100 Years Later: The REAL STORY Behind the ‘Monkey Trial’ w/ Dr. Rick Townsend | Ep 85
Release Date: 07/21/2025
Burning Questions on Hell, Islam, Sexuality, and More Answered (NYC Q&A) | Ep 89
All Rise with Abdu Murray
What do you say when someone asks, “If God is so loving, why do people end up in hell?” In this special Q&A at Times Square Church in New York City, Abdu Murray tackled some of the hardest questions about faith, truth, and the hope found in Christ. From challenges about the Bible’s trustworthiness to how Christians can minister to friends in the LGBTQ community, these questions cut to the heart of what it means to follow Jesus in today’s culture. Thanks to the efforts of Times Square Church, this evening brought together hundreds of seekers and...
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My Dialogue with a Hindu on Creation, Evil, Reincarnation and Much More! | Ep 88
All Rise with Abdu Murray
In this episode of All Rise, we are bringing you a wide-ranging dialogue between Abdu Murray (a former Muslim who is now a Christian) and Fred Stella (a former Catholic who is now Hindu) on life’s deepest questions. How did the universe come to be? Why is there evil and suffering? What happens after death—and what role do reincarnation and karma play? Together, in front of a packed audience at Compass Church in Naperville, Illinois, they engage candidly on the Hindu and Christian views of creation, the problem of suffering, the caste system, and the hope of the...
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Beyond the Binary? What the Bible REALLY Teaches with Kyla Gillespie | Ep 87
All Rise with Abdu Murray
In this episode of All Rise, Kyla Gillespie joins us to explore the deeper theological debates surrounding gender and Scripture. Some voices argue that the Bible supports transgender identities—but what do those arguments really say? And how should we think about them in light of creation, redemption, and identity in Christ? With clarity and compassion, Kyla and our hosts explore what Scripture really teaches about gender, creation, and identity in Christ. Far from being a message of exclusion, the Bible offers a vision of wholeness, truth, and redemption that speaks to every...
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Gender Confusion and Finding Faith w/ Kyla Gillespie (Pt. 1) | Ep 86
All Rise with Abdu Murray
What happens when the identity you built your life around suddenly collapses—and Christ steps in to rebuild it? Kyla Gillespie is a survivor. In this episode of All Rise, we sit down with Kyla, a woman who once identified as transgender but ultimately found truth, freedom, and a new identity in Jesus Christ. Kyla shares her raw and powerful story, not as a political argument, but as a deeply personal journey through pain, searching, and redemption. With honesty and grace, she unpacks what drew her into a false identity, what shattered her illusions, and how God patiently...
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100 Years Later: The REAL STORY Behind the ‘Monkey Trial’ w/ Dr. Rick Townsend | Ep 85
All Rise with Abdu Murray
Was the Scopes “Monkey Trial” ever really about science—or was it a staged showdown with a hidden agenda? In this episode of All Rise, we talk to Dr. Rick Townsend, a historian of ideas whose groundbreaking dissertation uncovers the real story behind one of the most famous courtroom dramas in American history: the 1925 Scopes Trial. For a century, we’ve been told it was the moment science defeated religion. But what if the real battle wasn’t evolution vs. creation—but parental rights vs. elite control? Dr. Townsend walks us through how the trial was...
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PROOF Junk DNA was NEVER Junk! Science Finally Caught Up … with Fuz Rana | Ep 84
All Rise with Abdu Murray
Was "junk DNA" ever really junk—or did science just need to catch up with design? In this episode of All Rise, we talk to Dr. Fazale Rana (biochemist and President & CEO at Reasons to Believe) to dive into one of the most groundbreaking scientific reversals in recent history: the 2024 Nobel Prize awarded for discoveries showing that so-called “junk DNA” is functional and essential. For decades, large portions of the human genome were written off as useless leftovers of evolution. But was that ever good science—or just bad theology in...
