2015 Meetings...
ATL RTB 12th AnnualChristmas Social
Please join us for a Christmas dinner at Zeal Modern Eatery to honor our speakers for RTB Atlanta for the past year. We will review the programs of the year and dream a bit about programs for the new year. Thursday December 3rd Arrival and Fellowship 6:30 pm Dinner 7 pm Location: That is just a few blocks northwest of Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in the Market Plaza just off Johnson Ferry Road.
If you did not receive an announcement and would like to come, please send us an email to let us know you are coming.
>> REMINDER: We have no RTB Atlanta meeting for November. <<
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October Meeting
presided by...
Thursday October 29th- 7:00 PM JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
This month’s meeting of RTB Atlanta will feature a review of some of the presentations at the National Conference on Christian Apologetics held in Charlotte on the weekend of October 15-17. There will also be some material from the Ratio Christi conference that was held nearby on October 17-18. We will start with some brief comments on specific presentations by those who attended the conference and then enter a time of general discussion with those who attended acting as a panel to facilitate the discussion.
Presenters:
Tracy Green: Dr. Stephen Cutchins talk on apologetics in his book “Prove It, Defend the Christian Faith” plus Hugh Ross' SES 2015 Lifetime Achievement Award.
Ben Smith: Discussion of the Young Earth/Old Earth presentations focusing on the Biblical evidence.
Rod Nave: Discussion of the Young Earth/Old Earth presentations focusing on the evidence in nature. These will include reviews of presentations by John Baumgardner and Ken Wolgemuth at the NCCA conference and by those two plus Ben Smith and John Sanford at the Ratio Christi conference.
Brenda Nave: Reflections on the Panel Discussion on Marriage: What Do We Do Now?
Duran Smith: Joel Paulus presentation "Art as an Apologetic" and George Yancey's comments about culture as the next frontier for apologetics.
Mark Tabladillo: Derwin Gray "The Biblical Defense and Purpose of Multiracial Churches which Reflect our American Communities" and Ryan Anderson "Truth Overruled: The Future of Marriage and Religious Freedom".
Dr. Richard Howe contributed two presentations and an article to the NCCA and a presentation and panel discussion at the Ratio Christi conference. He will join us if he can make it back from Charlotte in time. |
September Meeting
presented by...
Thursday September 24th- 7:00 PM
JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
Ben Smith believes the creation account in the Bible’s book of Genesis can be literally, historically, and faithfully interpreted as a real week of seven twenty-four-hour days while still allowing for an estimate of the Earth’s age consistent with modern geological and astronomical findings.
In Ben's new book Genesis, Science, and the Beginning, available on Amazon (click on book cover graphic to link to book on Amazon) and soon to be available on Kindle, he surveys interpretations of Genesis, exploring the strengths and weaknesses of each argument, before advocating for the interpretation he believes best reconciles scriptural teaching with scientific record. A former young-Earth proponent, he now believes that view of the universe is scientifically and biblically wrong. Come and join us for an enjoyable evening of important discussion and bring all of your young-Earth creationist friends. _______________________________________ Ben Smith became a Christian while attending Georgia Tech and has been studying and teaching Christian apologetics for the past thirty years. He holds a BA degree in Christian worldview and apologetics from Luther Rice College and Seminary. He currently serves as the Ratio Christi chapter director at the University of West Georgia in Carrollton, Georgia. |
August Meeting
presented by...
Thursday August 27th- 7:00 PM
JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
Before the many findings of archaeologists of the 20th century, it was popular for scholars hostile to the Bible to make all kinds of charges that the Bible was historically and physically inaccurate. In this session John
Donahue will continue the story of the compelling and overwhelming archaeological evidence to substantiate Biblical accounts. In August 2014 he highlighted those archaeological finds that supported the Old Testament.
In this session John will present archaeological evidence to substantiate multiple New Testament accounts, showing the Bible to be a totally reliable theological document, as well as a faithful witness to historical accuracy.
The great New Testament archaeologists will be introduced, along with the concepts and tools they employed to unearth some of the greatest archaeological discoveries in recent history.
_______________________________________ John Donahue has a BA, History and Philosophy of Science, Princeton University, and is nearing completion of his MA in Apologetics at Luther Rice University and Seminary. |
July MeetingSummer Break
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June Meeting
presented by...
Thursday June 25th- 7:00 PM
JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
In today's world of Christian apologetics the design argument for the existence of God has made a serious comeback. God's existence is induced from the fine-tuning of the universe, the incredibly complex nature of life, and
the absence of natural explanations for life's origin and diversity. These arguments are a resurgence of William Paley's "classical" watch-maker design argument, but should we call it classical? Long before Paley and
modern scientific discoveries Thomas Aquinas argued design supported God's existence, and his is the true classical design argument.
