Educate For Life With Kevin Conover

In the previous episode Kevin talked with Dr. Gary Cass about the doctrine of the lesser magistrate, and how it is the duty of lesser authorities to stand up to higher authorities when they become tyrannical.  This principle applies to all kinds of bodies, including families, businesses, churches, and nations.  Those who hold power do not have absolute and unquestionable authority, but are constantly kept in check by the ones who gave it to them. This time Kevin and Gary continue the conversation by looking at other relevant principles of government, exploring how our understanding of federal authority has been corrupted, and discussing how we can respond proactively to the alarming trend of the Supreme Court vastly overstepping its authority.  They talk about the Supremacy Clause, which states that federal law is the supreme law of the land if the federal government is acting within its legitimate powers.  They also discuss the actions bei

You’ve probably heard of Kim Davis, a Kentucky county clerk who made national news when she was sent to jail for a unique crime.  Davis was the first notable case of a person facing criminal charges for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.  Davis argues that it is not herself but the Federal Government who has violated the law, by infringing upon her religious freedom.  Her case revives a question that Americans have faced since before we were even an independent nation: when does it become appropriate (and necessary) for citizens to disobey their government? Kevin’s guest this week is Dr. Gary Cass, founder of the Christian Anti-Defamation Commission.  Dr. Cass has ministered behind the Iron Curtain of the Soviet Union, acted as the Director of the Center for Reclaiming America for Christ, appeared on various national television networks, and written multiple books (including Gag Order).  In 2004 he was awarded the Salt and L

Can a biologically male transgender student be denied access to facilities intended only for girls? Can a public high school football coach pray on the field after games?  Can a Christian photographer or baker decline to provide services for a homosexual wedding?  Questions like these now arise with increasing frequency, and underlying all of them is the issue of separation of church and state. This week Kevin talks with Frank Kacer, an expert on the relationship between politics and religion.  Frank is a pastor and elder at Grace Bible Church in Escondido, a long-time Christian activist, the author of over 150 columns and op-eds on Biblical politics, and also a trained physicist!  He is the founder of the Christian Statesman Internship Program, which he designed to transform believers into biblically based, politically conscious leaders of society. Kevin and Frank talk in depth about the ubiquitous concept of separation of church and state.  If these two bodi

In this episode, Kevin talks with Ananthapadmanabhan  Kandhadai (who goes by Ananth) and Johnny John, two friends who have a lot in common. Both were born and raised in India, both have lived in San Diego for over 20 years, and both work as engineers for Qualcomm. But there is one notable difference between them: Ananth was born into the ~80% of India’s Hindu population, and he is a practicing Hindu. Johnny, however, was born into the ~2% of India’s Christian population, and he is a practicing Christian. As they grew up in differing worldviews, Ananth and Johnny gained distinct perspectives on life, religion, salvation, and God. They discuss (not debate) their philosophies on these and other topics, in addition to explaining some key components of Hindu beliefs and culture (such as reincarnation, cow reverence and vegetarianism). This episode provides an excellent firsthand perspective on the differences between Hinduism and Christianity, not only in terms of specific belief

This week Kevin talks with Jerry Huson of 7 Day Hero, an organization that takes American Christians to overseas mission fields.  Jerry has found many ways to occupy himself throughout his life, from coaching high school and college sports, to earning a PhD, to driving floats at Disneyland.  But there is one pursuit he will never be able to give up: ministering to the needy in far-off places.  Jerry has been to over 40 countries, and has seen countless transformed lives among both the impoverished people in need of aid, and the volunteers who come along to help them. Jerry’s organization, 7 Day Hero, is all about teaching people how to be a hero seven days a week.  What is a hero?  Someone who gives himself away, helping those who can’t help themselves, without expecting anything in return.  This is something that can (and should) be done around the world, but it can also be done in one’s own neighborhood, street, and household.  Those who go on Jerry’s trips experience what

