Thinking Out Loud with Alan Shlemon
83 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 month ago - ★★★★★ - 162 ratingsSTR speaker Alan Shlemon provides a monthly update while answering questions across a wide range of topics including criticisms of Christianity.
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Episodes
The Problem with a Christian Attending a Same-Sex Wedding
March 14, 2024 14:53 - 15 minutes - 7.32 MBShould a Christian attend a same-sex wedding? Alan has attended a same-sex wedding in the past, but believes he made the wrong decision. In this episode, he unpacks his past reasoning, explains why he was mistaken, and offers a practical alternative.
If Pro-Gay Theology Advocates Could Change the Past, Would that Change the Future Like They Want?
February 13, 2024 15:16 - 18 minutes - 8.59 MBAlan explains what would happen if someone was to go back in time to 1946 and stop the RSV Bible translation team from using the word “homosexuals.” He unpacks whether this would change the Bible’s teaching on marriage, homosexuality, and sexual ethics today.
Problems with Creating Your Identity When You Reject God
January 12, 2024 21:03 - 9 minutes - 4.22 MBWhen a person rejects God, they’re left to determine for themselves their own identity. Alan unpacks some problems with this approach.
Why It’s Reasonable to Refuse to Use Preferred Pronouns
December 15, 2023 19:56 - 20 minutes - 9.27 MBAlan addresses whether it’s reasonable to refuse to use a transgender person’s preferred pronouns.
Should You Violate Your Conscience to Maintain Your Relationship with an LGBT Person?
November 10, 2023 19:06 - 8 minutes - 3.77 MBPeople who identify as LGBT routinely ask their Christian friends and family to accommodate various requests. Are you justified in declining to go along even if it might damage your relationship with them? Alan unpacks his thoughts on this thorny dilemma.
What Are My Concerns with Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference?
October 27, 2023 16:10 - 36 minutes - 16.9 MBAlan attended Andy Stanley’s Unconditional Conference, an event intended to equip parents and ministry leaders how to reach out to LGBTQ youth. In this episode, Alan provides his assessment of the conference, including three major concerns.
Is it Difficult to Define a Woman?
September 10, 2023 20:45 - 8 minutes - 16.2 MBWhy has it become so hard to define a woman? Alan looks at a few definitions that are offered, explains what’s wrong with them, and then offers his own definition.
Do Christians Have an Ulterior Motive for Being Kind?
August 10, 2023 18:09 - 8 minutes - 8.62 MBAlan addresses the objection that some people claim Christians are only kind to people so they can convert them.
Should Abortion Remain Legal So Women Don’t Pursue Back-Alley Abortions?
July 11, 2023 19:07 - 7 minutes - 7.7 MBAlan offers three steps to respond to the rhetorically powerful, yet flawed argument that women might get injured or killed through dangerous, back-alley abortions if abortion is made illegal.
The Puzzling Inconsistency of Abortion and Homicide Laws
June 13, 2023 19:33 - 6 minutes - 2.93 MBAlan describes the inconsistency in current laws surrounding abortion and homicide and offers a simple solution.
Deconstructing Is Not Reforming Your Faith
May 10, 2023 21:03 - 7 minutes - 7.45 MBSome Christians and many former Christians are promoting a trendy approach to doubting and questioning your faith called deconstruction. Is it the same as reforming your faith? Alan explains the one key element that distinguishes between the two.
Dishonest Images of the Unborn
April 12, 2023 22:02 - 6 minutes - 5.54 MBA recent article in The Guardian displayed some misleading images of what is removed in an abortion from a 9-week pregnancy. Alan explains the problems with the article and the images.
Man or Maker: Who Has the Answers to Humanity’s Most Critical Questions?
March 12, 2023 19:44 - 7 minutes - 5 MBWhen it comes to answering critical questions about how we humans should live, identify, and behave sexually, who should we listen to? Man or our Maker?
Gay Idioms Don’t Time Travel
February 08, 2023 17:43 - 9 minutes - 16.9 MBAlan addresses a progressive Christian who claims that Jesus wants LGBT people to “come out,” by explaining how he misuses a common literary device.
Christ’s Crucifixion Isn’t Child Sacrifice
January 09, 2023 16:46 - 8 minutes - 18.8 MBSome object to the idea that Jesus paid the penalty for our sins through his death on the cross, calling it "child sacrifice." Alan, however, offers three reasons why characterizing it that way is inappropriate.
