Educate For Life With Kevin Conover

“I’ve never met a woman who regretted having her child; but I’ve met many women who regretted having an abortion.” —Heidi Cessna, CAPS This week Kevin talks with Julie Dowler and Heidi Cessna of College Area Pregnancy Services (CAPS), a licensed medical clinic that serves women who are dealing with unplanned pregnancies.  CAPS provides pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, information about all the options, and counseling for those who have suffered as a result of abortion.  All of these services are free of charge. Julie started as a financial supporter and prayer partner of CAPS when it was founded in 1998.  She started working as a volunteer pregnancy counselor in 2000, and became the program director in 2004.  She was promoted to her current position of Executive Director in 2008. Heidi is the nurse manager for CAPS.  She began her career as an RN at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, and started at CAPS as a volunteer receptionist.  She is currently working at Sharp Grossmon

Whose job is it to take care of the needy: the government, or the church?  In this episode Kevin talks with national black conservative leader Star Parker.  Parker is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), a think-tank devoted to creating market-based solutions to fight poverty.  She has spoken on more than 190 college and university campuses about anti-poverty initiatives.  In addition to these qualifications, she is intimately acquainted with the issues of poverty and welfare from experience: Star spent seven years of her life in and out of welfare dependency. How did Star overcome her disadvantaged situation?  It turns out that the welfare system only caused her to remain dependent, and prevented her from working for fear that she would lose all of her support.  It wasn’t until she became involved in a church, which encouraged her to entrust her needs to God and release herself from the welfare system, that she was able t

Do you really have to turn off your brain to believe the Bible?  It is a common myth that science and the Bible have always been in conflict, and the case of Galileo is often cited as proof.  But not only is Galileo’s story misinterpreted to fit this agenda (see here for an explanation); there are numerous examples of the Bible being surprisingly consistent with, or even ahead of, scientific knowledge.  In this episode Kevin goes over some of these examples to show that in reality, science the Bible are best friends forever. What accurate scientific information can be found in the Bible?  For one, it acknowledges that the earth is resting on nothing (Job 26:7; yes it is supported by the invisible force of gravity, but it is not held up by any physical object).  It states that the heavens are stretching out (Psalm 104:2 among others, in line with the expansion of the universe), and that all of creation is wearing out and will one day pass away (Psalm 102:25-27, in line w

A great ideological chasm exists between the godlessness of Hollywood and the convictions of Christianity.  How can believers bridge that gap to make a difference in the entertainment industry? Kevin talks with Dr. Larry Poland, who has had the rare privilege of ministering directly to the industry’s top executives for over 30 years.  From his extensive experience, Dr. Poland shares what what works and what doesn’t when it comes to Christians expressing their concerns about movies and television. Dr. Poland explains that anger-fueled protests are just what the industry leaders expect from the Christian community—and it doesn’t phase them.  Rather than inspire them to take the feelings of millions of Christian consumers into consideration, this type of reaction only confirms their belief that Christians are generally irrational, hateful people.  But there is one response that does make a difference: unconditional love.  As Dr. Poland states, this is the offense for which

This week Kevin talks to Christian microscopist Mark Armitage.  After discovering unfossilized dinosaur tissues, Armitage was suspiciously dismissed from his position as Manager for the Electron and Confocal Microscopy Suite at California State University, Northridge.  His scientific resume is impressive: Armitage has a BS in education, an MS in biology, and an Ed.S. in science education.  He has contributed micrographs and scholarly articles to scientific journals, and has taught at both Azusa Pacific University and CSUN.  Armitage contends that he was terminated not for his performance, but for his religious views, and is in the process of suing for wrongful termination. What’s the big deal about soft dinosaur tissues?  The scientific establishment knows what is at stake with this issue, which is why other scientists (such as Mary Schweitzer) have offered feeble attempts to explain it away.  As Armitage puts it, “If these fossils, these b

