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All (140) Mike Winger (140)

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-15

Argument 4 — "Religion is desperation, fear of reality" (Nietzsche) — is circular (assumes atheism is reality) and actually describes Buddhism more than Christianity. Atheism itself denies key realities.

Fourth argument from Nietzsche: religion as escapism

Daniel Dennett circular reasoning atheism Sam Harris

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-15

The problem of evil actually backfires on atheism: evil's existence presupposes objective moral values, which have no grounding on atheism. The problem of evil is itself evidence for God.

How the problem of evil becomes an argument FOR God

atheism problem of evil atheism

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-15

The problem of evil is the #1 argument that practically draws people away from God, but Christianity alone offers both intellectual answers and emotional/pastoral hope — atheism offers neither explanation nor solution.

Pastoral conclusion on the problem of evil and summary of all 5 arguments

theodicy atheism theodicy

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

The Free Thinking Argument: if naturalism is true, humans cannot freely think; but humans can freely think; therefore naturalism is false — and the best explanation is the biblical God.

Introduction to interview with Dr. Tim Stratton on the argument from free will for God's existence

naturalism naturalism arguments for God

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Tim Stratton's journey from cage-stage Calvinist determinist to Molinist — catalyzed by noticing atheists calling themselves "free thinkers" while denying free will, and Calvinists doing the same in reverse.

Stratton's background and what sparked his research

Calvinism Molinism Calvinism

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Libertarian free will defined: the ability to choose among alternative options compatible with one's nature. Two versions — principle of alternative possibilities (PAP) and sourcehood freedom.

Philosophical definitions before presenting the formal argument

compatibilism compatibilism libertarian free will

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Most leading naturalist/atheist thinkers deny libertarian free will: Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, Hawking, Rosenberg, Coyne, Carroll, Barker. Stratton uses their own admissions as premises in his argument.

Establishing that atheists themselves concede the naturalism-determinism link

Daniel Dennett Sam Harris Dan Barker Dan Barker

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

The Free Thinking Argument formal syllogism: (1) no libertarian freedom → no rational inference; (2) humans DO rationally infer; (3) therefore humans have libertarian freedom. Stratton calls it deductive and potentially debate-ending.

Presentation of the core Free Thinking Argument

libertarian free will free thinking argument

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

The expanded Free Thinking Argument Against Naturalism adds steps from naturalism → no soul → no libertarian freedom → no rational inference (all deductive), plus abductive conclusion that God is best explanation.

Full 8-step argument against naturalism

naturalism naturalism arguments for God

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Premise 3 defense: if external forces determine your beliefs, you lose justification for knowledge. You become a "bag of beliefs, none of which are up to the bag." The mad scientist thought experiment illustrates this.

Detailed defense of the most attacked premise

determinism determinism consciousness

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Premise 4 is self-evident: to argue that humans CANNOT rationally infer knowledge claims is itself a rational inference — it's self-defeating. Some things are properly basic beliefs that don't require proof.

Defense of premise 4 and discussion of properly basic beliefs

Alvin Plantinga self-refuting argument properly basic beliefs

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

The Kalam Cosmological Argument supports step 8: the cause of the universe must be timeless, spaceless, immaterial, enormously powerful, personal, and possessing libertarian freedom — matching the biblical God.

Using the Kalam to defend the abductive conclusion (step 8)

William Lane Craig William Lane Craig Kalam cosmological argument

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Biblical confirmation: Genesis 1:26-27 (made in God's image as immaterial minds), 2 Corinthians 5:8 (we exist apart from body), Galatians 5:13 (called to live in libertarian freedom to choose love over sin).

Scriptural support for the philosophical conclusions

Genesis 1:26-27 2 Corinthians 5:8 Galatians 5:13 image of God Genesis 1:26-27 2 Corinthians 5:8

Mike Winger idea 2020-09-21

Some atheists are driven to deny their own existence to maintain naturalism — Rosenberg (The Atheist's Guide to Reality), Harris, Dennett all deny the reality of the self/consciousness. This is self-refuting: someone must be having the illusion.

Consequence of determinism: denial of self-existence

Daniel Dennett Sam Harris naturalism naturalism

Mike Winger idea 2020-11-16

Progressive Christians are the modern counterpart of the Sadducees — not atheists, but religious liberals who call themselves Christians while rejecting resurrection, judgment, hell, the supernatural, and biblical authority.

Introduction to Mark Series pt 48 on the Sadducees and progressive Christianity

Mark 12:18-27 Mark series Rob Bell Brian Zahnd progressive Christianity

Mike Winger idea 2021-06-11

Can a Christian Marry a Non-Christian?: Is it OK for a Christian to marry a non-Christian like a Buddhist, atheist, or Muslim? And what if they already have children? How would you counsel the Christian?

