Why We Can't Agree on What Faith Is and What We Can Learn From It.

Twitter poll on the definition of faith: Christian vs. non-Christian results

Opening segment introducing the topic

Why Mike gave only two poll options and why "trust" is the appropriate generic definition of faith

Explaining poll methodology

Non-Christians define faith as "belief without evidence" because they assume Christians have no evidence

Analyzing the poll divide

Some Christians erroneously voted for "belief without evidence" — Mike argues this view is unbiblical

Accounting for anomalies in poll results

Poll manipulation: atheists voted fraudulently as Christians to skew results; example of Jen admitting it

Discussing poll integrity

Randall Haynes: a Christian confused by poll wording who voted "belief without evidence" but actually agrees faith involves evidence

Examining individual poll respondents

Non-believer "Snoopit" acknowledges double standard: uses "trust" for human faith but "belief without evidence" for Christian faith

Examining skeptic responses to the poll

Mike attributes the pejorative definition of faith among atheists to a deliberate campaign, specifically naming Richard Dawkins

Analyzing origin of atheist definition of faith

Street Epistemology described; Adam Does SE ran a counter-poll; major atheists responded to it

Introducing Street Epistemology and its adherents

Seth Andrews (The Thinking Atheist) defines faith as "wish thinking" and surrender to unreality

Examining a prominent atheist's definition of faith

Reed (Street Epistemology YouTuber) argues that "belief without evidence" functions as a costly loyalty signal within religious in-groups

Examining another atheist's social-psychological theory of faith

Anthony Magnabosco defines faith with two tiers: trust for natural claims, "untestable truth" for supernatural claims

Examining the top Street Epistemology YouTuber's definition of faith

Atheist responses to evidence for God ultimately reduce to anti-supernaturalism

Meta-observation about atheist argumentation

Three former Christians define faith negatively — Volker Dittmer calls faith the logical opposite of intelligence

Examining former Christians' definitions of faith

Charles Moss (former Christian) defines faith as active denial of observation to preserve belief

Examining former Christians' definitions of faith

Greg Mater (former Christian) incorrectly cited Hebrews 11:1 as a definition of faith rather than a description

Examining a former Christian's use of Hebrews 11:1

Jesus healed the paralytic to provide evidence for his authority to forgive sins — faith is evidence-based

Biblical example of evidence-based faith

JD Flier defines faith as "belief in an ever-receding pocket of scientific ignorance" — the God-of-the-gaps argument

Examining another atheist definition of faith

Upcoming debate with Matt Dillahunty on whether belief in the resurrection is reasonable; science is not the only method of knowing

Announcing the Dillahunty debate and defending historical methodology

Peter Boghossian's "A Manual for Creating Atheists" teaches that "I believe in God" secretly means "I pretend to know things I don't know"

Critique of Boghossian's framing of religious belief

Matt Dillahunty's shifting definitions of faith: "excuse without good reason," "believing things you know aren't true," and "belief with evidence"

Critique of Dillahunty's inconsistency on faith

Michael J. Hooper's definition: faith means you don't care about truth — and how this blocks evangelism

Examining an extreme atheist definition of faith

Historical parallel: early church marginalized by accusation that Jesus wanted to destroy the temple — same dynamic as "faith is irrational" accusation today

Historical analogy for communication breakdown

Tim McGrew vs. Boghossian debate and a Facebook poll showing the same Christian/non-Christian split on the definition of faith

Corroborating evidence for poll results from an independent debate

The definitional divide on faith is a communication barrier to evangelism — Christians must clarify they have evidence

Practical application of the poll findings

Street Epistemology question about ranking faith in pin-falling vs. resurrection — Mike argues it is designed to produce doubt, not seek truth

Q&A: Doug (Street Epistemology type) asks if faith in pin falling and faith in resurrection can be ranked

Shannon's question: if faith is trust with evidence, isn't it knowledge? Mike argues knowledge and faith can coexist

Q&A on the epistemology of faith

How Old Testament believers were saved by faith before Christ — Romans 4 and Genesis 15:6

Q&A: JoseCJ asks how OT believers were saved before Christ's work on the cross

Abraham and David in Romans 4 as Old Testament examples of justification apart from works

Exegesis of Romans 4 on OT salvation

Romans 1:18-32 describes two divine judgments on those who suppress the evidence for God: sin and a debased mind

Q&A: Monica Poole asks how Street Epistemology relates to Romans 1

Mike announces a verse-by-verse study through the Gospel of Mark beginning in May

Ministry announcement

Mike is undecided on once-saved-always-saved (eternal security) and declines to teach on it until he has biblical clarity

Q&A: Fabio asks about once saved always saved

Disciples' failure to cast out demons vs. faith as a mustard seed — two distinct teachings not to conflate

Q&A: Haggar Vid asks about the disciples having little faith and the mustard-seed faith saying

Advice to a 15-year-old aspiring pastor: character comes before ministry; study the pastoral epistles

Q&A: Isaiah Jones (age 15) asks for advice on becoming a pastor

Mike's personal conversion testimony: depression before faith, joy and relationship with God after — and subsequent evidential verification

Q&A: Benjamin Acompo (skeptic) asks what evidence a 12-year-old Mike had at conversion beyond feelings

Debate with Matt Dillahunty on the reasonableness of believing in the resurrection — hosted on Capturing Christianity

Final announcement about the upcoming debate