Would you choose to follow Jesus even if it meant being rejected by your culture, disowned by your family, and cut off from all financial support?  Kevin’s guest this week, Onesmus Ngoboka, had to make that choice—when he was only 14 years old.  In this episode Onesmus shares his incredible testimony, and discusses what his ministry is doing to spread the gospel to the fringes of society in Uganda. Onesmus was technically brought up in the church, but in his village even churchgoers looked to the local witch doctor rather than God to solve their problems.  At age 12 he had a troubling dream in which God showed him that despite his nominal Christian faith, he was headed for hell.  Onesmus realized that he needed a personal relationship with Jesus, something his church had never emphasized.  He decided to obey the call of God, but soon this choice cost him everything he had, including his family.  With no one else to rely on, he fully placed his trust in Go

If you are familiar with the New Testament or church history, you know that Christians have been persecuted for their faith in many times and places.  Starting with the murder of Stephen soon after the resurrection, countless followers of Jesus have been tortured and killed for spreading the gospel and refusing to give up their faith.  But did you know that there are more Christians facing harsh persecution right now than at any other point in history?  This week Kevin’s guest is Todd Nettleton, the Director of Media and Public Relations for Voice of the Martyrs.  This organization exists to raise awareness and provide aid for persecuted Christians around the world. Voice of the Martyrs was founded by Romanian Pastor Richard Wurmbrand in 1967, after he was finally released from a 14-year stay in a communist prison.  What crime did he commit to deserve such a sentence?  He refused to surrender control of his church’s teachings to the communist government, and said that his first l

Kevin recently moderated a debate between Jeff Archer (president of the Atheist Coalition of San Diego) and Dr. Andy McIntosh that focused on the question: Can an atheistic worldview make sense of reality?  In the previous episode he talked to Jeff Archer about why he thinks the answer is yes; this time he talks to Dr. Andy McIntosh about why it is most definitely a “no.” Eric Hovind of Creation Today is also present to weigh in on some of the issues. Kevin, Andy, and Eric discuss why it is impossible for the universe as we know it to exist without God.  They respond to a variety of arguments that atheists commonly use, including (but not limited to): life could increase in complexity without breaking down because the earth is an open system with energy coming in; the existence of intelligence doesn’t require God, because humans are just a complex AI; crystals are an example of a natural increase of complexity apart from intelligence; and lastly, creationists aren’t real sci

Whether they know it or not, every person possesses a worldview.  This is a set of broad principles that guides their perception of reality, informing them of what exists and what doesn’t, what is possible and what is not.  As human knowledge has advanced over the past few centuries, so has the idea that observational science can explain the whole of reality, physical stuff is all there is, and there is no spiritual realm.  This philosophical naturalism is a key component of atheism, a denial of the existence of any sort of god. But does this view do an adequate job of explaining the whole of human knowledge and experience?  On September 29th, Kevin is moderating a debate between a Christian (Dr. Andy McIntosh) and an atheist (Jeff Archer) on whether an atheistic worldview can make sense of reality. In the weeks preceding the debate, he is interviewing each participant in turn about why they hold the position they do. In this first of the two interviews, he speaks with

Kevin speaks once again with Dr. David Levy, neurosurgeon and author of Gray Matter.  This week Dr. Levy shares more of his professional and personal insights into the human brain, taking a deeper look at some of the mind’s quirks and how to stay mentally healthy. Have you ever wondered why you always feel a little better when there’s some sort of background noise, whether it’s the radio on the way to work or the TV when you’re home alone?  Have you ever felt that there must be something wrong with you, since you always dwell more on the negatives of life more than the positive?  Do you find that you are compassionate towards others when they make mistakes, yet extremely hard on yourself when you do?  If you can relate to any of these, you are certainly not alone.  Dr. Levy talks about how these and other psychological phenomena are typical of humans, yet can present serious threats to our relationships with both God and our fellow man.  He presents a pla