Back in June 2008, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed the Louisiana Science Education Act into law, allowing public school science teachers to include information about Creationism in their lessons.  In May 2015, he announced that he was launching an exploratory committee to determine whether he will be making a bid for the presidency in 2016.  According to one Slate writer, the connection between these two events is clear: though Governor Jindal majored in biology at Brown University (and therefore knows better), he decided to abandon real science and embrace Creationism to gain support from conservatives and advance his political career. To many people, it’s as simple as that: if you aren’t stupid or ignorant enough to actually fall for Creationism (which Governor Jindal can’t be, given his education), then you must only be pretending to believe it due to ulterior motives.  But is it possible that a person’s decision to move from evolution to Creationism could be an intellectually honest

In this episode Kevin talks with Jeremy Tedesco, Esq., a senior legal council for Alliance Defending Freedom who is currently representing Kelvin Cochran.  In the United States of America in the 21st century, is it possible for a qualified individual to be fired from his job solely on the basis of his religious beliefs?  We would all like to think that the answer is no, but this seems to be exactly what happened to Kelvin Cochran, former fire chief of Atlanta, GA. After having achieved the highest possible position for a fireman in 2009 (US Fire Administrator), and being named Fire Chief of the Year in 2012, Cochran was dismissed from his position in Atlanta in 2014.  Why?  For writing and self-publishing a devotional, completely separate from his job as fire chief, which stated his Christian perspective on marriage and sexuality.  When the devotional was first brought to public attention, Cochran was suspended without pay, and an investigation

Are the stories recorded in the Bible real history, or just mythology?  There’s only one way to know for sure: through biblical archaeology. This week Kevin talks with archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling of the Associates for Biblical Research, author of The Trowel and the Truth. Dr. Stripling grew up in a Christian home, hearing the stories of the Bible from his mother.  He became an avid Bible reader in his teen years, but was perplexed by the huge cultural divide between the biblical text and modern day readers such as himself.  His desire to better understand the historical context of the Bible led him to study archaeology, and he went on to earn his Doctorate in Ministry with an emphasis in Ancient Near Eastern archaeology. Today Dr. Stripling is the director of ABR’s excavation in Khirbet el-Maqatir, located 9 miles north of Jerusalem in the disputed territory of Security Zone C.  Though excavation only takes place five weeks out of the year, his team has made many

According to NOVA, 20 million Americans claim to have seen a UFO, and 4 million claim to have been abducted!  Are they all just liars (or insane)?  How can Bible-believing Christians make sense of these claims?  Kevin talks with Gary Bates, author of the Amazon best-seller Alien Intrusion: UFOs and the Evolution Connection.  Bates is also the CEO of Creation Ministries International, one of the world’s leading creationist organizations. Kevin and Gary begin the discussion by talking about their own reasons for believing in creation over evolution, from the complex biological information in DNA, to the rapid formation of geologic strata through catastrophic events.  Gary explains how the modern belief in alien life forms owes its existence to evolutionary theory: if the universe is 14 billion years old, and unguided evolutionary processes produced intelligent life here on Earth, then surely intelligent life evolved in other parts of the universe as well. B

Kevin talks with Dawn Stefanowicz, who shares her story of growing up in Canada with heavy exposure to the male homosexual lifestyle.  When Dawn was still an infant, her father brought a homosexual partner to live in their home for the first time.  Throughout her childhood she was introduced to other young men involved with her father, including minors and some who later committed suicide.  Dawn was taken to places that no child should be exposed to, such as gay nude beaches and “sex shops.”  Dawn’s father died from AIDS in 1991, and his last living partner died from AIDS in 1996. Dawn was not comfortable with what she saw and experienced, but felt that she had no voice to speak her concerns until her late 20s.  It was at this point in her life that she found healing through Christian counseling, and realized that she should speak out.  She began to testify about the homosexual lifestyle in court cases regarding issues such as hate crime legislation, and wrote a book about her ch