Q&A question: Can a Christian Marry a Non-Christian?

atheism Islam

Mike Winger idea 2021-06-18

About Gratitude in the Midst of Hardship: When I was an atheist, I got depressed and actually planned to end my life to escape all its struggles. I now know God exists, but I can’t be grateful for being created. How do I repent from that?

Q&A question: About Gratitude in the Midst of Hardship

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2021-07-23

Should Atheist Arguments Concern Us?: Should we be concerned about counterarguments that atheists and skeptics present to our faith?

Q&A question: Should Atheist Arguments Concern Us?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2021-08-20

Did Moses Write the Pentateuch?: Do we have evidence that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible? My atheist friend is questioning this.

Q&A question: Did Moses Write the Pentateuch?

Moses atheism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-13

Could God Exist but Not be Perfectly Good?: Atheist here. What stops a supernatural but not perfectly good being from being the author of the miracles in the Bible, especially when you already accept the existence of supernatural beings?

Q&A question: Could God Exist but Not be Perfectly Good?

miracles atheism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-13

Does Creating Time Require Time?: An atheist posited this question: If God created time, doesn't that require time, to create time?

Q&A question: Does Creating Time Require Time?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2022-05-13

Is a Belief in God an Attempt to Personalize the Impersonal?: An atheist claims: “Belief in God is what happens when social brains try to explain an impersonal universe. Personal explanations for impersonal events fail to deal with logic of uncertainty.” Any help?

Q&A question: Is a Belief in God an Attempt to Personalize the Impersonal?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2022-09-02

About Bart Ehrman’s Teachings & Tactics: You have talked about Dr. Bart Ehrman (ex: your “Atheist Scholar Misleads Millions Of People” video). Does he also use these "techniques" on his professional peers?

Q&A question: About Bart Ehrman’s Teachings & Tactics

Bart Ehrman atheism

Mike Winger idea 2023-03-03

Could God be Playing a Joke On Us?: I am a new Christian and my brother is an atheist. He has brought up the question of “What if God is lying about everything and this all a big cosmic joke?” How do I combat this thinking?

Q&A question: Could God be Playing a Joke On Us?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2023-04-21

Did Adam Know Right from Wrong?: I was talking to an atheist and they asked, “If Adam had not yet eaten of the tree of knowledge, therefore not knowing disobedience, how can God hold him accountable and judge him for it?”

Q&A question: Did Adam Know Right from Wrong?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2023-05-12

Can Non-Believers Come to Church to Observe?: Are there any good rules of thumb for atheists attending a church service for the purposes of learning? Assuming they have no intention of conversion, is this considered rude or invasive?

Q&A question: Can Non-Believers Come to Church to Observe?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2023-05-12

Was YHWH a “Storm god”?: I have been hearing atheists & Muslims saying our God YHWH was originally a storm god. Has this been proven archeologically? Any implications on our faith? Any thoughts on that?

Q&A question: Was YHWH a “Storm god”?

atheism Islam

Mike Winger idea 2023-08-18

God Didn’t Reveal Himself?: What do you tell an atheist who says he looked for God and God didn't reveal Himself to him? And in general, what do you make of the argument of nonresistant non-believers?

Q&A question: God Didn’t Reveal Himself?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2023-12-01

Reaching Atheist Children: I'm a new Christian from Islam. My son & daughter are like Richard Dawkins (atheist). What do you think would be the best way to give them the Gospel, short but clear?

Q&A question: Reaching Atheist Children

atheism Islam Richard Dawkins

Mike Winger idea 2023-12-01

Was Jesus’ Death Truly Sacrificial?: What is the biblical nature of sacrifice? An atheist asked me how Christ's death & resurrection is truly a sacrifice if God is infinite. How do I best explain Jesus' sacrifice?

Q&A question: Was Jesus’ Death Truly Sacrificial?

Jesus resurrection atheism

Mike Winger idea 2023-12-16

How to Put Faith in Christ: As an atheist who would like to believe in God, goes to church, and has read the Gospel, what steps do I take to believe?

Q&A question: How to Put Faith in Christ

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2024-07-05

Taking On an Atheist’s Challenge: Can you please respond to Holy Koolaid’s video alleging various Bible contradictions and problems with Christianity? Did Jesus Himself undermine Christianity?

Q&A question: Taking On an Atheist’s Challenge

Jesus atheism

Mike Winger idea 2024-07-12

Unnecessary Body Parts = Evolution?: I have a coworker that is an atheist. He said that there are parts of our bodies that are not necessary and that might prove evolution rather than a Creator. Any thoughts?

