The Freethinking Podcast

The Freethinking Podcast is a weekly show primarily featuring the work of Christian apologist and theologian Tim Stratton. Each episode, Tim and cohost Scott Olson will tackle a topic related to Christian apologetics & theology for the purpose of equipping the church to engage the culture.

Ep. 78 Christian Nationalism? (Part 1) 08/15/2019

Ep. 78 Christian Nationalism? (Part 1) In this episode, Tim and I discuss one of his most recent articles where he interacts with a document that purports to be against the rise of "Christian Nationalism." We go through the document and give our thoughts on the whole issue. Relevant Links: https://www.christiansagainstchristiannationalism.org/statement https://freethinkingministries.com/should-christians-be-against-christian-nationalism/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10888081

Ep. 77 Racism, Trump, and other stuff that will make you want to listen 08/06/2019

Ep. 77 Racism, Trump, and other stuff that will make you want to listen Tim and I sat down and talked with Adam Coleman, who is a fellow FTM contributor, about some issues that have been coming up in the media lately having to do with race. Adam, being a black man, has a perspective on these things that neither Tim nor I are able to fully understand. We wanted to have a meaningful and helpful conversation about these topics, and we successfully did! This is the third episode in which we continue our discussion on Trump and racism in America. Relevant Links: Adam’s podcast – http://www.truidpodcast.com/ https://freethinkingministries.com/politics-thought-experiments-were-trumps-tweets-racist/ https://freethinkingministries.com/dont-mix-politics-religion/ Charlottesville & the corporate press - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NM6k8uNAQBA /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10787189

Ep. 76 Were Trump's Tweets Racist? 08/01/2019

Ep. 76 Were Trump's Tweets Racist? Tim and I sat down and talked with Adam Coleman, who is a fellow FTM contributor, about some issues that have been coming up in the media lately having to do with race. Adam, being a black man, has a perspective on these things that neither Tim nor I are able to fully understand. We wanted to have a meaningful and helpful conversation about these topics, and we successfully did! This is the second episode in which we begin to unpack whether or not Trump's tweets were racist. Relevant Links: Adam's podcast - http://www.truidpodcast.com/ https://freethinkingministries.com/politics-thought-experiments-were-trumps-tweets-racist/ https://freethinkingministries.com/dont-mix-politics-religion/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10733225

Ep. 75 Politics and Religion with Adam Coleman 07/24/2019

Ep. 75 Politics and Religion with Adam Coleman Tim and I sat down and talked with Adam Coleman, who is a fellow FTM contributor, about some issues that have been coming up in the media lately having to do with race. Adam, being a black man, has a perspective on these things that neither Tim nor I are able to fully understand. We wanted to have a meaningful and helpful conversation about these topics, and we successfully did! This is the first episode in what will be a good number of episodes (probably 4 or 5) relating to these topics of politics and religion, so be on the lookout for future episodes. Relevant Links: Adam's podcast - http://www.truidpodcast.com/ https://freethinkingministries.com/the-legacy-of-eric-smallwood-2/ https://freethinkingministries.com/dont-mix-politics-religion/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10648847

Ep. 74 Thoughts and Prayers 07/17/2019

Ep. 74 Thoughts and Prayers Today, Tim and I thought we'd tackle some criticism that many Christians receive regarding the phrase "thoughts and prayers" being used after a tragedy rather than "real action." We both think that criticism is misplaced, even if you don't believe Christianity is true. I show how authentic Christians who actually take the time to pray are actually taking the most action they possibly can, and thus this criticism is unwarranted. Tim follows up with a discussion how we as Christians can be confident that God actually does listen to and respond to our prayers. Hint: it involves Molinism. Relevant Links: https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/10/thoughts-and-prayers-las-vegas/542319/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10562462

Ep. 73 The MAVEN Experience 07/09/2019

Ep. 73 The MAVEN Experience Freethinking Ministries has recently been partnering with an organization called MAVEN. They're a wonderful ministry that seeks to equip youth with practical apologetics to be used when engaging others about their faith. Tim has gone on several trips as a guide, and we talk about his experiences and the work that MAVEN does. Relevant Links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-maven-experience/ https://www.maventruth.com /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10450391

Ep. 72 The Freethinking Facebook Felon Talks Unjustified Suffering and Evil 07/09/2019

Ep. 72 The Freethinking Facebook Felon Talks Unjustified Suffering and Evil Tim has recently been released from Facebook jail, so we talk about his time behind bars. We also discuss the rather tame article that led to his being banned from Facebook for 24 hours. I mean seriously Facebook: this is the article that does it? Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/a-thought-experiment-vs-unjustified-evil-suffering/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10450358