What, if anything, does the Bible have to say about homosexuality? On April 28th, the Supreme Court will hear arguments regarding the ability of individual states to prohibit same-sex marriage.  It may surprise you to learn that until 1961, long before the possibility of legally-recognized homosexual marriage was imagined, homosexual practice was prohibited by law in every state.  And it was not until 2003 that the Supreme Court struck down all laws against homosexuality nationwide. Needless to say, American’s views on homosexuality are rapidly changing.  While a few decades ago it was only considered acceptable by a small minority, it is becoming the case that any negative view of homosexuality is equated with racism.  This cultural climate puts biblically-based Christians in a tough position.  Does the Bible really teach that homosexuality is wrong, and if so, why?  Is it just some outdated, arbitrary rule (like “don’t wear a garment made of two different fabrics”), o

Kevin talks with humanitarian Mark Arabo, who has been working tirelessly to garner US support for the Chaldean Christian community as they face the threat of ISIS. Arabo tells the sad tale of 150,000 displaced Christians (including 90,000 children), driven from their homes by violence.  They have been forced to live in the desert without basic necessities, and last year over 12,500 people died in these conditions. The Chaldeans are the oldest group of Christians, their heritage going all the way back to the patriarch Abraham (from Ur of the Chaldeans).  They have long practiced Catholicism, refusing to give up their faith despite being surrounded by hostile Islamic groups.  With the rise of ISIS they face a greater threat than ever before, and they are in desperate need of support from the global Christian community. Arabo discusses what has already been accomplished to put an end to this ongoing genocide, and the great amount of work that still needs to be done.  Visit his website, EndTh

Kevin continues the discussion on the resurrection of Jesus, this time with two guests from opposing positions: Christian apologist Dr. Sean McDowell and atheist Sean Taylor. Sean McDowell grew up in the home of eminent Christian apologist and author Joshua McDowell.  As a young adult, he began to explore religious questions for himself to come to his own answer.  He is currently a professor at Biola University.  Sean Taylor grew up in a non-religious home, and despite extensive exposure to Christian and Mormon ideas as a young man, never came to believe in any god.  He currently identifies as an atheist but has not done any personal research into the life of Jesus Christ. Kevin moderates as Taylor states his concerns about the biblical account, and Dr. McDowell answers with historical evidence.  They discuss issues from the variations in gospel accounts to the reliability of Jesus’ reported appearances.  Even if it is established that Jesus was real, is there any way of connecti

How is it that one man—who possessed no political power, conquered no cities, and was publicly executed as a criminal—founded the largest and most persistent movement the world has ever seen?  It all goes back to what happened on one fateful day: Easter Sunday.  This week Kevin talks to Dr. Clay Jones, professor of Christian Apologetics at Biola University. Having grown up with an atheist father and an occultist mother, Dr. Jones knows well that religious beliefs cannot just be based on feelings.  All religions make truth claims, and it is important to evaluate such claims in light of actual facts.  Can the resurrection of Jesus Christ hold up to such an evaluation?  What about the people who say that Jesus never even existed?  Isn’t it more likely that the disciples hallucinated about seeing the risen Jesus than it is that he actually raised?  Kevin and Dr. Jones answer these questions and others using historical data. “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is us

Kevin talks to astrophysicist Dr. Jason Lisle, not just about evidence for biblical creation, but about the even more foundational issue of worldview.  Dr. Lisle explains that those who reject God have a bigger problem than evidence: they don't even have a viable framework in which to interpret evidence correctly. All of the knowledge modern people take for granted, from the laws of logic to the advances of science, are based on assumptions that are only valid in a theistic universe: that all of reality is consistent, that the future will be like the past, etc. Dr. Lisle admits that all people, himself included, have problems to deal with in their worldview—but having good reasons for the worldview itself is key. In the final segment, Kevin and Dr. Lisle talk about specific evidence that fits within the worldview of biblical creation, but cannot be reconciled with the prevailing secular view: from the decay of Earth's magnetic field to the moon's increasing distance from the earth, to the faint young su