Open To Truth

Are you struggling to reconcile your faith with modern scientific findings? In this episode , we explore ways to navigate the intersection of faith and science. Philosophy professor, Joe Vukov, explains the main models used to understand the relationship: the conflict model, independence model, and dialogue model. Spoiler alert - the last one is ideal! Whether you are a person of faith or a skeptic, this episode has something for you. Tune in to discover how to approach this complex and often divisive topic with open-mindedness and respect.

How can we create space for people to still have vibrant fellowship with one another despite severe differences of belief? Is it possible to genuinely cheer on someone who leads, believes, and teaches ideas that are different from yours?  Are there views that just create too large a chasm where fellowship must be broken?  Are there limits to showing theological hospitality? Stay Curious!

Should big tech be able to use the data you freely give it for whatever legal purposes that they see fit?  Do we have privacy rights when it comes to our data and to what extent? What ought the legal and moral boundaries be for data collection and usage?  We explore this topic through conversation and see if we can come to a better understanding of the issue and our part to play as consumers of big tech's products. Stay Curious!

The cultural conversation has shifted yet again to abortion, in light of happenings in the Supreme Court regarding the landmark case of Roe v. Wade.  In this episode, we attempt to get to the heart of the matter as we see it, which is whether the entity within the womb has certain rights.  That is, if such entities are persons that have various rights including a right to life, this limits the range of morally permissible options for how to treat it.    Stay Curious!

We're a number of weeks out from the shocking slap that occurred on the stage of the Oscars.  Far from focusing on the celebrity drama of it all, the incident raises a number of important legal, ethical, and cultural questions.  Is there any kind of speech worth of a physical, violent reaction? How much does the setting matter? What if someone other than Will Smith had done this - how much should that matter for our legal and ethical decisions? Is there a limit to comedy and what is the role of comedy in a good society?  Enjoy the conversation and stay curious!

How do churches actually get started? Should the people that help lead them get paid? What is the purpose of church? Why gather together in this way? We discuss these questions and more in this week's episode. Stay Curious!

When you read anything, part of what you're doing is trying to find the meaning. "What does this mean?" There's a number of theories about how to do this well and we focus on interpreting the Bible as our example. We discuss a three-layer approach to meaning and unpack some common issues related to Biblical interpretation, particularly the New Testament's use of the Old Testament and the idea of sensus plenior or "fuller meaning." Stay Curious!

If you are a regular listener, you know that both Clint and Tony work in a local church.  A consistent question is "what does it mean to be a pastor" and we discuss the various hats pastors are asked to wear.  What is the primary job of a pastor? How does one know if they are cut out for such a role?  How is pastoring different from being a counselor, therapist, friend, spiritual director, etc...? We discuss all this and more in this week's episode. Stay Curious! You can support us by leaving a review or subscribing to our weekly blog at opentotruth.com/subscribe.

Have you ever felt like a conversation you were having about an important topic went really poorly? Like you were talking past each other and each party only cared about demonstrating the correctness of their side rather than trying to understand? We have too - particularly online (I'm looking at you, YouTube comment section!).  We need to resurrect the art of the conversation.  A genuine, helpful conversation about things that matter most that are geared at discovering the truth.  In this episode, we outline what proper conversations of this sort should feel like and how we can become more skilled at having them. Stay Curious!

Most of us have been moved by a powerful story of forgiveness. What's going on there? Why do we find it moving? What's happening when we apologize, ask for forgiveness, and grant forgiveness when we've been wronged? We discuss the "mechanics" of forgiveness - how it really works and whether we can ever just muster up the required attitude for forgiveness or if it just happens to us. Stay Curious! You can support us by letting us know you are listening! Subscribe to our free newsletter/blog at opentotruth.substack.com.

Talk of the metaverse is lighting up the internet. The possibilities and applications are seemingly endless - for good and for ill. Is technology truly morally neutral? Is it really good for human beings to participate in the metaverse, particularly in virtual and artificial reality? There are a number of moral quandaries about how to safely, securely, and wisely unleash the metaverse on the world. Join the conversation and as always, stay curious! Subscribe to our free newsletter at opentotruth.substack.com.

Few portions of Scripture are as intimidating, confusing, and bizarre as the book of Revelation.  The normal cues for discovering the context that would help guide the search of understanding are themselves subject to some philosophical assumptions at the outset.  In this conversation, we make clear what some of those assumptions are and try to map out a working hermeneutic for reading the book well. Stay Curious!

Most of us claim to know some things - not only ordinary things, but perhaps even some grand things concerning meaning, God, and ethics.  Yet, the view known as "skepticism" threatens to undermine such knowledge claims.   In this episode, we have a candid conversation about what knowledge is and what exactly the threat of skepticism is.  This one will require a bit more attention, but if you hang with it, we think it will be helpful to you in sorting out what you think about knowledge. Stay Curious!

The doctrine of the Trinity - the unity of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit as distinct persons in one being, the Godhead - is a central affirmation about God in the broadly Christian church.  It also is unparalleled in its mystery and evasion of easy understanding. We take a look at some reasons to believe God is triune in nature, and the trustworthiness and reliability of Jesus as a reporter of theological truths. Stay Curious!

In part 2 of this conversation on the book The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer, we discuss some of the flagship practices needed to live out the Way of Jesus.  We discuss silence, solitude, slowing, sabbath, and simplicity.  Enjoy and stay curious!

Dallas Willard once said that "Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day. You must ruthlessly eliminate hurry from your life." We discuss the main ideas from John Mark Comer's book, The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, which outlines the nature of the problem of hurry/speed in our culture, and how the way of Jesus addresses this problem head on. Stay Curious! You can support us by joining our weekly email list: opentotruth.com/subscribe.

Can God be hurt or wounded? Can God experience setbacks? How influence-able is God? Stay Curious!

Few would argue that it is unethical to defend one's life and well-being from clear and present danger.  But, it is not so easy to articulate why exactly we share this intuition.  What is the moral underpinning for self-defense? Should we appeal to rights, and if so, can our attackers lose some of their rights, such as the right to life, by their misdeeds? Or do we justify self-defense on other grounds.  We use the recent Kyle Rittenhouse trial as a launch point for the discussion. Stay Curious!

How does God go about saving humanity? How does this relate to God's sovereignty and the human condition?  We discuss the longstanding discussion between those of so-called Calvinist and Arminian persuasion.  We examine in detail the TULIP acronym, which is popularly and helpfully used to articulate the Calvinist position and we offer our thoughts on each point.  At the end of the day, those of us who are theists want to know... What is God like? Stay Curious!

Tony and I revisit the Bitcoin and cryptocurrency conversation eight months after our initial exposure to rigorous thought regarding it.  We discuss the history and the WHY behind bitcoin, inflation vs. deflation, energy conservation, loss prevention, theft, assets as stores of value, and more. Stay Curious! Andrew Bailey and Bradley Rettler on Bitcoin  - OTT #38