The Freethinking Podcasts

The Freethinking Podcast is a product of FreeThinking ministries featuring the work of Dr. Tim Stratton. Multiple hosts produce shows for FreeThinking Podcasts, Tim focuses on topics like metaphysics, free will and determinism and often cohosts with Scott Olson and Josh Klein focuses on Cultural issues and biblical theology.

LIVE: Mere Molinism 2nd Edition Release + Call-In Discussion with Tim Stratton 06/30/2026

Can an all-loving God create hell-bound people? Christianity & LDS Theology with Hayden Carroll 06/23/2026

The Strange Reasons Mindshift Thinks God Can't Exist 06/16/2026

Dr. Ryan Mullins Says William Lane Craig's Molinism Is Incoherent—But Is It? 06/09/2026

Alex O’Connor vs William Lane Craig | What Really Happened? 06/02/2026

Alex O’Connor vs William Lane Craig | What Really Happened? Recently, Dr. William Lane Craig and met in England for a major discussion on arguments for God’s existence, the Kalam Cosmological Argument, the beginning of the universe, and the problem of animal suffering. In this video, Dr. Tim Stratton and Josh Klein are joined by Tyson James (founder of ⁨@soundfaithconsulting⁩ and connected with ⁨@ReasonableFaithOrg⁩ leadership) to analyze 7 major segments from the discussion and explain what REALLY happened. Together, they examine Alex O’Connor’s objections, William Lane Craig’s responses, and whether Alex’s arguments against Christianity and theism ultimately succeed. Topics include: Hilbert’s Hotel (actual and potential infinity) The beginning of the universe Time and causation Truth-making and correspondence theory Animal suffering Consciousness and human pain The hiddenness of God Full Conversation on ⁨@CosmicSkeptic⁩’s Channel: Full Conversation on ⁨@PremierUnbelievable⁩’s Channel: Tim’s Article Responding to Alex’s Animal Suffering Argument: "Animal Pain Revisited” (article referenced by Tyson):https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/animal-pain-re-visited The "Patient R" Study: Support FreeThinking Ministries: ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ 00:00 Preliminary Thoughts on Alex O'Connor 02:50 A Healthy Respect for ⁨@CosmicSkeptic⁩ 08:13 Dismantling Hilbert's Hotel? 16:51 Updating Our Intuitions — But With GOOD Reason 25:50 On the Beginning of the Universe 39:16 The First Change Argument 41:01 Alex's Bold Time Argument 50:17 Truth-Making and Correspondence Theory 1:07:16 The Animal Suffering Objection 1:15:35 Steel-Manning Alex's Objection 1:20:49 Dismantling the Objection With Reasonable Hope 1:28:33 The Difference Between Animal and Human Pain 1:35:48 Higher-Order Thought and the Brain 1:41:24 Patient R and Alex's Misreading of the Data 1:46:37 The Uniqueness of Human Pain and Why Christianity Makes the Most Sense of It 1:53:00 How Impactful Are Alex's Objections? 1:54:13 Is Alex O'Connor REALLY a Non-Resistant Nonbeliever? 1:56:31 Concluding Thoughts ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: Facebook: Instagram: X: TikTok: #Apologetics #Christianity #WilliamLaneCraig #AlexOConnor #CosmicSkeptic #Debate #Atheism #Theism #FreeThinking #KalamCosmologicalArgument /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/41494180

If Dogs Go to Heaven… Why Not My Child? The Question That Broke a Mother’s Heart 05/26/2026

If Dogs Go to Heaven… Why Not My Child? The Question That Broke a Mother’s Heart It's Question Time, and today's episode features an engaging question from one of our listeners based on Tim's argument that animals (including beloved pets) go to heaven. If that's true, says this listener, then how is God good if my child who I love MORE than my pet might be going to Hell? Josh and Tim tackle this philosophically, theologically, and pastorally. Want to ask a question? Go to our website: Check out Tim's Second Edition of Mere Molinism: Check out Josh's Novel: Tim's Article and Argument for pets going to heave: The full e-mail: I love my dog, but I love my child more. The following may reveal my own selfishness in that I don’t want my child to choose what he desires (a life without Christ). Though I believe in freewill, I am almost to the point where I wish God did not grant it. I’d rather have my child “a robot” in Heaven with God and me than have him freely choose his eternal destination. I am concerned for a day when my son’s sin takes him to the point of a totally seared conscience. Though my son is not a drug addict, a drug addict gets to the point of addiction when he knows not what he does in harming his own body, mind, etc. Isn’t any sin this way? We know not what we do. We, as fallible creatures, don’t know what’s best for us. Only our Creator knows this, and yet He allows us to choose wrongly?!? Why?!? Why would God take an animal to heaven while allowing a mother or father who would die for their child (a human being made in God’s image, unlike an animal, and “worth more than the birds of the air”) to be separated from him for eternity? It is said that to have loved and then lost is better than to have never loved at all, but I’m not so sure right now. Pictures and memories of my son’s “innocence” in childhood haunt me. Yet some say God wipes away such memories in Heaven, but don’t you think we will know more, not less, in Eternity? To wipe that child from one’s memory seems diminishing. Even to suggest annihilation (a theory I don’t favor) would not soften the wounds of loss to a mother’s heart. No longer existing seems to delegitimize any life. Even the truth of someday having a better understanding of God’s holiness and justice regarding my own flesh and blood is gut wrenching (I agree we all deserve Hell). Why are we to lay down our lives for sinners now in reaching them for Christ but will eventually rejoice in jubilation when the time of their destruction comes? Why would God have fashioned such motherly sentiments to unconditionally love and sacrificially nurture if we were to suffer this pain of eternal separation? If God loves me and if God knew my child would not follow Him, why did He bring about a world allowing him to be created? Or to survive infancy? Theoretically, even abortion (God forbid!) would have been a better outcome as, if I’m correct in my theology, such would eventually reunite us. Is abortion a virtue in that all babes are saved from damnation? God forgive the thought! We are told to be fruitful and multiply, but why even risk having children if there’s a possibility of having even one child…or grandchild or great grandchild or a great-great separated from you forever? Obedience beyond understanding? I don’t want one from my family tree or one acquaintance or even one stranger to be lost! The only remedy I see to this scenario as we are to love even our enemies is universal reconciliation, also a theory I do not favor...because of free will! Can you help me with these excruciating dilemmas? For my sanity’s sake I have to believe all my children will be with God in eternity, but since I don’t believe universalism is biblical, what of those others who will be separated eternally from loved ones? Is the only answer to trust God? Thank you greatly for your time; I appreciate any help you may provide this hurting mama. ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ Introduction What Led to An Argument About Animals Going to Heaven? The Reasonable Hope That Pets Go To Heaven Argument Introducing Kim's E-mail - I Kind of Wish My Child Was a Robot Why Would God Take an Animal and not my Son? Will We Not Remember Pain In Heaven? We Will Rejoice with Jubilation When People Go to Hell? Why Would God Give Me A Child He KNOWS Will Reject Him? Why Even Risk Having Children If They COULD Go to Hell? Is Universalism the Only REAL Hope? Concluding Thoughts ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: F acebook: Instagram: X: TikTok: /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/41383475