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.

Is William Lane Craig a Heretic? The Trinity Controversy Explained 09/15/2026

Is William Lane Craig a Heretic? The Trinity Controversy Explained Is William Lane Craig of a heretic for questioning the doctrine of eternal generation? And does his view actually put him outside the boundaries of Nicene Christianity? In this episode, Josh Klein and Dr. Tim Stratton are joined by Tyson James to respond to the recent controversy surrounding Craig’s understanding of the Trinity. Rather than reacting to an isolated soundbite, we dig into what Craig actually argues, why he questions certain formulations of the eternal generation of the Son, and whether those disagreements amount to a rejection of the Trinity—or something far less dramatic. We discuss the Nicene Creed, eternal generation, the economic and ontological Trinity, divine simplicity, Craig’s Cerberus model, and the question of what ultimately carries theological authority: Scripture, reason, tradition, or an allegedly infallible Church. Read William Lane Craig’s paper on the subject for yourself: Tyson works closely with Reasonable Faith. Learn more about Dr. Craig’s work and resources here: And if you’d like to hear Craig in person, check out 20 Years of Reasonable Faith, celebrating two decades of Reasonable Faith’s ministry: Have a question, disagreement, or something you think we missed? Join the conversation: If you value careful conversations at the intersection of logic, philosophy, theology, and apologetics, consider partnering with FreeThinking Ministries: As we always say here at FTM — Stay Reasonable. ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ 00:00 Is William Lane Craig a Heretic? 06:26 What William Lane Craig Actually Believes 16:20 Did Nicaea ‘Settle’ Eternal Generation? 22:40 Is Craig Appealing to the Majority? 32:34 Does Getting Theology Wrong Mean You Don’t Love God? 41:18 Begotten vs. Created: What’s the Difference? 48:37 Does Craig Make the Holy Spirit the Father? 54:00 What Distinguishes the Persons of the Trinity? 58:44 Eternal Generation, Causation, and Contingency 1:02:45 Divine Simplicity: Is God Composed of Parts? 1:05:51 Craig’s Cerberus Thought Experiment 1:08:45 20 Years of Reasonable Faith 1:11:26 Does Christianity Need an Infallible Interpreter? 1:16:45 Would an Infallible Church Be Better? 1:21:35 Does Craig Contradict Himself With the Kalam? 1:24:40 Final Thoughts: Is Craig a Heretic? ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: Facebook: Instagram: X: TikTok: #williamlanecraig #Trinity #NiceneCreed #ChristianTheology #Apologetics #EternalGeneration #SolaScriptura #ReasonableFaith #FreeThinkingMinistries #Christianity /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/42854085

Are You Just a Biological Machine? | Dr. Joshua Farris on Why Souls 09/08/2026

Are You Just a Biological Machine? | Dr. Joshua Farris on Why Souls What difference would it make if you really are more than your physical body? Dr. Joshua Ryan Farris of joins us to discuss his new book, Why Souls? A Mirror to the Universe, and why the existence of the soul changes how we understand reality, human identity, consciousness, freedom, equality, and even life after death. As artificial intelligence becomes increasingly capable of imitating human thought, an old question has become increasingly urgent: What actually makes us human? In this episode, we explore whether AI can truly think or know anything, why consciousness seems to require a conscious subject, how the soul relates to libertarian free will and rational agency, what grounds fundamental human equality, and whether near-death experiences provide evidence that we are more than our bodies. Check out Dr. Farris's work here: Check out Why Souls? A Mirror to the Universe: Got a question? Join the conversation: Like this episode? Consider supporting FTM so we can continue producing conversations like this one: ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ 00:00 What Are You? The Soul in the Age of AI 04:10 Why Write Why Souls? 06:56 Why the Soul Changes Everything 10:35 Are People Becoming More Spiritual? 15:22 Can Belief in the Soul Point People Toward Christianity? 16:59 What Exactly Is a Soul? 20:39 Can AI Become Actual Intelligence? 26:26 Does ChatGPT Actually Know Anything? 30:13 Consciousness Requires a Someone 37:34 Does the Soul Ground Free Will and Rational Agency? 45:44 What Makes All Human Beings Equal? 50:50 What Makes Tim and LeBron James Equal? 54:18 Do Near-Death Experiences Provide Evidence for the Soul? 56:52 Can Materialism Explain Near-Death Experiences? 1:04:00 Can You Be a Christian Materialist? 1:07:42 Why Are Near-Death Experiences Dismissed So Quickly? 1:12:36 Why Should Ordinary People Care About the Soul? 1:14:45 Closing Thoughts with Dr. Farris ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: Facebook: Instagram: X: TikTok: #Apologetics #FreeThinking #Christianity #Souls /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/42725690

