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All (177) Mike Winger (177)
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Closing the gap problem in cosmological arguments: a necessary being with limited properties would require an explanation for those limits, but there can be no deeper explanation — therefore the necessary being must be unlimited/infinite in value (i.e., God)

Q&A question for Cameron about the gap problem in cosmological arguments

Cameron Bertuzzi argument from contingency necessary being
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Favorite atheist YouTubers: Cosmic Skeptic, Steve Krei (Non Sequitur); least favorite: emotional, illogical ranters

Q&A about favorite/least-favorite atheist YouTube channels

Cosmic Skeptic Steve Krei Non Sequitur Show
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Q&A: If an atheist accepts that a creator God exists, why should that God be the Christian God? Answer: cosmological arguments narrow the field to monotheism; historical evidence for the resurrection identifies Christianity specifically

Q&A question from Emily Towler about identifying which God among creation stories

monotheism empty tomb post-resurrection appearances
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Q&A: Why would God create a world where things can exist that go against his nature? Answer: free will theodicy and soul-building theodicy

Q&A question from Skyler about the existence of sin in a world created by a holy God

forgiveness sin free will
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Questions are not arguments: unanswered questions do not constitute evidence against Christianity; they only reveal gaps in human knowledge

Cameron makes a methodological point after the theodicy discussion

apologetics methodology philosophical method questions vs. arguments
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Q&A on omnipotence: can a perfect God bring about states of affairs that are less than perfect? Cameron: yes — the question confuses God's perfection with the value of created states of affairs

Q&A question from "P or not P" about omnipotence and perfection

omnipotence perfect being theology soul-building theodicy
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Q&A: Can God give humans dominion and then interfere with that dominion? Parents analogy: giving children authority does not prevent parental intervention when abused

Q&A question from "The Messenger Reveals" about divine interference with human dominion

Genesis 1 Genesis 1 divine sovereignty human dominion
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Apologist/counter-apologist "Paulogia": Cameron had a debate with him on the resurrection on the Non Sequitur Show

Q&A from Nick J about Paulogia's series on the resurrection

resurrection of Jesus Non Sequitur Show Paulogia
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Refutation of Paulogia's claim that Romans denied honorable burial to crucifixion victims: Josephus explicitly says Romans made an exception for Jews

Mike provides a specific example of responding to a resurrection objection

Josephus empty tomb swoon theory
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

John McCrae's ministry goal: counter emotionally compelling but logically weak objections; reach younger audiences with the full human (intellectual + emotional) case for Christianity

Each host shares their goals for their YouTube channel

John McCrae John McCrae What Do You Mean emotional vs. logical reasoning
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Cameron Bertuzzi's ministry goal: expose the intellectual depth of Christian belief; counter the cultural assumption that atheism has all the intellectual high ground

Cameron shares his goals for Capturing Christianity

Capturing Christianity Christian apologetics Cameron Bertuzzi
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Closing message to skeptics from John: separate psychological/emotional persuasiveness from logical validity; the gospel has explanatory power for the whole world

Closing messages to atheist/skeptic viewers

John McCrae gospel logical fallacies John McCrae
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Closing message to skeptics from Cameron: dialogue doesn't have to be combative; take philosophy seriously; read atheist philosophers of religion (Paul Draper, Graham Oppy, John Schellenberg), not just popular atheists like Dawkins or Hitchens

Cameron's closing message to skeptic viewers

John Schellenberg Richard Dawkins Cameron Bertuzzi Paul Draper
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Recommended Christian philosophers: Richard Swinburne (The Existence of God; Is There a God?; The Resurrection of God Incarnate), Alvin Plantinga, William Lane Craig

Mike asks Cameron for top Christian philosopher recommendations

William Lane Craig Josh Rasmussen Richard Swinburne
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Rationality Rules YouTube channel criticized: incorrectly labels valid arguments as circular reasoning

Mike and Cameron discuss atheist YouTube channels

logical fallacies Rationality Rules atheist YouTube
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-14