Ep. 71 Evan Minton & Tim Stratton Wrap-up the Freethinking Argument 06/12/2019

Ep. 71 Evan Minton & Tim Stratton Wrap-up the Freethinking Argument We're back with a (somewhat) new episode for you guys. This is the final part of a series of 3 episodes from the Cerebral Faith podcast with Evan Minton. This was a conversation that he and Tim had on the Freethinking Argument. I know we've already covered this topic on the podcast, but this conversation brought up several new objections that Tim and I didn't have the chance to interact with. So enjoy! Relevant Links: http://cerebralfaith.blogspot.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10136545

Ep. 70 More Evan Minton & Tim Stratton on the Freethinking Argument 06/12/2019

Ep. 70 More Evan Minton & Tim Stratton on the Freethinking Argument We're back with a (somewhat) new episode for you guys. This is the second part of a series of 3 episodes from the Cerebral Faith podcast with Evan Minton. This was a conversation that he and Tim had on the Freethinking Argument. I know we've already covered this topic on the podcast, but this conversation brought up several new objections that Tim and I didn't have the chance to interact with. So enjoy! Relevant Links: http://cerebralfaith.blogspot.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10136531

Ep. 69 Evan Minton & Tim Stratton Talk the Freethinking Argument 06/12/2019

Ep. 69 Evan Minton & Tim Stratton Talk the Freethinking Argument We're back with a (somewhat) new episode for you guys. This one is actually going to be a series of 3 episodes for you from the Cerebral Faith podcast with Evan Minton. This was a conversation that he and Tim had on the Freethinking Argument. I know we've already covered this topic on the podcast, but this conversation brought up several new objections that Tim and I didn't have the chance to interact with. So enjoy! Relevant Links: http://cerebralfaith.blogspot.com/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10136517

Ep. 68 Should Christians Own Guns? 06/04/2019

Ep. 68 Should Christians Own Guns? We had so much fun talking about violence these past couple weeks, we decided to do an episode talking about Christianity and guns. But, we needed some backup to do this episode, so we invited on Tim Hsiao, who is a philosophy professor at Grantham University who has written academically on this topic. It was an incredibly fun conversation that we know you'll enjoy. Relevant links: Tim Hsiao's website: http://timhsiao.org/ Tim's Gun Articles: https://www.academia.edu/36582923/The_Moral_Case_for_ Gun_Ownership https://www.academia.edu/37193542/The_Moral_Case_for_Concealed_Carry_on_Campus https://www.thepublicdiscourse.com/2018/10/42765/ https://commons.pacificu.edu/eip/vol16/iss2/3/ https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/think/article/how-to-think-about-the-gun-control-debate/A07796E72D0F6150574171347357FB80? https://freethinkingministries.com/let-the-one-who-has-no-sword-buy-one-the-christian-case-for-carrying-firearms/ Tim Stratton's Gun Article: https://freethinkingministries.com/love-thy-neighbor-pack-thy-heat/ Tim's Gun Control Debate with Jonathan Herington: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw_he4q9j18 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/10036343

Ep. 67 Which Movies Shouldn't Christians Watch? 05/22/2019

Ep. 67 Which Movies Shouldn't Christians Watch? Should Christians watch violent movies? Tim and I tackle this controversial topic in a really fun conversation. No matter where you fall on this subject, I hope you enjoy what we had to say, while also hearing us talk about some pretty awesome movies. Relevant Links: https://freethinkingministries.com/love-thy-neighbor-pack-thy-heat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iKBEJp92CA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR28SnDSKeM3jEaVpsoKaPZ4rZtfhRwghadEQDF0VnTT9LVnZZT1gs-0jYs https://freethinkingministries.com/let-the-one-who-has-no-sword-buy-one-the-christian-case-for-carrying-firearms/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9874589

Ep. 66 On Violent Movies 05/22/2019

Ep. 66 On Violent Movies Should Christians watch violent movies? Tim and I tackle this controversial topic in a really fun conversation. No matter where you fall on this subject, I hope you enjoy what we had to say, while also hearing us talk about some pretty awesome movies. Relevant Links: https://freethinkingministries.com/love-thy-neighbor-pack-thy-heat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2iKBEJp92CA&feature=youtu.be&fbclid=IwAR28SnDSKeM3jEaVpsoKaPZ4rZtfhRwghadEQDF0VnTT9LVnZZT1gs-0jYs https://freethinkingministries.com/let-the-one-who-has-no-sword-buy-one-the-christian-case-for-carrying-firearms/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9874577