But, Christians have lost sight of that fact. Do Intelligent Design advocates use Aquinas' argument? How does Aquinas differ from Paley? Is one argument better than the other? How do we answer skeptical challenges to design
arguments? Dr. Richard Howe will help us cut through the issues to find some answers. Come and see!
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Richard G. Howe is a writer as well as a public speaker and debater in churches, conferences, and university campuses on issues concerning Christian apologetics and philosophy. He is Professor Emeritus of Philosophy and
Apologetics at Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, North Carolina where he still teaches part-time. Dr. Howe is also Vice President of the
International Society of Christian Apologetics. |
May Meeting
presented by...
Thursday May 28th- 7:00 PM
JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
Dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago, right? And yet many Christians think the earth is not that old and dinosaurs were on Noah's Ark. Dinosaurs are also fascinating which is evident from the highly anticipated new
movie release of another in the Jurassic Park series in early June.
As Christians, what do we do with dinosaurs? Why did God create them only to have them go extinct long before humanity was created? Or has the recently discovered T Rex soft tissue fossils proved dinosaurs and humanity
coexisted? Does the Bible mention dinosaurs? Does any of this even matter? Ben Smith believes the answers to these questions are important because they relate to the inerrancy of the Bible. Come and join us for an interesting
presentation and discussion.
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Ben Smith has a B.A. degree in Apologetics from Luther Rice University and is the director of the Ratio Christi apologetics club at the University of West Georgia. He is a frequent speaker on evidences for the Christian faith
who specializes in Genesis and science related issues.
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April Meeting
Thursday April 30th- 7:00 PM JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
Brady Lenardos, Bruce Phillips, and Rod Nave will each address common issues that arise when talking with skeptics. Their short presentations will be followed by a panel discussion where you are encouraged to share your experiences and questions. Our goal is to help you feel more confident in these sometimes challenging discussions!
Skeptics from Hume to Sagan have rested on "Extraordinary events require extraordinary evidence" to dismiss miracles and the Resurrection. Brady Lenardos will discuss the fallacies involved and how to respond. Evangelical philosopher J P Moreland points out that the "Case for God" is cumulative. There is clearly cumulative value in the three traditional arguments for God: the existence of something rather than nothing, the argument from design in nature, and the argument from morality. Whether these three taken cumulatively represent "Extraordinary Evidence" we'll leave for you to decide! Thoughtful persons from many points of view have challenged the presumptions of skeptics. Timothy Keller advocates encouraging skeptics to “doubt their doubts” and consider the evidence for a Creator. Rod will briefly highlight several books that could help equip you for such a dialog. After the opening presentations, Brady, Bruce and Rod will remain as a panel to encourage the discussion. The aim of this meeting is to have a conversation about different approaches to sharing with persons who are far from faith. The spirit of the conversation should reflect... 1 Peter 3:15 But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, Careful consideration of how we might dialog with skeptics could help give us the confidence to take opportunities for open dialog with persons we encounter. Please come with your thoughts and favorite resources and join in the discussion. |
March Meeting
presented by...
Thursday March 26th- 7:00 PM JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
Not only is pain part of the experience of humanity, in the modern era it is also linked to abuse of and addiction to prescription drugs. From his experience as a physician specializing in the treatment and management of pain, Dr. Don Taylor will discuss his Biblical perspective on pain and addiction. These are realities that will either afflict us or someone we know. We can all benefit from an experienced perspective about what can be done for these aspects of illness.
One of the most profound issues in apologetics is the problem of pain and suffering, which many point to as their stumbling block to faith. But one can also point to pain as part of God's plan to minimize injury and give early alerts to treatable problems. Come prepared to discuss the faith implications of pain. |
February Meeting
presented by...
Thursday February 26th- 7:00 PM JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
In recent years, astronomers have announced an ever-increasing number of "habitable planets," planets they believe could be similar enough to Earth to maintain life. But what is it that makes these planets "habitable", and could they be truly capable of supporting life as we know it? And what implications do these discoveries have concerning the uniqueness of our own world?
In this session, we'll look at a few of the many factors required for a planet to support life, see how these supposedly "Earth-like" planets fall short, and gain a greater appreciation for the fine-tuning of Earth to support life. |
January Meeting
presented by...
Thursday January 29th- 7:00 PM JOHNSON FERRY BAPTIST CHURCH
This presentation will provide a summary and recommended overview for work by Ken Samples, an RTB scholar. The purpose of the presentation is to provide the major points from four books by Ken Samples, and encourage everyone to read the books on your own. These four books with links to the RTB website are:
If you'd like to learn more about Ken Samples or the other RTB scholars, MP4 files of the biographies of Ross, Samples, Rana, and Zweerink are available from the following link: |