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The Untold Story of the Quran's Formation with Quran Scholar Andy Bannister | Ep 83
All Rise with Abdu Murray
Is the Qur’an truly the perfectly preserved word of God—or is its history more complicated than many believe? In this episode of All Rise, Abdu Murray and Qur'an scholar Andy Bannister explore the turbulent early history of the Qur’an: from its oral roots to the compilation controversies that many Muslims have never been told about. Was there really just one Qur’an from the beginning? Did early Muslim leaders know what the Qur’an was? And what can the evidence of oral storytelling, variant versions, and missing passages tell us about how the Qur’an came to...
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Rebuilding Faith: Doubt, Scripture & "A Teachable Spirit" with AJ Swoboda | Ep 82
All Rise with Abdu Murray
What comes after deconstruction? In this episode, we talk with AJ Swoboda—pastor, professor, and author of After Doubt and A Teachable Spirit—about why doubt has become so common, why it shouldn't be the end of the story, and how real spiritual formation takes shape in our lives. We explore: The limits of “just me and my Bible” Christianity A fresh take on sola Scriptura from a Protestant perspective Why we all carry traditions—whether we admit it or not The value of humility and a teachable spirit Why...
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Jesus in Islam: Prophet, Messiah … But Not God? | Ep 81
All Rise with Abdu Murray
Muslims love Jesus—but do they know who He really is? In this episode of All Rise, Abdu Murray explores the Islamic view of Jesus, known to Muslims as "Isa." What does the Qur’an say about Him? Is He just a prophet, or something more? And how do Islamic beliefs about Jesus at the end of time—His return, His role in judgment—compare with what the Bible reveals? Abdu draws from his background as a former Muslim and Christian apologist to explain what Islam gets right about Jesus, what it leaves out, and why the differences aren’t minor—they’re...
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Why Didn't the Virgin Birth Convince Jesus' OWN Family? | Ep 80
All Rise with Abdu Murray
"If the virgin birth really happened, why did Jesus’ own family think He was out of His mind?" That’s the sharp question we received after releasing two episodes on the historical and theological credibility of the virgin birth. And honestly, it’s a great one. In this episode of All Rise, Abdu Murray and Derek Caldwell explore the surprising—and often misunderstood—passages in Mark 3:21 and John 7:5, which seem to suggest that Jesus’ own family, possibly even Mary, doubted Him or thought He had gone too far. Does that undermine the credibility of the virgin...
info_outlineWas the Scopes “Monkey Trial” ever really about science—or was it a staged showdown with a hidden agenda?
In this episode of All Rise, we talk to Dr. Rick Townsend, a historian of ideas whose groundbreaking dissertation uncovers the real story behind one of the most famous courtroom dramas in American history: the 1925 Scopes Trial.
For a century, we’ve been told it was the moment science defeated religion. But what if the real battle wasn’t evolution vs. creation—but parental rights vs. elite control? Dr. Townsend walks us through how the trial was orchestrated, how William Jennings Bryan became a media caricature, and how a false narrative took root that still shapes educational debates today.
We also explore Mahmoud v. Taylor, a 2025 Supreme Court decision that echoes the same themes 100 years later. Are we still fighting the same battle—just with different labels?
Whether you're a believer, skeptic, or just someone tired of being told a one-sided version of history, this episode will change the way you think about the “Monkey Trial”—and what’s really at stake in the classroom.
Dr. Rick Townsend's PhD Dissertation, "Reconsidering Bryan: William Jennings Bryan's Advocacy of Causes Using Rights-Based Arguments," can be accessed at https://utd-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/3aa73f5e-5985-4a20-8a04-7131c391dffb/content.
Dr. Townsend's recent article in Salvo Magazine, "Still Unrefuted," about the anti-evolution arguments of William Jennings Bryan: https://salvomag.com/article/salvo73/still-unrefuted.
Salvo Magazine's most recent issue, which includes Dr. Townsend's articles along with several others', can be accessed here: https://salvomag.com/issue/current (note that this link will only go to the correct issue while it is the "current" issue. For future reference, this is issue #73 from Summer 2025).
You can keep up with Dr. Townsend through his LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/in/rick-townsend-271b2920.
🎙️ All Rise is the podcast where truth is put on trial. In each episode, ideas are cross-examined and evidence is explored.
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