How to Have Good Spiritual Conversations and Share Your Faith

I came across a 5 minute audio clip from Greg Koukl at Stand to Reason that was particularly fascinating and instructive. Most of us have had conversations with people who raise questions against a view we hold (like Christianity) but then keep “moving the goal line” as to what counts as a satisfying answer.

In this case, Greg is interacting with a lady who calls into the radio show. Give it a listen, and watch how he guides the conversation and most importantly does not get defensive (when he probably felt tempted to).

Click here to listen.

To learn more about how to navigate spiritual conversations, see Greg’s book, Tactics.

Democrats introduce bill to legalize infanticide up to one year

(HT – Wintery Knight) this is a very helpful post on the Abortion issue….all from Wintery Knight – (clip) Kathy Ireland artfully defends Pro -Life Position

**Correction** UPDATE: Sorry, the headline from before should read that infanticide up to one year will be reduced to a felony, not legalized outright! My mistake! (from Wintery Knight)

Democrats introduce bill to legalize infanticide up to one year

A post at Gateway Pundit, sent to me by the greatest commenter in the blogosphere, ECM.
Gateway Pundit has a link to the bill, but Cassy Fiano has a lot more.
Here’s a bit about the bill:

It defines infanticide as:

A person commits an offense if the person wilfully by an act or omission causes the death of a child to whom the person gave birth within the 12-month period preceding the child’s deathThe bill says that infanticide should not be prosecuted as murder, though, as long as:
… at the time of the act or omission, the person’s judgment was impaired as a result of the effects of giving birth or the effects of lactation following the birth.Infanticide would become a felony, punishable by no more than two years in prison, with a minimum of 180 days, and/or a fine of no more than $10,000.

We need to start getting serious about defending the pro-life view using facts and arguments. Here’s some stuff to get you started. Disagreeing with people is fun once you take time to learn your stuff in detail.

Audio: Scott Klusendorf’s 35-minute case for the pro-life position
Audio: A 55-minute discussion featuring two great pro-life debaters, Greg Koukl and Scott Klusendorf
My own religion-free case for the pro-life position in plain English
A comparison of embryonic and adult stem cell research
Video: Cute 12-year old girl makes the pro-life case in a short speech

Adult Stem Cells the Answer? On Oprah? Yes….

There has been a lot of debate on the need for embryonic stem cells vs. adult stem cells. But the reality is, embryonic stem cells are treating “zero” diseases while adult stem cells are treating around 90.

But don’t take my word for it….let the Oprah show confirm that for you (wow did I just say that???)

Watch this clip, it is 3:43

Adult stem cells provide real hope to those who struggle with Parkinson’s disease. Watch the clip to learn why.

(HT – STR Blog)

Staring into the Abyss: Why Peter Singer makes the New Atheists nervous.

I came across an interesting article the other day by Dinesh D’Souza

here is an excerpt:

“I write this fresh from debating bioethicist Peter Singer on “Can we be moral without God?” at Singer’s home campus, Princeton University. Singer is a mild-mannered fellow who speaks calmly and lucidly. Yet you wouldn’t have to read his work too long to find his extreme positions. He cheerfully advocates infanticide and euthanasia and, in almost the same breath, favors animal rights. Even most liberals would have qualms about third-trimester abortions; Singer does not hesitate to advocate what may be termed fourth-trimester abortions, i.e., the killing of infants after they are born.”

His conclusion is perceptive as well…

“Some of Singer’s critics have called him a Nazi and compared his proposals to Hitler’s schemes for eliminating those perceived as unwanted and unfit. A careful reading of his work, however, shows that Singer is no Hitler. He doesn’t want state-sponsored killings. Rather, he wants the decision to kill to be made by private individuals like you and me. Instead of government-conducted genocide, Singer favors free-market homicide.”

“Why haven’t the atheists embraced Peter Singer? I suspect it is because they fear that his unpalatable views will discredit the cause of atheism. What they haven’t considered, however, is whether Singer, virtually alone among their numbers, is uncompromisingly working out the implications of living in a truly secular society, one completely purged of Christian and transcendental foundations. In Singer, we may be witnessing someone both horrifying and yet somehow refreshing: an intellectually honest atheist.”

(HT – STR)