Closing message from Mike to skeptics: the evidence for Christianity is robust and surprising; Jesus really died for sins; God is personal and loves people; life is not purposeless

Mike's closing address to skeptic viewers

atonement gospel apologetics
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Peter Boghossian's academic credentials: philosopher and assistant professor at Portland State University

Mike provides background on who Boghossian is

Peter Boghossian Portland State University Socratic method
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Boghossian redefines atheism to make it a claim about evidence rather than a position about God's existence

Mike turns to the second major redefinition in chapter 2

Atheism A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Boghossian redefines agnosticism so that it is absorbed into atheism, eliminating it as an independent category

Mike covers Boghossian's third major redefinition

Atheism Peter Boghossian Redefinition of terms
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Summary of chapter 2: Boghossian redefines faith, atheism, and agnosticism to rig the intellectual playing field

Mike synthesizes his analysis of chapter 2

Atheism A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Chapter 3: doxastic closure — Boghossian continues the assault on faith while romanticizing Street Epistemology

Mike transitions to chapter 3 of the book

A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian Faith
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Mike argues that atheism, consistently followed, leads to nihilism — no morality, purpose, beauty, love, personhood, free will, or meaning

Mike offers his counter-worldview assessment

Atheism Nihilism Morality
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Pages 44-45: Boghossian romanticizes the Street Epistemologist as a hero rescuing people from the faith "virus"

Mike reads from pages 44-45

A Manual for Creating Atheists Peter Boghossian Street Epistemology
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Greg Koukl contrasts his book "Tactics" with Boghossian's book: both use questions, but Koukl cares about truth and intellectual virtue while Boghossian cares only about instilling doubt

Video clip from Greg Koukl (Stand to Reason)

Greg Koukl Stand to Reason A Manual for Creating Atheists
Mike Winger idea 2019-03-27

Q&A: Calling God a "moral thug" (Matt Dillahunty) is logically incoherent within theism because God is the grounding for morality

Question from Mariano Rogers about Matt Dillahunty's rhetoric

Matt Dillahunty The Atheist Experience Morality
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

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

Romans 1:18-32 Romans 1:20 atheism Romans 1:18-32 cosmological argument
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-10

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

personal testimony experiential evidence for faith conversion experience
Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Apologetic mission trips: exposing youth to real intellectual and religious conflict as a discipleship strategy

McDowell describes the mission trip model developed with Brett Kunkle and J. Warner Wallace

Mormonism youth ministry Trinity
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

David Hume's confirmation bias: he used the prior improbability of miracles to refuse even examining the evidence

Mike connects Hume's philosophical approach to the confirmation bias critique (Problem 3).

David Hume Christopher Hitchens Miracles
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Hume's anti-evidential stance is the philosophical ancestor of New Atheist ridicule tactics

Mike traces the intellectual lineage from Hume to modern internet skepticism.

David Hume Christopher Hitchens Miracles
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-01

Q&A: Have you asked atheists why they even care what people believe about God?

Question from Sadie Mayo.

Apologetics Atheism Motivation for anti-religion
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-08

The Kalam Cosmological Argument leads from two premises to the conclusion that the universe has a cause with properties matching classical theism; William Lane Craig has defended it extensively

Response to question about atheist objections to the Kalam

apologetics William Lane Craig Big Bang
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Antony Flew's conversion from atheism due to biological complexity

Winger cites Antony Flew as a historical example of someone persuaded by biological complexity to abandon atheism.

biological fine-tuning intelligent design Antony Flew
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Bayesian approach: fine-tuning evidence favors theism over atheism

McLatchie articulates a Bayesian argument: the fine-tuning evidence is far more expected on theism than on atheism.

natural theology Jonathan McLatchie cosmic fine-tuning
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Why natural theology arguments point to the God of Christianity, not Hinduism

McLatchie explains why the cosmological and design arguments favor the Abrahamic God over polytheistic conceptions.

Mormonism polytheism monotheism
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-16

Philosophical argument for the Trinity from God's essential love

McLatchie presents a philosophical argument that the triune nature of God is required by God's essential attribute of selfless love.

