2021 Meetings...
October Event(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Eric Smith
Thursday October 28 th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
In 2011, the Nobel Prize for Physics was presented to the discoverers of dark energy, a concept that has radically changed the way we view the universe. In a follow-up session given in 2012, we will go over the history of dark energy, it's relationship to dark matter, and the implications it holds for the ultimate fate of the cosmos as well as the existence of a divine Creator.
The strongest evidence for dark energy comes from the study of Type 1a Supernovae. The evidence suggest that dark energy may make up 73% of the universe’s content. Analysis of dark energy points to extreme fine-tuning of the creation of the universe.
Eric A. Smith received his Master's Degree in Physics from Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the Supernova Cosmology Project, the co-discovers of dark energy. He has spoken on both scientific and apologetics topics at the Atlanta chapter of Reasons to Believe, the Areopagus Forum, and Ratio Christi. He currently resides in Milledgeville, GA, where he is an Associate Professor of Physics at Georgia Military College.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at rtb@atlantaapologist.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
September Event(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Dr Don Taylor Atlanta RTB's new chapter president
Thursday September 30 th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
Dr. Don Taylor specializes in pain medicine, and the treatment of pain has a lot to do with the brain. He will give an overview of brain structure from the macroscopic to the microscopic, including a discussion of neuron structure and function. He will discuss the role of the neurotransmitter dopamine (the pleasure molecule) in addiction and give an overview of the anatomy of addiction and the alteration in neuron-to-neuron communication that results from the use of various addicting substances.
The phenomenon of addiction will be used as an example of a brain disease that alters behavior by changing brain function.
Dr Taylor is a physician who specializes in comprehensive pain care. This includes not only pain management but also addiction medicine. Dr Taylor has a BS and MS in Physics from Georgia State University, a Master of Medical Science degree from Emory University (Anesthesiology and Life Support Systems) and an MD from the Medical College of Georgia. His residency was in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine and a Fellowship in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is currently in the private practice Pain Medicine and Addiction Medicine in Marietta, GA. He is involved in Bible Study Fellowship, a teacher in Sunday school and active in the Emmaus community. He is now the Atlanta RTB chapter’s new president taking over for Dr. Rod Nave.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at rtb@atlantaapologist.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
Special AnnouncementThe staff and members of ATL RTB would like to extend a special welcome to our new chapter President... Dr. Don Taylor
As a full time physician, a loyal chapter member and presenter and faithful follower of Christ, Dr Taylor stepped up to lead Atlanta RTB. He brings to the chapter not only an educational background in science and physics, but the unique perspective of a physician. He specializes in comprehensive pain care and is currently with the private practice "Pain Medicine and Addiction Medicine" in Marietta, GA. Dr Taylor has a BS and MS in Physics from Georgia State University, a Master of Medical Science degree from Emory University (Anesthesiology and Life Support Systems) and an MD from the Medical College of Georgia. His residency was in Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine and a Fellowship in Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital.
As a man of faith, Don is active in his church and community. He is involved in Bible Study Fellowship, a teacher in Sunday school and active in the Emmaus community.
And is goes without saying... a sincere and very special
THANKYOU!
to our out-going president, Dr. Rod Nave.
Dr. Nave provided outstanding Godly leadership and faithful service for more than 14 years as chapter president since July 2007. He not only presided over each meeting but coordinated all the presentations and even presented numerous presentations himself.
Rod is stepping down to allow more time to spend with his family in Lousianna. But he intends to join in with us as his schedule allows.
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No August Meeting |
July Event(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Ken Samples
Thursday July 29th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
For this month's Atlanta RTB meeting we will have the privilege of hearing personally from Ken Samples via Zoom about his latest book "Christianity Cross-Examined". Ken is a Senior Research Scholar at the national headquarters of Reasons to Believe. Ken has a background in history and philosophy and an MA degree in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology.
We have had local RTB programs reviewing his previous books "Classic Christian Thinkers", "God Among the Sages", "Without a Doubt", and "7 Truths That Changed the World". Ken often addresses the unique compatibility of Christianity's great doctrinal truths with reason and logic. After he speaks about this latest book, there will be a time for Q&A.