The thought of “combining medicine and spirituality” may cause you to picture medieval doctors drilling holes in a patient’s skull to let the demons out, or some other barbaric practice of history.  Yet Dr. David Levy, renowned neurosurgeon and UCSD professor, has been integrating his faith into his medical practice for years with great success.  How?  By simply offering to pray with his patients before surgeries. In this first part of a two-part series Kevin talks with Dr. Levy about his personal history, including how he entered the field of neurosurgery and what inspired him to start praying with patients.  Dr. Levy’s life has been an incredible journey, from his childhood of indifference towards God and church, to his days as an underachieving gas-station-attendant high-school student, to his becoming a highly skilled and successful (yet relationally challenged) neurosurgeon.  He describes how several extremely difficult life circumstances forced

In a previous show Kevin took a look at the Bible’s perspectives on slavery, which were written between 4500 and 2000 years ago.  This time he addresses an incarnation of slavery that plagues the modern world, including our own communities and schools in the US: human trafficking. Human trafficking can be defined as “the deprivation of a human being’s liberty for the purpose of sexual exploitation or labor exploitation.”  Traffickers identify vulnerable people and gain control of them through physical force, fraud, or psychological coercion in order to use them for profit through commercial labor or sex acts.  This ranges from forcing them to do excessive physical work for little or no pay, to making them participate in pornography or even prostitution against their will. Kevin’s guests are Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan, and PLNU professor Dr. Jamie Gates.  Both have been involved in efforts to end human trafficking for many years: Summer

Everyone’s looking for a purpose in life—and sadly, a lot of people aren’t finding one.  Is there no deeper meaning to be found, or are they just looking in the wrong places? This week Kevin talks with several of his high school students about the question of purpose.  According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 15-34.  If life has no point, it makes sense that many would not choose to go on living.  But what is causing the young people of this nation have such an increasingly bleak outlook?  Kevin’s students weigh in on the issue, sharing their firsthand knowledge of the crisis their generation faces. People pursue all sorts of self-centered goals as their purpose, but in the end it’s always misguided.  Odds are you won’t be able to achieve the level of money, fame and power that you desire—and even if you do, you’ll only end up feeling empty.  Actor Jim Carrey once commented, “I think everybody should get

Jesus provided his followers with an excellent example of ministering to those who are in the greatest need of salvation: the poor, the outcasts, the orphans, the captives.  This week Kevin’s guest is Roger Ziegler, who for the last 15 years has been following Jesus’ example by taking the Gospel to R. J. Donovan Correctional Facility.  There are over 2.3 million prison inmates in the United States, and over 100 thousand in California alone.  Roger works with Pastors to Prisoners, a ministry dedicated to reaching as many of these people as possible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has undoubtedly been working through the efforts of Pastors to Prisoners, touching the lives of more inmates every week.  In addition to Roger, Kevin talks with two men who were personally impacted by the ministry: Freddy and Ralph.  Freddy joined the LA street gang the Crips in 1973, and ran with the gang’s founder Tookie Williams.  His lifestyle of drugs and violence landed him

One of the greatest objections to the existence of an all-powerful, supremely loving God is: why is there so much suffering in the world?  This is a serious question on a philosophical level, but it takes on a whole new significance when tragedy strikes close to home. How can we find meaning in suffering? Can something so negative be a blessing in any way? This week Kevin talks to several of his own students (as well as the principal) from Christian High School, where he teaches apologetics. In particular he speaks with his former student Jason Lyon, who will soon be entering his senior year—and who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The question of suffering is no longer abstract to Jason and his friends, who must constantly face the fact that they do not know how much longer he has on this earth. One might expect a young man in Jason’s circumstances to be racked with fear, anxiety, and maybe even hatred towards God for allowing such a thing to happen to him. As Job’s wife said whe

