Coffeehouse Questions With Ryan Pauly

Does the fact that so many people have died for God or their religion mean it is true? Atheist Armin Navabi writes, "Holy wars have been fought between different factions of believers, martyrs have willingly given up their lives for their religious beliefs, people have been sacrificed to appease angry gods and victims have been tortured and killed in the name of religion." However, he concludes, "This history says more about the violent and harmful aspects of human nature than it does about the existence of God." If this is true, then why do people look at martyrs as evidence for their religious beliefs? We will continue to evaluate Armin's objections and look at how Christians and atheists can have better conversations about the evidence for Christianity. I will be taking your questions and calls, so bring your questions!

Atheist Armin Navabi writes, "Life is, objectively, meaningless; given the size and scope of the universe and our tiny role within it, it's absurd to think that we might have any sort of cosmically vital role." At the same time, he also believes that "We have the ability to create meaning for our lives" by doing worthwhile goals, none of which require the existence of God. With that in mind, why do Christians say that life would be meaningless without God? Armin addresses this question and attempts to show how meaning can be found without God in chapter 15 of his book, "Why There Is No God." Join the show as we discuss the Christian and Atheist approaches to the meaning of life. As always, there's a call-in portion at the end, so bring your questions! Content Discussed 0:00 Intro 4:23 Why Christians say that life without God would be absurd 17:55 Is the Christian purpose to worship and glorify God? 20:17 Is Christian purpose to enact laws that reflect a strict biblical interpretation? 21:47 Why is eternal p

Atheist Armin Navabi tackles Matt Slick's version of the transcendental argument for God (TAG) in chapter 14 of his book, "Why There Is No God." TAG is an attempt to demonstrate the existence of God using the Laws of Logic. These laws would include the Law of Identity, the Law of Non-Contradiction, and the Law of Excluded Middle. Armin believes that while the argument is structurally sound, it commits the fallacy of equivocation. He states, "The phenomena these laws refer to would continue to exist regardless of whether a deity or anyone else thought about them... Minds are necessary only to describe that phenomenon, not to make it true." Is TAG a good argument, or should it be discarded as a failed attempt to demonstrate that God exists? This will be the topic of today's show! As always, come join the show and bring your questions! Callers welcome at the end.

What is the soul? How do we know it is real? Why does it really matter? Eric Hernandez joins the show to answer your questions and make a case for a Christian view of the soul. Eric Hernandez is an evangelist, apologist, and author of "The Lazy Approach to Evangelism: A Simple Guide for Conversing with Nonbelievers." He is the Apologetics Lead and Millennial Specialist for The Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Atheist Armin Navabi writes, "A vague concept of God becomes impossible to disprove, but it is also impossible to support with any type of evidence. If you claim that God exists but cannot say what God is, your claim is ultimately meaningless." Today's discussion will evaluate chapter 13 of Armin Nababi's book, "Why There Is No God." I will also respond to some YouTube comments that requested an explanation of God's attributes. The goal is to have a clear view of who God is and why he exists. As always, come join the show and bring your questions! Callers welcome at the end.

Every Christian at one time or another has probably asked, "What is God's will for me in this situation?" Theologian Wayne Grudem has written an accessible booklet that offers practical guidance on how to make biblically informed decisions through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in accordance with God's word. In today's show, Ryan will review this new resource from Wayne Grudem titled, "How to Know God's Will." You will see different factors that should be considered when making decisions, as well as understanding what it means to be "led by the Holy Spirit." Come join the show for this discussion and bring your questions! There will be a Q&A following the book review.

"My Religion/God has helped me so much. How could it not be real?" This is chapter 12 of atheist Armin Nabavi's book, "Why There Is No God." Armin claims, "The benefits of religious communities do not prove the existence of a deity." He even goes so far as to say, "There is no evidence to suggest that God helps people." And if positive outcomes are evidence of God's goodness, does that mean that negative outcomes are evidence of his cruelty? Let's take a look at this chapter and see how religious experience relates to evidence for God. Callers welcome!

I received the following comment on YouTube. "Hello. I am an atheist... My position is that I currently have no good reason to acknowledge the reality of any god. And here is why I currently hold to such a position. Below are 11 facts I must consider when evaluating the claim made by certain theists that a particular god exists in reality." I responded and asked if he would be willing to join the show to discuss his 11 facts, and he agreed. I hope today's show challenges you to consider why you do or don't believe in God and encourages better conversations between people who disagree on God's existence. How would you respond to his 11 facts or my responses?

The cosmological argument is one of the most famous arguments for God's existence. It is usually stated as: P1. Everything that begins to exist has a cause. P2. The universe began to exist. C. Therefore, the universe has a cause. Atheist Armin Navabi responds to this argument in chapter 11 of his book, "Why There is No God." Chapter 11 is titled, "If there is no God, where did everything come from? Without God, there is no explanation." He claims in the chapter that "not knowing the answer does not give us free range to make something up." In fact, he believes this Christian argument commits the "god of the gaps" fallacy, is special pleading, misunderstands physics, and actually says nothing about God. He claims that, "Even if we were to accept that the universe required some sort of 'prime mover,' or originating force, there is no evidence to suggest that this force must conform to any of the traits generally attributed to a god." So as we've been doing in this series, let's take a look at Armin's chapter

Have you heard a Christian argue for God by saying, "There's no evidence that God doesn't exist"? Have you heard an atheist say "Christians are atheists when it comes to the thousands of other gods throughout history"? In Chapter 10 of "Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God," Atheist Armin Navabi argues that Christians attempt to shift the burden of proof when confronted with criticism. The problem, he says, is that this leads to ad hoc arguments and misunderstands what atheists believe. So, what is it that atheists believe and how should Christians respond? Let's take a look at Armin's chapter and see how we can respond well.