Through his writing and speaking as a senior research scholar at Reasons to Believe, philosopher and theologian Kenneth Richard Samples encourages Christians to develop a logically defensible faith and challenges skeptics to engage Christianity at a philosophical worldview level. Kenneth earned a BA in social science with an emphasis in history and philosophy from Concordia University and an MA in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology. Prior to joining RTB in 1997, Kenneth worked for seven years as senior research consultant and correspondence editor at Christian Research Institute, where he regularly cohosted The Bible Answer Man radio program. An experienced educator, Kenneth has taught courses in philosophy and religion at several schools (Cerritos College, Riverside College, Providence Christian College, and Concordia University) and is currently an adjunct instructor of apologetics at Biola University. He has also spoken at numerous universities, churches, and conferences around the world.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at rtb@atlantaapologist.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
June Event(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Bruce Phillips
Thursday June 24th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
Efforts to express rational reasons for belief in God have been part of Christianity, and indeed pre-Christianity, for some 2,500 years at least in the West. So we have a long tradition on which to draw. Unfortunately our modern world has continued to focus down on evidence that comports with the current reigning philosophy's materialistic presuppositions. Yet there are those of us who believe that this is a mistake, in that it separates us from the world in which we actually live: a world of value, meaning and relationships.
To make that clear, we do not live in a world governed by physical descriptions of reality. We live in a world governed by interpersonal relationships that have little, if not effectively nothing, to do with what's going on at the level of our physics or chemistry. And if that is true, why is so much energy being expended in our society to try to require that we "reduce" everything to materialistic processes?
And so in pursuit of some balance in this often contentious world, it would seem to be a good idea to review the arguments that have been put forth for the existence of God. This is a very broad and complex area, and so we can only touch on certain highlights. But hopefully we can make clearer what is at risk by NOT taking the broader view into consideration.
We will try to make this as interactive as we can. We value your opinions and perspectives. And we hope that we can all arrive at a viewpoint that welcomes many different perspectives on what it means to be human and to live a satisfying human life. Come help us out!
Bruce Phillips is a Certified Apologetics Instructor with certificates from the North American Mission Board of the SBC, from BIOLA (the Bible Institute of Los Angeles) in California, and from Cross-Examined, an apologetics ministry founded through Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at atlanta2010@reasons.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
May Event(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Glen Leckman
Thursday May 27th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
In this event, Glenn Leckman will be discussing Hugh Ross' book "Always be Ready". Hugh's other books show his tremendous intellect and scientific insights, which certainly has been a blessing to all of us involved with RTB. However, this book - Always Be Ready - shows us a different side of Hugh.
It shows us his heart to not just to express scientific information, but also to communicate it in a way that helps move a person from merely being a skeptical non-believer to someone who is genuinely interested in getting to know the living God that Hugh follows. It is filled with specific examples of Hugh's experiences that we can easily relate to.
Glen and Barbara Leckman work with Christian faculty at at Georgia Tech, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University. Glen is a graduate of the University of Wyoming. Glen and Barbara are staff members of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). Glen and Barbara worked more than 20 years with the sports branch of Cru, helping to start the Athletes in Action ministry in South Africa where they lived for several years. Since returning to the US in 1996 they have worked with Faculty Commons, a ministry to university professors. They spent the 2013 -2014 school year in China learning the language and reaching out to professors in that nation.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at atlanta2010@reasons.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
April Event(Via ZOOM) Atlanta RTB is joining with The Areopagus this month in lieu of our normal monthly event.
A Forum presentation by John West Vice-President and Senior Fellow
Thursday April 15th- 7:00 PM Via ZOOM (See below for joining) Charles Darwin introduced three "big ideas" that have had catastrophic consequences in human history in terms of theories and policies related to moral relativism, "scientific racism", eugenics, abortion and infanticide, and atheism. For more information on Areopagus sponsored events, visit If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at atlanta2010@reasons.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
March Meeting(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Glen Leckman
Thursday March 25th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
Have you ever started a spiritual discussion with someone and then they said something like "Well, I believe in science, so I am not really interested in religion." Unfortunately, I have had that experience more than once. It is like the other person feels they have stated the final word in the discussion with that statement.
