Matt Slick Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with Matt Slick. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.

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BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten, of Apologetics 315. Today’s interview is with Matthew Slick of the Christian Apologetics Research Ministry, more popularly known as CARM, found at www.carm.org.
Matt started CARM in October of 1995 to respond to many of the false teachings of the cults on the internet, when it first began. Now it has grown to be one of the largest apologetics resources online. Matt hosts Faith and Reason Radio, week nights in the Boise area and on the internet and that is also podcasted as the CARM Radio Program.
The purpose of our interview today is to get to know a little bit more about Matt, his ministry with CARM, and gain some insights into his experience in apologetics on the internet. So thanks for speaking with me today, Matt.

MS: No problem Brian.

BA: Now would you mind telling our listeners a little bit more about yourself and how you got into apologetics.

MS: Well, let’s see. I’m 53 years old and I went to a Lutheran college and a Presbyterian seminary and I was a Pastor in the Presbyterian Church in America, Assistant Pastor in the CRC (the Christian Reformed Church). I’m a Five Point Calvinist, if that matters; it doesn’t really to me. Let’s see – I have a wife and kids and live in Idaho. I can tell you how tall I am but I don’t think that is going to be relevant.

BA: Now what got you started into doing apologetics and how did you get started with CARM and starting that ministry online.

Terminology Tuesday: Logical Positivism

Logical Positivism: Philosophical movement arising out of the Vienna Circle of philosophers in Austria after World War I. Logical positivism combined the commitment to empiricism found in nineteenth-century positivism (Comte) with the type of logical analysis found in the work of Bertrand Russell. It affirmed a verifiability theory of meaning, in which nonanalytic propositions have cognitive meaning only if they are empirically verifiable. On the basis of this theory, logical positivists asserted metaphysical and theological propositions to be meaningless, and they analyzed ethical propositions as merely having expressive meaning.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 70.

Sunday Quote: Francis Schaeffer on Truth

"If Christianity is really true, then it involves the whole man, including his intellect and creativeness. Christianity is not just 'dogmatically' true or 'doctrinally' true. Rather, it is true to what is there, true in the whole area of the whole man in all of life."

- Francis Schaeffer

Book Review: Navigating Genesis: A Scientist's Journey through Genesis 1-11 by Hugh Ross

Reviewer's Introduction
I was introduced to astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross (president of Reasons to Believe) in the early 90's but did not really begin investigating his model of origins until the mid 2000's when my view of origins and my Christian worldview was beginning to be challenged by observations of scientists in many different disciplines. I was hit by the higher critics who wished to interpret Genesis in a metaphorical (and not historical) light. Some of their points seemed valid, but others were questionable. I found Dr. Ross' approach of integrating all of Scripture with all the sciences quite intellectually attractive. It offered the possibility to reconcile the findings of modern science and the research of the higher critics with the Genesis accounts. However, before I was willing to change my view of origins from young-earth (universe is 6,000 - 10,000 years old), despite the observational evidence, I had to see a proper interpretive treatment of the Genesis accounts of creation that recognized them as historical events, granted the poetic writing style, understood the ancient cultural context, and consistently preserved all the essentials of Christian theology (including original sin and Christ's atonement). All those requirements have been satisfied, and Navigating Genesis: A Scientist's Journey Through Genesis 1-11 shows how it is accomplished through a careful examination of the Genesis accounts.

This review is a chapter-by-chapter summary, so it is lengthy. But it will give the reader a taste of the range of content in the book. This review, by no means, is a substitute for reading the book as it contains much more content in higher detail than what I have presented here.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (07/11 - 07/18)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 3.99
• A To Z With C. S. Lewis by Louis A. Markos - 0.99
• Why the Universe Is the Way It Is by Hugh Ross - 2.51
• 7 Truths That Changed the World by Ken Samples - 2.99
• Holman QuickSource Guide to Understanding Creation - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Is apologetics practical?
• Is Mormonism in Decline? MP3
• Greatly Helped By Apologetics
• How to Become An Everyday Ambassador
• Science and Religion Resources
• What I've Learned from Blog Comments
• 9 Things You Should Know About Mormonism
• Man's habit of avoiding despair with distraction
• Video: Loving God with All Your Mind by J.P. Moreland
• Is the Account of Joseph Smith’s First Vision Reliable?
• Mistaken Objections that Seek to Trivialize Fine-Tuning
• Is God True? God’s Existence Make Sense of Our Universe
• How Should Christians Talk About Origins In Public Square? (MP3)
• Is Jesus a Copycat Savior? (Cold-Case Christianity Broadcast #1)
• Neil Shenvi lectures on the relationship between science and religion
• 5 Reasons Why You Should Check Out Christianity First...by Craig Hazen
• Mike Licona explains the As, Bs, Cs, Ds and Es of New Testament reliability