Many argue that Christianity is outdated, oppressive, harmful, and in need of being discarded. They claim that Christians themselves are on the wrong side of history. Is there any truth to this? In today's show, Ryan will review a new book by Sharon James titled, "Is Christianity Good for the World?" You will see that Christianity has had a beneficial and widespread impact on the world. In fact, "The biblical worldview is the only firm foundation for the defense of human dignity and freedom, as well as societal flourishing." Join the show to hear why and ask your questions!

Blaise Pascal was a mid-1600s mathematician and philosopher. He presented an argument for religious belief from a mathematical standpoint that has come to be called Pascal's Wager. The problem is that this argument is often misunderstood and applied in ways that Pascal never intended. In Chapter 8 of "Why There Is No God: Simple Responses to 20 Common Arguments for the Existence of God," Armin Navabi argues that Pascal's Wager "does nothing to prove the nature of God," and "falls apart completely." Is this true? Should Christians stop using Pascal's Wager in our conversations? Let's take a look and think well about Armin's objections and the intended use of Pascal's Wager. Content Discussed: 0:00 Intro 5:36 Response to Armin Navabi 7:15 Background on Pascal's Wager 13:30 Armin's 2 ways that Pascal's Wager breaks down 19:45 How world religions affect Pascal's Wager 25:48 Atheist caller 26:26 If you could prove the Christian God exists, would you become a Christian? 27:40 The Christian God isn't good becaus

Does God's Word allow for the modern divorce of biological sex and gender identity? What are the core beliefs of the transgender movement? What does Scripture offer on this topic? Join the conversation as Ryan reviews Samuel Ferguson's new book, "Does God Care about Gender Identity?" and offers practical advice to parents and church leaders. Come bring your questions and gain a deeper understanding for a more compassionate engagement.

Have you been left in shock after reading the comment section on a political post? Online discourse seems to have hit a new low. Today's show will address this polarizing issue. Instead of testing the teachings that we see, we often resort to torching the teacher. To avoid torching teachers, we need to start with habits of the heart that "help avoid torching teachers and thereby failing to love our neighbors." We will then look at habits of the mind that "help us test teachings and thereby reject what is false and hold fast to what is true." In short, "Cultivating these habits will equip us not just to be civil but to be faithful to the truth and loving to our neighbors--goals to which I would hope every Christian would aspire." Dr. Rick Langer is my doctoral professor at Biola University where he is a Professor of Biblical Studies and Theology and the Director of the Office of Faith and Learning at Biola University. He specializes in the integration of faith and learning, and has also published in the area

The best way to respond to deconstruction is to have a healthy faith. How do we cultivate that? Join the show to find out and bring your questions!

Many believe the mistaken view that technology is neutral. It can be used for good or for evil, so technology itself must be neutral, right? The issue is that looking at the moral use of technology only considers one key factor. The moral question is important, but we also have to consider how technology is shaping reality and changing us. Today's episode will help you think well about technology from a biblical worldview.

Cold-Case homicide detective J. Warner Wallace has been investigating murder cases for decades. What have these investigations taught him about life and the nature of people? What guiding principles help us to thrive and flourish as human beings? This conversation will look at valuable insights into our human condition that will help you better understand your own identity and the identity of your Creator. J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline-featured cold-case detective, popular national speaker, and bestselling author. Relying on over two decades of investigative experience, Wallace provides the tools needed to investigate the claims of Christianity and make a convincing case for the truth of the Christian worldview.

How do we make sense of Christianity? Why are there so many scandals in the church? Why is it filled with hypocrisy? Why do Christians struggle with mental illness instead of displaying the fruit of the Spirit? How can I believe in God or miracles today? Come join the conversation as we try to make sense of some of the most challenging questions related to Christianity. Content Discussed: 0:00 Introduction 1:35 Why are so many struggling to make sense of Christianity? 5:02 Is deconversion more of a problem or is there hope with what you see? 9:15 How did your story influence this book? 13:05 What would you say to someone whose Bible reading is the cause of their doubt? 18:15 Are apologists setting up an unrealistic expectation with evidence? 22:33 Evidence and Experience are both necessary 24:00 Why are there so many scandals in the church? 26:41 What can we say to those who have been hurt by those in spiritual authority? 31:15 How do you make sense of the Holy Spirit changing hearts yet not seeing the chang

Does your personal relationship with God count as evidence of His existence, or is there a natural explanation for what Christians experience? Do Christians only see what they want to believe and therefore support the beliefs they already hold? Atheist Armin Navabi addresses the argument "I feel a personal relationship with God, so I know that he is real" in chapter 7 of his book, "Why There Is No God." Today's show will consider his objections as we look at how our relationship with God can be evidence of his existence. Send in your questions for the Q&A at the end and enjoy the discussion!

Can answered prayers be used as evidence for God's existence, or is prayer nothing more than an illusion or placebo effect? Does it help or does it have harmful effects? We continue our series with chapter 6 from Armin Navabi's book, "Why There Is No God." Content: 0:00 Intro 2:25 What have we covered before? 3:50 The big objection against prayer 5:50 Can prayer be used as evidence for God's existence? 9:38 What do scientific experiments show us about the effectiveness of prayer? 22:15 Why is it problematic to study prayer scientifically? 28:35 Do Christians suffer from confirmation bias? 31:20 Looking for scientific evidence presents a narrow view of knowledge 33:30 Is prayer self-contradictory? 34:45 Does God care about the small problems in your life? 42:04 Why doesn't God always answer prayer? 49:10 When prayer can be used as evidence for God 52:15 Are there harmful effects of prayer?