Ep. 65 More Avengers Endgame 05/07/2019

Ep. 65 More Avengers Endgame We had so much fun talking about Avengers Endgame last week, that we'd thought we'd take a couple of episodes to dive in a little deeper. It turns out, there's a lot of theological, philosophical, and apologetic related stuff to talk about in this movie. Also, we're pretty sure Biola University wrote most of this movie. Obvious disclaimer, there are lots of spoilers in this conversation, so go see the movie if you don't want it ruined for you. If you don't care, then by all means have at it. Relevant Links: https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/26/18518923/avengers-endgame-time-travel-loki-alive-captain-america-old?_gl=1*18crbvw* https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-endgame-middle-knowledge-the-destruction-of-the-problem-of-evil/ https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-infinity-war-possible-worlds/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9693833

Ep. 64 Talking Avengers Endgame 05/07/2019

Ep. 64 Talking Avengers Endgame We had so much fun talking about Avengers Endgame last week, that we'd thought we'd take a couple of episodes to dive in a little deeper. It turns out, there's a lot of theological, philosophical, and apologetic related stuff to talk about in this movie. Obvious disclaimer, there are lots of spoilers in this conversation, so go see the movie if you don't want it ruined for you. If you don't care, then by all means have at it. Relevant Links: https://www.polygon.com/2019/4/26/18518923/avengers-endgame-time-travel-loki-alive-captain-america-old?_gl=1*18crbvw* https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-endgame-middle-knowledge-the-destruction-of-the-problem-of-evil/ https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-infinity-war-possible-worlds/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9693818

Ep. 63 Molinism: Endgame 04/30/2019

Ep. 63 Molinism: Endgame This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Tim’s papers that he presented at ETS. We’ll look at Tim’s argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Fine-Tuning argument, and why other views do not. We also discuss a little Avengers (no spoilers, don't worry). Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ https://freethinkingministries.com/avengers-endgame-middle-knowledge-the-destruction-of-the-problem-of-evil/ https://freethinkingministries.com/molinism-is-biblical/ https://freethinkingministries.com/an-introduction-to-the-fine-tuning-argument/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 58, 59, 60, 61 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9597086

Ep. 62 Molinism & the Moral Argument 04/25/2019

Ep. 62 Molinism & the Moral Argument This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Tim’s papers that he presented at ETS. We’ll look at Tim’s argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Moral Argument, and why other views, particularly exhaustively deterministic ones, do not. Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ https://freethinkingministries.com/human-freedom-the-self-imposed-limits-of-god/ Relevant episodes: 8, 9, 10, 11, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 58, 59, 60, 61 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9523058

Ep. 61 Molinism & the Kalam 04/17/2019

Ep. 61 Molinism & the Kalam This week, we’re going to be talking about one of Tim’s papers that he presented at ETS. We’ll look at Tim’s argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Kalam Cosmological Argument, and why other views, particularly exhaustively deterministic ones, do not. Enjoy! Relevant links: https://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ https://freethinkingministries.com/a-god-problem-in-the-new-york-times/ Relevant episodes: 5, 6, 7, 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 29, 39, 40, 41, 58, 59, 60 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9425573

Ep. 60 Molinism & the FAAN 04/03/2019

Ep. 60 Molinism & the FAAN This week, we're going to be talking about one of Tim's papers that he presented at ETS. We'll look at Tim's argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to better utilize the Freethinking Argument Against Naturalism, and why other views, particularly exhaustively deterministic ones, do not. Enjoy! Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 39, 40, 41, 58, 59 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9261470

Ep. 59 Molinism & the Problem of Natural Evil 04/03/2019

Ep. 59 Molinism & the Problem of Natural Evil This week, we're going to be talking about one of Tim's papers that he presented at ETS. We'll look at Tim's argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to adequately answer the problem of natural evil, and why other views, particularly deterministic ones, do not. It's a pretty fun conversation, so you should give it a listen. Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 39, 40, 41, 58 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9261413

Ep. 58 Molinism & the Problem of Moral Evil 03/26/2019

Ep. 58 Molinism & the Problem of Moral Evil This week, we're going to be talking about one of Tim's papers that he presented at ETS. We'll look at Tim's argument as to why Molinism gives us as Christians the ability to adequately answer the problem of moral evil, and why other views, particularly deterministic ones, do not. It's pretty awesome and you should listen. I know I did. Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ Relevant episodes: 19, 20, 22, 23, 27, 39, 40, 41 /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9153752