Why Pro-Choicers Insist Pro-Life Arguments Are Religious
December 08, 2022 23:02 - 9 minutes - 9.17 MBAlan explains two reasons why abortion-choice advocates insist that pro-life arguments are religious.
Humans Come in Only Two Sexes
September 18, 2022 01:57 - 14 minutes - 14.7 MBMany biologists, doctors, and scientists tell us today that sex is on a spectrum or that there are more than two sexes. Alan addresses this claim by looking at the evidence from both Scripture and general principles of science.
If God Became a Man, Can a Man Become a Woman?
June 04, 2022 20:09 - 13 minutes - 13.4 MBA popular tweet claims that if someone can believe God became a man, then they can also believe that a man can become a woman. Alan unpacks this tweet, defines some key terms, and shows why the claim is misleading.
God’s Preferred Pronouns
May 12, 2022 00:35 - 10 minutes - 10.2 MBAlan responds to the claim by some gender theorists that God’s pronouns should be they/them.
A Verse That Illustrates Three Interpretive Principles
March 21, 2022 23:56 - 12 minutes - 12.6 MBAlan looks at passage of Scripture that skeptics like to use to challenge Jesus’ integrity. Then, he clarifies the meaning and application of the passage by using three key interpretive principles.
Are Transgender People Fixing God’s Mistakes?
February 11, 2022 20:09 - 9 minutes - 9.29 MBAlan responds to a tweet that suggests that transgender people are fixing God’s mistakes.
Must You Remain Silent on Abortion Unless You Adopt a Baby?
January 18, 2022 23:28 - 8 minutes - 8.89 MBIf you’ve never adopted a child, does this disqualify you from speaking out against abortion? Alan offers five reasons why this challenge is mistaken.
Abortion Is Unjust Discrimination
November 07, 2021 00:57 - 8 minutes - 8.5 MBDo abortion-choice advocates hold a morally superior view or is their position discriminatory? Alan unpacks this question in this month’s episode.
Biology’s Divorce from Teleology
October 09, 2021 22:31 - 8 minutes - 8.99 MBAlan takes notice of a cultural trend to reject teleological language when describing human anatomy and shows how this explains modern thinking on sex and sexuality.
Does the Bible Limit Gender to Just Male and Female?
September 05, 2021 22:48 - 10 minutes - 15.3 MBAlan responds to a trendy new argument that claims that a non-binary interpretation can be imposed on the Genesis account of creation.
Three Big Bangs
July 20, 2021 17:44 - 10 minutes - 13.1 MBYou've heard of the Big Bang, but are you aware of the other two big bangs, each of which represents the beginning of a fundamentally new thing that didn't exist before? Alan explains what they are and their theistic implications.
Christianity Is the Best Explanation for Reality
June 22, 2021 05:31 - 13 minutes - 14.9 MBIf someone asked you how you know Christianity is true, how would you answer them? In this episode, Alan offers his response to that question by appealing to some powerful truths that people live by.
The Claim about Homosexuality in the Film 1946 Is Irrelevant
May 16, 2021 20:20 - 17 minutes - 23.6 MBAn upcoming film claims that Christian opposition to homosexuality is based on a 1946 mistranslation of a Greek word in the RSV Bible. Alan explains why their argument doesn’t change the Christian understanding of sexuality.
How to Receive Critical Feedback
April 18, 2021 16:35 - 11 minutes - 15.3 MBAlan received some harsh feedback from a recent event. He explains three steps he takes when he gets these kinds of critical comments.
Live According to a Plumb Line, Not a Pendulum
March 20, 2021 23:30 - 7 minutes - 10.1 MBWhen you realize your theology is in error, do you overcorrect by swinging wildly to the opposite position? Alan offers a biblical approach to correcting your view, one that looks more like using a plumb line than a pendulum.
The Fear of “Phobic”
February 21, 2021 18:01 - 9 minutes - 13.8 MBHave you ever been called a "phobic" term like homophobic, Islamophobic, transphobic, or xenophobic? Alan discusses three reasons why you don’t have to fear the “phobic” label.
Will Faith as Small as a Mustard Seed Save You?
January 12, 2021 20:00 - 7 minutes - 9.93 MBDoes God require a certain amount of faith before he accepts it? Alan addresses this question by clarifying the nature of faith.
Atheism’s Empty Soul
December 08, 2020 16:51 - 8 minutes - 10.3 MBA worldview that denies God and embraces naturalism has serious repercussions, the most egregious being a logical slide to nihilism. Alan unpacks three reasons why nihilism flows logically from naturalism.