Scientific advancement is making it harder and harder to believe in evolution.  Kevin’s guest this week is Dr. Jeffrey Tomkins, Research Associate in the field of Genetics at the Institute for Creation Research.  Dr. Tomkins is a living refutation of a common evolutionary claim, which states that the only reason anyone believes Creationism is because they were raised in it by their parents.  Dr. Tomkins was in fact indoctrinated from a young age—but into evolution, not creation.  He became a born-again Christian while in college, and realized he would have to reconcile his spiritual beliefs with his scientific ones.  After recognizing quickly that attempts to reconcile biblical teachings with evolution are futile, he read Scientific Creationism by Dr. Henry Morris and saw how well it harmonized scientific findings with the Bible.  As Dr. Tomkins continued his academic career (going on to earn a Ph.D. in genetics), everything he learned confirmed his biblical b

This week Kevin talks with Rabbi Joel Liberman, who in one important respect is different from most rabbis: he recognizes Jesus Christ as the Messiah whom God sent for the Jews and the world.  Joel is a prominent member of the Messianic Jewish movement, and has been a part of it for the past 28 years.  He has held leadership positions in multiple Messianic organizations (such as the MJAA and IMJA), has written multiple Bible commentaries from that perspective, and is the leader of a Messianic Congregation. Kevin and Joel talk about a variety of topics related to Messianic Judaism, from its roots in the New Testament to the current issues faced by modern-day Israel.  Joel explains what is at stake for Jews who turn to Jesus, as well as why and how Messianic Jews honor their heritage during their Saturday congregational meetings.  They also discuss the Old Testament prophecies that reveal Jesus to be the true Messiah—some of which are no longer ev

Slavery is undoubtedly one of humanity’s ugliest inventions, yet it is found within the pages of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments.  Many people, from plantation owners to secular humanists to President Barack Obama, have alleged that the Bible explicitly supports this dehumanizing institution.  How should Christians respond to such an accusation? This week Kevin looks at data both inside and outside the Bible to cast some light on the issue.  What is the connection between slavery and finances, and what does this mean for modern-day America?  When the Bible refers to slavery, does it mean the same sort of thing that occurred in America before the civil war?  Does the New Testament affirm that slavery is OK? Kevin examines specific laws God gave to Israel concerning slavery and compares them with surrounding nations of the time, revealing God’s intention to make this ubiquitous practice far more humane.  Then he examines references to slavery in the New Testament, incl

This week Kevin continues to examine the tough issue of sexuality by talking with Joe Dallas, an expert on sexual addiction and homosexuality.  Dallas is an author, conference speaker, and ordained pastoral counselor.  His writings have been featured in both Christian and secular media (such as The Christian Research Journal and The Los Angeles Times), and he has made appearances on a variety of television programs (ABC Evening News, The Joan Rivers Show, and others). Joe has a Masters Degree in Christian counseling and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.  He is the program director of Genesis Biblical Counseling, a ministry that helps men deal with sexual addiction. Joe’s life is a fascinating story that makes him uniquely qualified to speak on issues of sexual identity.  In his youth he experienced attraction to both men and women, and lived a promiscuous bisexual lifestyle before becoming a Christian.  Even after he came to

This week Kevin talks with Ray Comfort, Founder and CEO of Living Waters Publications.  Ray discusses his latest movie, Audacity, which focuses on the controversial topic of homosexuality. Unlike Ray’s previous films, Audacity is not a documentary, but a scripted “Hollywood movie” with professional actors.  The movie follows the story of a stand-up comedian who finds himself increasingly confronted by supporters of homosexuality, and faces the challenge of lovingly voicing his own convictions rather than giving into the pressure to remain silent. Though the movie is fictional, the subject matter is all to real: in light of the recent Supreme Court decision it is already becoming more difficult for Christians to hold to biblical principles, and many are capitulating.  After talking with Ray, Kevin discusses various scientific, social and medical issues related to the subject of homosexuality in order to address some of the toughest questions and objections Christians face. Audacit