Ep. 57 We're Back! Talking About ETS 03/17/2019

Ep. 57 We're Back! Talking About ETS Finally, a new episode where Tim and I can actually talk to each other! Tim just got back from the ETS conference in New Orleans where he presented two papers related to Molinism and middle knowledge. We talk about both of those papers and the reaction he received from those in the audience. Like we mention in the episode, we should be a little more regular with our content from here on out. We've got a lot of fun stuff planned, so keep listening and sharing the show! Relevant links: http://freethinkingministries.com/the-apologetic-significance-of-molinism-ets-edit/ http://freethinkingministries.com/squadcast /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/9036305

Ep. 56 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 2) 03/03/2019

Ep. 56 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 2) In this episode, Tim sits down with Twin Cities Apologetics and talks about free will and other related topics. It makes for some really good conversation, so we're glad to be able to bring it to you guys. Enjoy the second part of this conversation! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8858081

Ep. 55 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 1) 03/03/2019

Ep. 55 Tim Talks to Twin Cities Apologetics (Part 1) In this episode, Tim sits down with Twin Cities Apologetics and talks about free will and other related topics. It makes for some really good conversation, so we're glad to be able to bring it to you guys. Enjoy the first part of this conversation! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8858069

Ep. 54 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 2) 02/21/2019

Ep. 54 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 2) It's the second part of Tim's interview where he demonstrates his wealth of knowledge regarding Christian apologetics and theology. Is there anything this guy can't do? I mean, besides find a time to record some new episodes for you guys with his cohost, but I digress. Enjoy the episode! /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8724722

Ep. 53 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 1) 02/21/2019

Ep. 53 Tim's Interview with Jake Sullivan (Part 1) We're still trying to find some time to record some more episodes together, so this week you'll be hearing an interview Tim did where he answers some common questions you'll hear regarding Christian apologetics and theology. It's a fun interview, so have fun listening to Tim be awesome and know everything. /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8724704

Ep. 52 Talking about Abortion with Clinton Wilcox 02/12/2019

Ep. 52 Talking about Abortion with Clinton Wilcox We've got Clinton Wilcox on the podcast this week to talk about abortion. It's a fairly timely conversation, as abortion has been quite the topic in the news as of late. Unfortunately, Tim wasn't able to join us, but the conversation was still really good. We talked about how we as Christians should talk about abortion, as well as some more practical problems that might come up in discussions you might have. Relevant Links blog.secularprolife.org www.prolifetraining.com Clinton's Twitter: @Clinton_Wilcox /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8610314

Ep. 51 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 2) 01/22/2019

Ep. 51 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 2) In the second part of our two-part series on Tony Lee Ross’s article defending William Lane Craig, we primarily discuss Dr. Craig’s Christological model for how Christ can be both divine and man. We haven’t ever talked about this topic before on the podcast, so it makes for some interesting listening. Relevant Links: Original Blog - https://sinnersinthehandsofanangryblog.com/in-defense-of-william-lane-craig?fbclid=IwAR3wB1vnYa_1pj9Y7mVb-NjuKxtGwWl4LmqVv0MGT4YOr9ncdxAeB3ipIxk /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8357459

Ep. 50 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 1) 01/22/2019

Ep. 50 In Defense of William Lane Craig (Part 1) In this episode, Tim and I talk about an article written by Tony Lee Ross that talks about what he believes to be unfair criticisms of Dr. William Lane Craig. This article gave us a chance to discuss some issues we haven’t had a chance to discuss before on the podcast, such as young-earth creationism and presuppositional apologetics. Stay tuned for part two! Relevant Links: http://freethinkingministries.com/should-christians-oppose-evolution/ http://freethinkingministries.com/if-evolution-is-true-atheism-is-false/ http://freethinkingministries.com/presuppositions-vs-logical-reasoning-a-debate-on-the-best-apologetic-method/ Original Blog - https://sinnersinthehandsofanangryblog.com/in-defense-of-william-lane-craig?fbclid=IwAR3wB1vnYa_1pj9Y7mVb-NjuKxtGwWl4LmqVv0MGT4YOr9ncdxAeB3ipIxk /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8357441

Ep. 49 Politicians, Oaths of Office, & The Holy Bible 01/22/2019

Ep. 49 Politicians, Oaths of Office, & The Holy Bible Sorry for the long delay in getting you all a new episode, but it’s been a hectic couple of weeks! We should be in for a more consistent schedule from here on out. In this episode, Tim and I talk about our views on politicians putting their hands on the Bible (or not) when they are sworn in. I think we have some different points of view on this issue than you might be used to hearing, so tune in and listen. Relevant Links: http://freethinkingministries.com/a-biblical-argument-for-gay-rights/ http://freethinkingministries.com/atheism-is-un-american/ /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/8357432

The Freethinking Podcast

TOPICS