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

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Bobby Conway Interview Transcript

The following transcript is from an Apologetics 315 interview with Bobby Conway. Original audio here. Transcript index here. If you enjoy transcripts, please consider supporting, which makes this possible.

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BA: Hello, this is Brian Auten of Apologetics315. Today’s interview is with Bobby Conway. Bobby is the Lead Pastor of Life Fellowship in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is also the founder of the One Minute Apologist, a creative YouTube ministry designed to give quick answers to curious questions. He is also author of the book, Hell, Rob Bell, and What Happens When People Die. The purpose of this interview is to learn a bit more about Bobby and his ministry, explore the use of multi-media and apologetics, look at apologetics in the church, and get his advice for those studying apologetics. Well, thanks for joining me for this interview Bobby.

BC: Well, it’s great to be with you Brian, thank you for having me on today.

BA: Well, I appreciate you being with me today, and would you mind telling our listeners a bit about the sort of ministry you’re in today?

BC: You bet. I’m actually, first and foremost, I serve as the Lead Pastor of Life Fellowship Church, a church that I started about eight years ago in the Charlotte area. I’m also involved in doing some marriage conferences with Family Life Today. My wife and I speak on the national Weekend to Remember speakers team. But, the reason I’m on with you today is for a ministry I do called The One Minute Apologist, which is a video ministry that I put together a few years back that we’re real exited about.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (06/27 - 07/04)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 3.99
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99
• Miracles by John Lennox - .99
• There Is a God by Antony Flew - 2.99
• Amazon's Monthly Kindle Deals for $3.99 or Less

WEEKLY LINKS:
• 8 Myths About Christianity
• Apologetics Fun with Movie Clips
• The Survival Guide for Apologists Online
• Do You Agree with Dr. William Lane Craig?
• Breaking Down the ‘We’re all Atheists’ Objection
• Investigating the Evidence for Mormonism In Six Steps
• The Book of Mormon Shows Joseph Smith to be a False Prophet
• 7 Quotes From Ken Samples on Christianity's Explanatory Power
• What Apologists Can’t Do and What We Won’t Do: Eight Quick Thoughts
• The best explanation for the design of bird wings is intelligent design

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

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Canada here. UK here.

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Terminology Tuesday: Pluralism

Religious Pluralism: Descriptively, a situation characterized by a number of alternative religions and diverse perspectives on religion, with the resulting problem for adherents of each view of what attitude to take toward the other views. The contemporary world is in most places undeniably pluralistic in this sense. However, for some, the term pluralism has taken on a normative sense in which it implies an endorsement of this plurality and a refusal to see one religion as truer than others or superior to others in any way.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 93.

Book Review: God, Freedom, and Evil by Alvin Plantinga

In God, Freedom, and Evil Alvin Plantinga (AP) attempts to rebut the logical problem of evil [i], which posits that the following two propositions [i] are inconsistent:

(1) God (an omnipotent and perfectly good being) exists
(2) Evil exists

Where is the Inconsistency? 
AP spends the first section of the book attempting to demonstrate an inconsistency between the two premises. He argues that (1) and (2) are neither explicitly nor formally [ii] contradictory, and (following J. L. Mackie) decides that the most promising course for the atheologian [iii] is that the propositions are implicitly contradictory. A set of premises is implicitly contradictory if one or more of the terms violates a logically necessary truth. What the atheologian is looking for, then, in pressing the logical problem of evil is a necessary truth which, when added to (1) and (2) above, yields a contradiction.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (06/20 - 06/27)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 3.99
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99
• Miracles by John Lennox - .99
• Reasons for Faith - 3.99
• There Is a God by Antony Flew - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Tyndale House's STEP Bible study online tool
• Why Would Anyone Get a Degree In Apologetics?
• Breaking Down the ‘We’re all Atheists’ Objection
• 10 Things Every Christian Should Know about Islam
• Giunta vs. Dan Barker (“What kind of thing is God?”) MP3
• Dr. William Craig '71 - Distinguished Service to Society Award Winner
• Video: Nabeel Qureshi- The Jesus of Islam vs The Jesus of Christianity
• Greg Koukl debates Michael Shermer on God, atheism, meaning and morality
• Three Simple Strategies to Help You Become A Better Christian Case Maker