Q&A question: Unnecessary Body Parts = Evolution?

atheism evolution

Mike Winger idea 2024-07-12

Bible = Pure Fiction?: As a Christian, what is an appropriate answer to an atheist claiming that the Bible is pure fiction?

Q&A question: Bible = Pure Fiction?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2024-10-04

Are Atheists Gullible?: Why do I say that atheists tend to be gullible?

Q&A question: Are Atheists Gullible?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2025-01-10

Was Jesus Tempted with Unbelief?: As a former atheist, the verse in Hebrews 4: 15 comforts and confuses me; how could the Son of Man be tempted with unbelief in Himself?

Q&A question: Was Jesus Tempted with Unbelief?

Hebrews 4 Jesus atheism Hebrews 4

Mike Winger idea 2025-05-09

Why Doesn’t God Save Everyone?: My brother is an atheist and says he wouldn’t follow a God that he knows is real, who knowingly creates people who will reject Him and go to Hell, despite having power to save everyone. It’s hard to reason. Thoughts?

Q&A question: Why Doesn’t God Save Everyone?

atheism hell

Mike Winger idea 2025-10-03

Street Healings: Are They Real?: Are street healings real? Christians pray for strangers who report relief from pain and various illnesses. But atheist Derren Brown has produced similar results. Are these miracles or psychological effects?

Q&A question: Street Healings: Are They Real?

Derren Brown miracles atheism

Mike Winger idea 2025-10-10

500 Witnesses: Verifiable?: I’ve got a question regarding the reliability of the 500 Witnesses source. Atheists say that we have no way to verify that the number Paul gives is accurate. How would you answer this?

Q&A question: 500 Witnesses: Verifiable?

atheism

Mike Winger idea 2026-01-09

Miller experienced the hostility firsthand: prank calls from PhD colleagues, a Marxist professor placing a "delusional" note in his file, and having his dissertation sabotaged for having "too much of a faith perspective." It is now routinely understood in PhD programs that Christians hide their faith until they receive their degree — a level of suppression that atheists and Marxists never face.

Personal testimony of anti-Christian hostility in secular PhD programs; Christians hide faith to survive

atheism

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Argument 4 — "Religion is desperation, fear of reality" (Nietzsche) — is circular (assumes atheism is reality) and actually describes Buddhism more than Christianity. Atheism itself denies key realities.

The problem of evil actually backfires on atheism: evil's existence presupposes objective moral values, which have no grounding on atheism. The problem of evil is itself evidence for God.

The problem of evil is the #1 argument that practically draws people away from God, but Christianity alone offers both intellectual answers and emotional/pastoral hope — atheism offers neither explanation nor solution.

The Free Thinking Argument: if naturalism is true, humans cannot freely think; but humans can freely think; therefore naturalism is false — and the best explanation is the biblical God.

Tim Stratton's journey from cage-stage Calvinist determinist to Molinist — catalyzed by noticing atheists calling themselves "free thinkers" while denying free will, and Calvinists doing the same in reverse.

Libertarian free will defined: the ability to choose among alternative options compatible with one's nature. Two versions — principle of alternative possibilities (PAP) and sourcehood freedom.

Most leading naturalist/atheist thinkers deny libertarian free will: Dawkins, Harris, Dennett, Hawking, Rosenberg, Coyne, Carroll, Barker. Stratton uses their own admissions as premises in his argument.

The Free Thinking Argument formal syllogism: (1) no libertarian freedom → no rational inference; (2) humans DO rationally infer; (3) therefore humans have libertarian freedom. Stratton calls it deductive and potentially debate-ending.

The expanded Free Thinking Argument Against Naturalism adds steps from naturalism → no soul → no libertarian freedom → no rational inference (all deductive), plus abductive conclusion that God is best explanation.

Premise 3 defense: if external forces determine your beliefs, you lose justification for knowledge. You become a "bag of beliefs, none of which are up to the bag." The mad scientist thought experiment illustrates this.

Premise 4 is self-evident: to argue that humans CANNOT rationally infer knowledge claims is itself a rational inference — it's self-defeating. Some things are properly basic beliefs that don't require proof.

The Kalam Cosmological Argument supports step 8: the cause of the universe must be timeless, spaceless, immaterial, enormously powerful, personal, and possessing libertarian freedom — matching the biblical God.

Biblical confirmation: Genesis 1:26-27 (made in God's image as immaterial minds), 2 Corinthians 5:8 (we exist apart from body), Galatians 5:13 (called to live in libertarian freedom to choose love over sin).

