge without devotion is cold, dead orthodoxy. Devotion without knowledge is irrational instability... The study of theology is learning to think God's thoughts after him so that our minds and hearts and actions are conformed to his image."
Content Discussed
0:00 Intro
5:05 Announcements and future shows
10:32 Why cover biblical and theological studies?
19:00 Attitudes for doing biblical and theological studies
27:15 Christian Assumptions or presuppositions when studying the Bible
35:29 CALLER: Cynical vs Critical, Bias, and the Authority of Scripture
49:01 Functional absolutes regarding Scripture
51:50 Jesus's view of the Bible: Internal evidence for the reliability of the Bible
54:46 Sub-Disciplines of biblical studies
1:01:25 The Interpretive method
1:06:02 The process of theological studies
1:07:45 Areas of study in theology
1:10:32 Essential vs peripheral doctrines
1:13:05 Using reason, experience, and tradition in doing theology
1:20:29 CALLER: Knowledge vs lived experience
1:34:36 CALLER: What happens to those who die with wrong information or don't know about God?
1:44:58 LIVE QUESTION: How does one make sure they aren't deceiving themselves with their bias and presuppositions?
1:47:26 CALLER: Will Christianity become an extinct religion in the next 100-200 years if it doesn't adapt to culture?
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2:02:10
One God, Three Persons: Is the Trinity Logical?
Does the Trinity have a counting problem? How can Jesus be both all-knowing in his divinity and not all-knowing in his humanity at the same time? Doesn't John 20:17 show that Jesus isn't God because he has a God? These are just some of the objections to the Trinity that I have received from TikTok livestreams.
Today's show will walk through some of the objections to the Trinity and show that the Trinity is logical and biblical. Live questions start at 48:15, and callers begin at 1:14:47
Training Christians to THINK WELL by curating conversations with Christian thinkers and giving a framework for engaging the culture with a biblical worldview.
Ryan Pauly has been working with students for over a decade as a high school teacher, missionary, and apologist. He is the Founder and President of Think Well, an organization focused on training Christians to engage the culture with a biblical worldview, and the Director of Immersive Experiences at MAVEN. Ryan holds a B.A. in theology and youth leadership from Vanguard University, an M.A. in Christian apologetics from Biola University, and is pursuing a doctorate in cultural engagement from Talbot School of Theology. Ryan lives in Southern California with his wife and two sons. He enjoys watching hockey, roasting coffee, and playing with his boys.
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