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

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Terminology Tuesday: Supererogation

Supererogation: Supererogation is the technical term for the class of actions that go “beyond the call of duty.” Roughly speaking, supererogatory acts are morally good although not (strictly) required. [...] The Latin etymology of “supererogation” is paying out more than is due (super-erogare), and the term first appears in the Latin version of the New Testament in the parable of the Good Samaritan. Although we often believe that Good Samaritanism is praiseworthy and non-obligatory at the same time, philosophical reflection raises the question whether there can be any morally good actions that are not morally required, and even if there are such actions, how come they are optional or supererogatory. (more here) 1

1. Heyd, David, "Supererogation", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Fall 2008 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.).

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (06/13 - 06/20)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 3.99
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99
• Miracles by John Lennox - .99
• Reasons for Faith - 3.99
• There Is a God by Antony Flew - 2.99
• Taking Christian Moral Thought Seriously - .99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Why I’m A Christian Evidentialist
• Are you training your replacement?
• Videos: New Atheism, A Survival Guide
• Did God Appear in Bodily Form Before Jesus?
• 3 Good Reasons to Question What You Believe
• Is Mormonism Just Another Christian Denomination?
• Test Your Eyewitnesses, Even When the Eyewitness Is You
• Joseph Smith, the Founder of Mormonism, in His Own Words
• Philosophical Arguments that the Universe had a Beginning

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

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Terminology Tuesday: Confucianism

Confuciansim: Chinese school of ethical, political and religious teachings commonly attributed to Confucius (c. 551-479 B.C.). Confucianism places great weight on the cultivation of ethical virtues such as kingliness, humaneness and gentlemanliness that are cultivated through rituals. Ethical duties within Confucianism depend on one's social and family position. There is some dispute over the religious character of Confucianism, centering on the nature of tian, or "heaven," which is in some way the ground of our ethical duties. Some have interpreted this concept in a transcendent, metaphysical way, while neo-Confucians tend to think of "heaven" as a metaphorical way of describing the natural ethical order of things.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 26.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (06/06 - 06/13)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 3.99
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99
• Miracles by John Lennox - .99
• Reasons for Faith - 3.99
• There Is a God by Antony Flew - 2.99
• That's Just Your Interpretation by Paul Copan - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Why are There Four Gospels?
• Abortion Debate at Westmont College
• Without God, how can one explain the origin of life?
• Cold Case Christianity Weekend Seminar with J. Warner Wallace
• The Case for the Reliability of the New Testament (Free Bible Insert)

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

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Terminology Tuesday: Virtue

Virtue: A disposition or character trait that is itself an excellence or good or that tends to lead to what is good, with moral virtues being those excellences that foster human flourishing. In ancient and medieval philosophy ethical thinking centered on the virtues - what they are, how they are related and how they are to be achieved. The medievals accepted the cardinal virtues of the ancient world (wisdom, justice, courage, temperance) and added to them the three principle Christian virtues (faith, hope and love). Both ancient and medieval thinkers tied their account of the virtues as leading to human flourishing to accounts of human nature. Recent ethical theory has seen a rediscovery of the importance of the virtues and the development of virtue theory, which holds that concepts of the virtues are basic to ethics and not reducible to claims about moral duties or what is impersonally valuable.1

1. C.Stephen Evans, Pocket Dictionary of Apologetics & Philosophy of Religion (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2002), p. 121.

Ticket Giveaway: Unbelievable Conference 2014

Premier Christian Radio and Biola University present an apologetics day conference on Sat, 12 July 2014 in London. This year's conference will help ordinary Christians like you be equipped to:

• Be confident in your faith and share it effectively

• Engage with atheism, Islam and other worldviews

• Give good reasons for God and the truth of Christianity

Guest speakers include: William Lane Craig, Os Guinness, Tim McGrew, Craig Hazen, Jeff Zweerink, Clay Jones, David Robertson, Ruth Jackson, Tanya Walker, and more.

Apologetics 315 is giving away some FREE TICKETS.

See a conference trailer here.