Coffee Cup Christianity
November 17, 2020 16:19 - 7 minutes - 8.94 MBAlan sounds the alarm on a pop Christian culture habit called Coffee Cup Christianity. He unpacks three of its harms and explains how they are fueling biblical illiteracy.
How to Prepare for the Next Cultural Revolution
October 18, 2020 23:18 - 10 minutes - 12 MBAlan talks about how Christians were caught off guard by the current cultural revolution sweeping society today. He offers a two-step strategy to prepare for the next revolution and to protect believers from succumbing to its ideas.
Why the Problem of Evil Is Still a Problem
September 06, 2020 19:13 - 10 minutes - 11.9 MBSkeptics and atheists find the problem of evil so repugnant and our solutions so hollow because they refuse to accept a fundamental reality that every Christian believes. Alan explains what that reality is in this episode, thereby demonstrating why the problem of evil is still a problem for many non-Christians.
How 2020 Is Taking a Toll on Your Soul
August 15, 2020 20:58 - 30 minutes - 27.9 MBAlan explains why you’re likely feeling fatigued and frustrated with 2020. He quotes what he believes is the comment of the year because it provides valuable insight into how God made us and what we’re created to handle. This episode is from the STR broadcast when Alan was a guest host.
Christians Can’t Play Mortal Kombat
June 15, 2020 16:04 - 5 minutes - 4.57 MBBelieve it or not, there’s a valuable lesson that Christians can learn from the violent video game Mortal Kombat. Alan explains the lesson and how it should affect your conversations with people who don’t share your convictions.
Diagnose before You Treat
April 28, 2020 16:31 - 7 minutes - 13.8 MBWhat should you say to your non-Christian friend who rejects Christianity? In this episode, Alan explains an important principle to help him navigate this situation.
Should We Divide over Homosexuality?
March 03, 2020 18:07The culture has been pressuring Christians to pick a side: celebrate homosexuality and same-sex unions or continue to consider them sinful. Alan discusses whether Christians should divide over this question or can we agree to disagree? Download the mp3...
Is Abortion before Implantation Biblically Permissible?
January 27, 2020 23:45While speaking on embryonic stem cell research at a church recently, Alan was challenged by an attendee. She made an argument that, based on Leviticus 17:11, killing a developing human being before implantation could be morally permissible. Alan responds to this question in today’s episode. Download the mp3...
Upgrade Your Tactics with Knowledge
December 20, 2019 06:00The Columbo Tactic – asking question – is powerful. But what if you could amplify the impact you make with it? In this episode, Alan explains how to upgrade your approach to create even more powerful questions. Download the mp3...
What’s the Best Explanation?
December 08, 2019 00:29Alan explains how to use a common yet powerful question to help point people to God. Download the mp3...
Should We Downplay the “Clobber Passages” on Homosexuality?
October 14, 2019 17:50Alan talks about the six verses in Scripture that address homosexuality and how pro-gay theology advocates love to call them “clobber passages.” Download the mp3...
The Miracles of Materialism
September 03, 2019 23:42Alan explains how the atheist’s materialistic worldview makes several miracle claims to explain reality. Download the mp3...
Why Study False Ideas?
August 10, 2019 20:07While it’s true that Christians should prioritize their understanding of Scripture and Christian theology, Alan offers four reasons why Christians should add the study of false ideas to their to-do list. Download the mp3...
How the Smallest Born Baby Proves Abortion Is Wrong
June 30, 2019 17:48Alan explains how the birth and survival of the smallest baby challenges four tenets of abortion-choice advocacy. Download the mp3...
Answer Like Jesus
June 15, 2019 22:16Alan points out that Jesus didn’t always answer questions directly. Sometimes He took a different approach. Perhaps we can take a cue from Jesus since He’s the smartest person in history. Alan explains three ways we can answer tough questions in the way Jesus answered tough questions in His day. Download the mp3...
Interview: Christopher Yuan – Holy Sexuality and the Gospel
June 11, 2019 22:50Guest Host: Alan Shlemon Alan interviews Christopher Yuan about his new book, Holy Sexuality and the Gospel: Sex, Desire, and Relationships Shaped by God’s Grand Story. Download the mp3...
The Bulverism Blunder
May 13, 2019 07:00Sometimes people claim that the only reason someone is a Christian is because they were born in the United States. In this episode, Alan gives three reasons why such a claim is wrong headed. Download the mp3...