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.Dav

Is It A Person? (Life's Work, Pt 3) | Ep 43

May 23rd, 2017 31m 41s

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

Is It Alive? (Life's Work, Pt 2) | Ep 42

May 9th, 2017 34m 14s

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 o

Dr. Parker, Christian Abortionist (Life's Work, Pt 1) | Ep 41

May 3rd, 2017 29m 48s

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 th

Happiness, Excellence, and Paganism (Pt 7, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 40

Apr 12th, 2017 35m 35s

"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

Giving In Faith (Pt 6, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 39

Apr 5th, 2017 30m 42s

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://w

Walking With Faith (Pt 5, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 38

Mar 29th, 2017 33m 36s

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 bibl

Dealing With Pain (Pt 4, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 37

Mar 21st, 2017 33m 14s

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?V

Power of Thoughts and Words (Pt 3, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 36

Mar 14th, 2017 27m 52s

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://

See Who You Are (Pt 2, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 35

Mar 7th, 2017 30m 38s

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

Enlarging Our Vision (Pt 1, Your Best Life Now) | Ep 34

Feb 28th, 2017 29m 11s

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.netFollow h

A God-Shaped Gap? (Ch10, The God Delusion)

Feb 14th, 2017 27m 21s

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

What's Wrong With Religion? (Ch8-9, The God Delusion)

Feb 7th, 2017 30m 23s

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

The Moral Zeitgeist and American Politics

Jan 31st, 2017 32m 39s

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 nat

Morality and a Moral Zeitgeist (Ch7, The God Delusion)

Jan 24th, 2017 29m 33s

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 o

Morality of the New Testament (Ch7, The God Delusion)

Jan 10th, 2017 31m 2s

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

Morality of the Old Testament (Ch7, The God Delusion)

Jan 4th, 2017 34m 23s

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 th

The Roots of Morality (Ch6, The God Delusion)

Dec 27th, 2016 31m 13s

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.netFollow ht

The Roots of Religion (Ch5, The God Delusion)

Dec 13th, 2016 29m 40s

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 "e

The Appearance of Design (Ch4, The God Delusion)

Dec 6th, 2016 34m 51s

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

Religious Scientists and Pascal's Wager (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Nov 29th, 2016 29m 57s

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

Copying and Canon (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Nov 16th, 2016 30m 24s

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 earl

Objections To The Gospels (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Nov 8th, 2016 32m 13s

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

Are Bible Accounts Trustworthy? (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Nov 1st, 2016 30m 16s

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, respond

Arguments For God (Ch3, The God Delusion)

Oct 25th, 2016 31m 8s

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 sho