Think Well Ryan Pauly

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 change in Christians?
37:29 How do you speak to hypocrisy in the church?
41:14 Is there reliable evidence for God's existence?
47:18 How can Jesus be the only way to heaven when so many people haven't heard?
53:47 How can we believe in miracles today?
57:11 How would you encourage those who are struggling to make sense of Christianity?

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?

How should Christians think about cultural issues, and how can we have better conversations with those who think differently? The goal of today's show is to give you different perspectives on cultural issues while modeling a healthy disagreement. Come join the conversation and bring your questions!

Tim Whitaker is the creator and facilitator at The New Evangelicals. Growing up, Tim always felt at home in evangelical spaces – until years later, when his studying and questions caused him to no longer be welcomed at in his church community. Brokenhearted, but undeterred, Tim continued to pursue a deeper understanding of faith, history, theology and the evangelical church. The more he uncovers, the more he realizes the importance of advocating for the marginalized in the church, exploring the full depth and breadth of Christian faith traditions, and holding toxic churches and leaders accountable.

The majority of people around the world believe in some sort of god. Can this be used to show that God exists? Does the fact that religious beliefs are so widespread prove that something about religion is true? Atheist Armin Navabi addresses these questions in chapter 4 of his book, "Why There Is No God." Let's take a deep look and see if the spread of religion means that God exists.

Atheist Armin Navabi writes that "moral standards, as we understand them, are social constructs. They are tied intimately to cultural circumstances and can change over time." Christians claim that morality comes from God. Which is true?

Let's take a deeper look at chapter 4 of "Why There Is No God" by Armin Navabi and see how Christians and atheists approach the topic of morality.