ENTER THE DRAWING HERE.

Sign up here.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (05/30 - 06/06)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 4.10
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99
• Miracles by John Lennox - .99
• How Do You Know You're Not Wrong? by Copan - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Aquinas' First Way (image)
• Review of Defining Inerrancy
• A Quick Refutation of Pluralism
• New Atheism’s Wardrobe Malfunction
• Five Reading Tips to Stretch Your Mind
• Question of the Week: The Definition of Faith
• Natural Theology: What It is and Why You Need It
• I’m Not a Christian For Any of These Good Reasons
• What You'll Need Most to Continue to Engage Atheists
• Frank Turek's List of 20 Influential Apologists (MP3)
• What Investigative Principle Does Every Christian Need?
• The Case for the Reliability of the New Testament (Free Bible Insert)

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

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Canada here. UK here.

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R. Douglas Geivett on the Hiddenness of God

"We cannot foreclose on the question of God’s willingness to disclose himself and his purposes in some concrete, particularized way without first looking into the evidence for the authenticity of an alleged revelation from him; even if a quest for some particular truth of the matter is scandalous by today’s ephemeral standards, It will hardly do to accuse God of hiding from us if we have not sincerely sought him in appropriate ways, or if we have insisted on prescribing for God the conditions under which we would approve a revelation of himself."

—R. Douglas Geivett

[HT: Truthbomb Apologetics]

1. "IS JESUS THE ONLY WAY?" IN JESUS UNDER FIRE, EDS. MICHAEL J. WILKINS AND JP MORELAND (GRAND RAPIDS: ZONDERVAN PUBLISHING HOUSE, 1995), 194.

Review: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus by Nabeel Qureshi

In a culture where elders are to be obeyed, not questioned, and where abandonment of one’s religion can be punished by death, it is a significant challenge for a Muslim to walk away from his or her faith. Nabeel Qureshi outlines the long and often painful process that led him to do just that in Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus.

He begins by describing a rather lonely childhood. He was born in Pakistan, but his family immigrated to the United States when he was still very young. His father was in the U.S. navy and was stationed in a variety of American cities as well as in Scotland for awhile. Wherever they went, Muslims were in the minority. Qureshi notes that he was always aware of being different and that his Muslim heritage was a deterrent for many would-be friends and their families (32).

The author notes that Muslims believe Christians are an immoral and promiscuous lot. For this reason, immigrants like his parents are fearful of their offspring being Americanized. Therefore, the Qureshis would not allow their son to spend time with non-Islamic children outside of school. It also meant that they spent a great deal of time and energy indoctrinating Nabeel and his older sister in the ways of Islam.

Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (05/23 - 05/30)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.99
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 4.10
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99
• Miracles by John Lennox - $.99
• Relativism: Feet Firmly Planted in Mid-Air by Koukl & Beckwith - 2.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• Ex-Mormons UK Tour UK
• Rick Mattson's "Faith is Like Skydiving"
• Abdu Murray on Appealing Only to the Mind
• Tim McGrew's Recommended Apologetics Reading
• Making a Case for the Resurrection of Jesus (Video)
• Moving Mountains: How an Atheist Came to Believe in God
• The Art of Biblical Integrity for the Christian Intellectual
• Featured Resource: Treesearch- A Novel Apologetics Debate Encyclopedia

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

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Weekly Apologetics Bonus Links (05/16 - 05/23)

Here are this week's recommended apologetics links. Enjoy.

KINDLE DEALS:
• Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection - 1.02
• Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? by WLC - 4.10
• Hijacking the Historical Jesus by Phil Fernandes - 3.99

WEEKLY LINKS:
• What Does “Gospel” Really Mean?
• Book Review: Grand Central Question
• Pre-Christian apologetics
• There are no slippery prior probabilities
• A question to Peter Boghossian at the microphone
• Video: Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? by William Lane Craig
• Ten Principles When Considering Alleged Bible Contradictions
• Video: Investigating the Resurrection of Jesus by Chad A. Gross
• Peter Boghossian Debates Timothy McGrew Saturday on “Unbelievable”

Apologetics 315 is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Would you support us?

• Shopping via Amazon? If you use this link, a bit of your purchase goes to fund Apologetics 315. Thanks for those of you using the link, as it helps Ap315.
Canada here. UK here.

• Would you like to help with interview transcription? If so, contact Ap315 here.

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