1 John 4:8 Trinity Islam Richard Swinburne
Mike Winger idea 2019-05-22

Acts 14 -- Paul in Iconium and Lystra heals a lame man; Gentiles try to worship Paul and Barnabas as gods. Paul corrects their polytheism but never mentions the Law of Moses.

Survey of Acts 14, Paul's ministry in Lystra

Acts 14:8-11 Barnabas Paul the Apostle Acts 14:8-11
Mike Winger idea 2019-06-19

Pastoral observation: many Jesus mythicists are atheists/agnostics who find it convenient to deny Jesus existed rather than grapple with who he claimed to be

Winger's pastoral/spiritual observation about mythicists' motivations

apologetics atheism Jesus mythicism
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Historical context: Isaiah 45 is addressed to Cyrus, a pagan king — God asserting universal sovereignty

Mike examines the literary and historical setting of Isaiah 45

Isaiah 45 divine sovereignty Isaiah 45 Cyrus the Great
Mike Winger idea 2019-07-03

Euthyphro dilemma fails for the Christian God but was valid against finite pagan gods

Historical-philosophical context explaining why the dilemma persisted

Plato polytheism nature of God
Mike Winger idea 2019-09-04

Atheists (Dan Barker) also use the cross-vs-stake argument to discredit Christianity

Beyond JWs, some atheists promote the idea that Jesus did not die on a cross. Winger specifically names Dan Barker, known in online atheist circles as an authority on New Testament Greek, who argues Christians are wrong about even the basic shape of the cross.

apologetics Dan Barker atheism
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

It is epistemically wrong to require Christians to answer every argument or question before their faith is valid

Critique of the epistemic standard often imposed by internet atheism

atheism epistemology faith and reason
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

Internet atheism often operates by demanding unanswerable questions rather than engaging arguments honestly

Sociological and spiritual observation about common atheist engagement tactics

atheism epistemology witness of the Holy Spirit
Mike Winger idea 2020-01-29

When an atheist asks context-free gotcha questions and refuses to engage answers, move on

Q&A: strategy for handling an atheist who uses OT verses as traps without wanting real dialogue

evangelism apologetics atheism
Mike Winger idea 2020-08-28

Proverbs 16:4 is a text that theological grids are read INTO, not a proof text for either Calvinist determinism or open theism

Question from Tobias about whether Proverbs 16:4 suggests God predestined the wicked for condemnation.

Proverbs 16:4 hermeneutics Molinism middle knowledge
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

Michael Heiser: highly commended as a scholar-communicator; divine council theory (Deut 32, Ps 82) personally rejected but engagement required

Q from David Hinnebog asking for comment on Michael Heiser and his divine council theory.

1 Samuel 28 Deuteronomy 32 Psalm 82 Michael Heiser monotheism 1 Samuel 28
Mike Winger idea 2020-09-04

God's "regret" in Genesis 6 and 1 Samuel 15 is addressed in Mike's dedicated video; open theism is a problematic response to this

Q from Floatydoc about how God, who knows all things, can make decisions he later regrets (Gen 6; 1 Sam 15).

Genesis 6 1 Samuel 15 Genesis 6 1 Samuel 15 divine repentance
Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Calvinist theodicy: God is not guilty for decreed sin because he is perfect goodness; skeptical theism is the strongest available path for Calvinists

Question from Matt Bach about whether the Calvinist claim "God is not guilty for sin he decrees because his purposes are good" is a form of ends-justify-the-means reasoning

theodicy Calvinism problem of evil
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

Annihilationism — Mike disagrees; critiques Chris Date and Rethinking Hell

A viewer asks if annihilationism is a Christian-condoned form of atheism.

eternal punishment conditional immortality hell
Mike Winger idea 2018-09-26

LDS Book of Abraham — Joseph Smith's evolving theology from monotheism toward polytheism

A viewer asks about doing a verse-by-verse study on the LDS Book of Abraham.

Mormonism Joseph Smith Book of Abraham