What Makes Human Life Valuable? | The Abortion Debate Goes Deeper. 09/02/2026

Can Traditionalism, Annihilationism, & Universalism ALL Be Right? 09/01/2026

Can Traditionalism, Annihilationism, & Universalism ALL Be Right? Can Traditionalism, Annihilationism, and Universalism all be right in some sense? In this episode, Josh Klein and Dr. Tim Stratton sit down with Chad McIntosh to discuss his provocative proposal concerning the nature of hell, the fate of the damned, and what it means to bear (and potentially lose) the image of God. Chad argues for a unique view in which the damned ultimately cease to be human, conscious suffering is not necessarily everlasting, and those who remain are preserved as eternal “monuments” to God’s justice and the significance of salvation history. Along the way, we discuss the imago Dei, personal identity, the Second Death, annihilationism, universalism, eternal conscious punishment, libertarian freedom, and whether a person could continue to exist after ceasing to be human. Whether you agree with Chad’s proposal or not, this is a fascinating attempt to reason carefully through some of the most difficult questions surrounding the doctrine of hell. ➡️ LEARN MORE ABOUT CHAD ⬅️ ➡️ CONNECT WITH FTM ⬅️ ➡️ SUPPORT FTM ⬅️ Help us continue producing conversations, articles, and resources designed to help people reason together: ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ 00:00 Introducing Chad McIntosh & a New View of Hell 05:08 The Traditionalist Defense: Can All Three Views Be Right? 14:09 Can the Damned Cease to Be Human? 16:58 The Spectrum View of the Imago Dei 20:57 Does This View Make Some People Less Valuable? 34:40 C.S. Lewis and the “Remains” View of Hell 40:00 The Second Death, Rabies & the “Monster” View 48:38 Can Hell Be Eternal Without Eternal Suffering? 55:30 Why Preserve the Damned as “Monuments”? 1:03:32 Will We Interact With These Eternal Monuments? 1:09:09 Free Will in Heaven & the Purpose of the Monuments 1:13:30 Is This View Actually Plausible? 1:17:30 Why This View Matters & Where to Find Chad 1:20:13 Final Thoughts ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: Facebook: Instagram: X: TikTok: #Apologetics #FreeThinking #Christianity #Hell #Theology #Philosophy #Annihilationism #Universalism #ImagoDei /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/42570865

Can We Know Jesus Rose from the Dead? | Phil Bair 08/18/2026

Leighton Flowers: What Stands Out in Mere Molinism 08/11/2026

Restored Truth Mocked Tim Stratton's Debate... Our Response 08/04/2026

Restored Truth Mocked Tim Stratton's Debate... Our Response Recently, Dr. Tim Stratton joined alongside fellow Protestants Micah and Marcus to debate three members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS/Mormon). Afterward, the LDS channel published a reaction video that repeatedly targeted Tim personally rather than substantively. In this video, Tim and Josh respond point by point, clarify what actually happened in the debate, and address the claims made in that reaction. See the full debate: See the full reaction video: Join our team: Connect with us: For more information on Mormonism: ➡️ CHAPTERS ⬅️ 00:00 Introduction 02:05 They Hated Tim... But Why? 06:48 What Did They Get Right? 09:17 Ad Hominem Attacks Against Tim 10:45 Was Tim Special Pleading? 13:35 How the Debate Was Actually Structured 15:18 The Book of Abraham 21:00 The Truth About Manuscripts and Textual Criticism 32:47 Was Tim Offended by the Cross Necklace? 34:05 Tim Doesn't Build Bridges? 36:41 The "Cheatiest Cheat Sheet" Controversy 42:24 Explaining the Different "GOSPEL" Acronym 47:44 Different Kinds of Prophecy 59:30 "Utterly Destroy" or "Strike"? The Hebrew Matters 1:11:39 Micah 3 & Jeremiah 26 Examined 1:14:40 The Matthew 21 & Zechariah 9 Issue 1:18:19 Why Conditional Prophecy Makes Sense on Molinism 1:21:23 Asking Jesus Questions? How Dare He! 1:28:55 Is Tim's Faith Contingent on Mosaic Authorship? 1:34:34 Protestants Don't Believe in Prophets? 1:40:00 Does 2 Peter Teach There's No Need for Daily Repentance? 1:44:46 Did Paul Claim Perfection in Philippians 3:6? 1:49:55 Do Christians and LDS Make Good Neighbors? 1:59:17 Tim's Fancy New Words 2:03:15 Do They Ever Address Tim's Argument? 2:24:15 Debunking a Faulty Reading of Hebrews 2:27:23 Why We Won't Have a Discussion with Them 2:31:00 Concluding Thoughts ➡️ SOCIALS ⬅️ Website: Facebook: Instagram: X: TikTok: #Apologetics #Christianity #LDS #Mormon #Theology #FreeThinkingMinistries /episode/index/show/freethinkingpodcast/id/42271285

Inside the Dan Barker vs. Adam Lloyd Johnson Debate Book 07/28/2026

Nebraska Baseball Stars Dylan Carey & Joshua Overbeek on Faith, Pressure, and Purpose 07/14/2026

You DON'T Have Freedom of Religion in America (Here's Why) 07/07/2026

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