Some atheists are driven to deny their own existence to maintain naturalism — Rosenberg (The Atheist's Guide to Reality), Harris, Dennett all deny the reality of the self/consciousness. This is self-refuting: someone must be having the illusion.

Progressive Christians are the modern counterpart of the Sadducees — not atheists, but religious liberals who call themselves Christians while rejecting resurrection, judgment, hell, the supernatural, and biblical authority.

Can a Christian Marry a Non-Christian?: Is it OK for a Christian to marry a non-Christian like a Buddhist, atheist, or Muslim? And what if they already have children? How would you counsel the Christian?

About Gratitude in the Midst of Hardship: When I was an atheist, I got depressed and actually planned to end my life to escape all its struggles. I now know God exists, but I can’t be grateful for being created. How do I repent from that?

Should Atheist Arguments Concern Us?: Should we be concerned about counterarguments that atheists and skeptics present to our faith?

Did Moses Write the Pentateuch?: Do we have evidence that Moses wrote the first 5 books of the Bible? My atheist friend is questioning this.

Could God Exist but Not be Perfectly Good?: Atheist here. What stops a supernatural but not perfectly good being from being the author of the miracles in the Bible, especially when you already accept the existence of supernatural beings?

Does Creating Time Require Time?: An atheist posited this question: If God created time, doesn't that require time, to create time?

Is a Belief in God an Attempt to Personalize the Impersonal?: An atheist claims: “Belief in God is what happens when social brains try to explain an impersonal universe. Personal explanations for impersonal events fail to deal with logic of uncertainty.” Any help?

About Bart Ehrman’s Teachings & Tactics: You have talked about Dr. Bart Ehrman (ex: your “Atheist Scholar Misleads Millions Of People” video). Does he also use these "techniques" on his professional peers?

Could God be Playing a Joke On Us?: I am a new Christian and my brother is an atheist. He has brought up the question of “What if God is lying about everything and this all a big cosmic joke?” How do I combat this thinking?

Did Adam Know Right from Wrong?: I was talking to an atheist and they asked, “If Adam had not yet eaten of the tree of knowledge, therefore not knowing disobedience, how can God hold him accountable and judge him for it?”

Can Non-Believers Come to Church to Observe?: Are there any good rules of thumb for atheists attending a church service for the purposes of learning? Assuming they have no intention of conversion, is this considered rude or invasive?

Was YHWH a “Storm god”?: I have been hearing atheists & Muslims saying our God YHWH was originally a storm god. Has this been proven archeologically? Any implications on our faith? Any thoughts on that?

God Didn’t Reveal Himself?: What do you tell an atheist who says he looked for God and God didn't reveal Himself to him? And in general, what do you make of the argument of nonresistant non-believers?

Reaching Atheist Children: I'm a new Christian from Islam. My son & daughter are like Richard Dawkins (atheist). What do you think would be the best way to give them the Gospel, short but clear?

Was Jesus’ Death Truly Sacrificial?: What is the biblical nature of sacrifice? An atheist asked me how Christ's death & resurrection is truly a sacrifice if God is infinite. How do I best explain Jesus' sacrifice?

How to Put Faith in Christ: As an atheist who would like to believe in God, goes to church, and has read the Gospel, what steps do I take to believe?

Taking On an Atheist’s Challenge: Can you please respond to Holy Koolaid’s video alleging various Bible contradictions and problems with Christianity? Did Jesus Himself undermine Christianity?

Unnecessary Body Parts = Evolution?: I have a coworker that is an atheist. He said that there are parts of our bodies that are not necessary and that might prove evolution rather than a Creator. Any thoughts?

Bible = Pure Fiction?: As a Christian, what is an appropriate answer to an atheist claiming that the Bible is pure fiction?

Are Atheists Gullible?: Why do I say that atheists tend to be gullible?

Was Jesus Tempted with Unbelief?: As a former atheist, the verse in Hebrews 4: 15 comforts and confuses me; how could the Son of Man be tempted with unbelief in Himself?

Why Doesn’t God Save Everyone?: My brother is an atheist and says he wouldn’t follow a God that he knows is real, who knowingly creates people who will reject Him and go to Hell, despite having power to save everyone. It’s hard to reason. Thoughts?

Street Healings: Are They Real?: Are street healings real? Christians pray for strangers who report relief from pain and various illnesses. But atheist Derren Brown has produced similar results. Are these miracles or psychological effects?

500 Witnesses: Verifiable?: I’ve got a question regarding the reliability of the 500 Witnesses source. Atheists say that we have no way to verify that the number Paul gives is accurate. How would you answer this?

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