In this Zoom event, Glen Leckman will examine how Dr. John Lennox's book "Can Science Explain Everything?" tackles that very issue in a way that skillfully confronts the idea that science and faith in God are antithetical. Dr. Lennox does this in a manner that seems to come alongside the other person without placing the listener in a position where they feel that they must defend the original idea that science really does explain everything. Dr. Lennox is the eminently well qualified to write this book and Glen will be presenting it in a manner that hopefully will enable us to incorporate that information in our own conversations with non-believers.
Here is a brief summary of Dr. Lennox's qualifications - He has a double doctorate in Mathematics and Philosophy of Science from the University of Cambridge. - He is also a professor Emeritus in Mathematics at the University of Oxford and one of the foremost Christian apologists in the world today. - Several times he has debated many of the most well-known atheists including Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Peter Atkins among others.
Glen and Barbara Leckman work with Christian faculty at at Georgia Tech, Georgia State University and Kennesaw State University. Glen is a graduate of the University of Wyoming. Glen and Barbara are staff members of Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ). Glen and Barbara worked more than 20 years with the sports branch of Cru, helping to start the Athletes in Action ministry in South Africa where they lived for several years. Since returning to the US in 1996 they have worked with Faculty Commons, a ministry to university professors. They spent the 2013 -2014 school year in China learning the language and reaching out to professors in that nation.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at atlanta2010@reasons.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
February Meeting(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Eric Smith
Thursday February 25th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
For the last few years, the media has pushed more and more sensationalistic and dire predictions concerning the fate of the planet due to climate change, while others deny that such a phenomenon even exists. What is truth and what is exaggeration, and what should a Christian think of such matters? Eric Smith using Hugh Ross's new book "Weathering Climate Change", dives into some of these topics.
In this session, we will examine the history of the Earth's climate and see how the conditions over the last 10,000 years have been especially fine-tuned for human life and civilization. We will also take a look into the future to see what lies in store and what actions we can take to be the best possible stewards of the world God has given us.
Eric A. Smith received his Master's Degree in Physics from Vanderbilt University where he was a member of the Supernova Cosmology Project, the co-discovers of dark energy. He has spoken on both scientific and apologetics topics at the Atlanta chapter of Reasons to Believe, the Areopagus Forum, and Ratio Christi. He currently resides in Milledgeville, GA, where he is an Associate Professor of Physics at Georgia Military College.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at atlanta2010@reasons.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
January Meeting(Via ZOOM)
A presentation by Bruce Phillips
Thursday January 28th- 7:00 PM (See below for details)
"DNA and the Evidence for Intelligent Design" is the subtitle of Stephen Meyer's 2009 book "Signature in the Cell." And while there had been a number of important books that preceded Meyer's contribution, it's safe to say that his 508-page presentation of the evidence was something new, particularly for the non-specialist. The argument on its surface is fairly straightforward: that complexity as we find in the structure and function of DNA is never found in nature absent the presence of intelligence. And from that we are entitled to the inference that intelligence must have been involved in the creation of life since even the simplest of living things has an information component.
But while the argument on the surface is simple, it has its twists and turns in crafting a satisfactory definition of sufficient complexity to warrant the inference, and in understanding the role that DNA plays. This introduces the need to understand what it means to find both a tremendously complex system of coded information AND the ability to translate that code into biologically active structures at the heart of biology.
But while the argument on the surface is simple, it has its twists and turns in crafting a satisfactory definition of sufficient complexity to warrant the inference, and in understanding the role that DNA plays. This introduces the need to understand what it means to find both a tremendously complex system of coded information AND the ability to translate that code into biologically active structures at the heart of biology.
Bruce Phillips is a Certified Apologetics Instructor with certificates from the North American Mission Board of the SBC, from BIOLA (the Bible Institute of Los Angeles) in California, and from Cross-Examined, an apologetics ministry founded through Southern Evangelical Seminary in Charlotte, NC.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at atlanta2010@reasons.org for the meeting ID and passcode. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
