2022 Meetings...
November Special Event!>>> In lieu of our Thursday meeting <<<
Live! Jeff Zweerink, Ph.D
Wednesday November 2nd- 7:00 PM Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear Jeff Zweerink in person.
Come early!
Whitefield Academy
1 WHITEFIELD DRIVE SMYRNA, GA 30126
Directions to Whitefield Academy
Louise Owens Theatre (a.k.a Black Box)
Lower Floor of Morris Hall (number 8 on map)
The discovery of thousands of planets outside our solar system has refueled popular interest in an age-old question: Are we alone in the universe or does life exist beyond the confines of Earth? Jeff Zweerink will highlight some of the important ways scientific studies weigh in on the question as well as address the implications for Christianity if we are not alone.
So in lieu of normal Thursday night meeting, we are encouraging everyone to attend this special event. As a bonus... all attendees will have the opportunity to get a free copy of RTB's new book "Testable Faith".
Jeff Zweerink, Ph.D
Astrophysicist Jeff Zweerink is a senior research scholar at Reasons to Believe (RTB), an organization dedicated to demonstrating the compatibility of science and the Christian faith. He earned a PhD in astrophysics from Iowa State University and did postdoctoral research at the University of California, Riverside. Jeff has been involved in research projects such as STACEE and VERITAS and is a coauthor of more than 30 academic papers.
Today, Jeff speaks at conferences, churches, and universities, and continues to work as a project scientist at UCLA on GAPS, a balloon experiment seeking to detect dark matter. His books include Is There Life Out There?, Who’s Afraid of the Multiverse?, Escaping the Beginning?, and Building Bridges (coauthor). He also hosts the Science-Faith Connection segment on RTB’s 28:19 show. |
October Event>>> In person and Zoom! <<<
A presentation by Jefrey Breshears, Ph.D
Thursday October 6th- 7:00 PM Room 108 Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 955 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta
Directions to Johnson Ferry Baptist
or Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
"Francis Schaeffer: A Retrospective on His Life & Legacy" is an overview of the life and works of one of the most significant and influential Christian thinkers of the 20th century.
Contemporary America lacks strong and wise prophetic voices amid all the spiritual and moral chaos and confusion in our nation and the world. We desperately need leaders who understand and apply a comprehensive biblical worldview to every area of life, and who have the courage to address the great challenges and controversies of our time.
Francis Schaeffer (1912-84) was just such a voice. Other than C. S. Lewis, Schaeffer had perhaps more influence on serious evangelicals than any other Christian intellectual of the 20th century. Furthermore, his message is even more relevant today than when he was writing and ministering more than forty years ago.
As noted in Dr. Breshears book, Francis Schaeffer: A Retrospective on His Life & Legacy, "To live faithfully and effectively for Christ in contemporary 'post-Christian' America, students and adults alike are well-advised to read, absorb and interact with the thought, the insights, and the challenges they will encounter in the writings of two modern sages: C. S. Lewis and Francis Schaeffer."
o James Sire: "Francis Schaeffer was the Jeremiah of the 20th Century."
o Billy Graham: "[Schaeffer] was truly one of the great evangelical statesmen of our generation.... More than virtually any other thinker, he had keen insight into the major theological and philosophical battles of our time."
o J. I. Packer: "Francis Schaeffer was a modern-day prophet-pastor.... He was an amazing man – intellectually brilliant and set on truth, emotionally intense, devoted to God and compassionate; like Jeremiah, perplexed by the world, not because he didn’t understand it but because he did."
o Os Guinness: "I have never met anyone with such a passion for God, combined with a passion for people, combined with a passion for truth.... Francis Schaefer was quite simply the most brilliant and compassionate face-to-face apologist I have ever met."
o Donald Williams: "Francis Schaeffer has never been replaced by another voice of equal stature."
So, join us for an interesting evening of learning and enlightenment as Dr. Breshears overviews the life and works of Francis Schaeffer.
Jefrey Breshears, Ph.D
Jefrey Breshears, Ph.D., is a former university history professor and the president of The Areopagus, a Christian education ministry in Atlanta, Georgia that sponsors seminars and forums on topics related to Christian apologetics, history, science, literature and the arts, and contemporary culture.
Dr. Breshears has been active in the Atlanta RTB chapter since its founding nearly 20 years ago, and he has been featured in numerous RTB podcasts over the years. He is member of the RTB Scholar Community. He is also the author of several books, including:
- Introduction To Bibliology: What Every Christian Should Know About the Origins, Composition, Interpretation, Canonization, and Transmission of the Bible (2017) - The Case for Christian Apologetics: Defending the Truth of the Christian Faith in a Post-Christian and Skeptical Culture (2016, 2021) - American Crisis: Cultural Marxism and the Culture War -- A Christian Response (2020) - C. S. Lewis on Politics, Government, and the Good Society (2020) - Francis Schaeffer: A Retrospective on His Life & Legacy (2022).
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at rtb@atlantaapologist.org for the meeting ID and passcode. This information is also provided in our announcements. To subscribe, use the Subscribe link above in our header. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
September Event>>> In person! <<<
A presentation by Eric Smith
Thursday September 1st- 7:00 PM Room 105 Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 955 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta
Directions to Johnson Ferry Baptist
or Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
Hugh Ross' new book, Designed to the Core, takes an insider's look at our cosmic neighborhood… everything from the largest-scale structure of the universe to Earth's innermost layers. The book explains how the most sophisticated scientific instruments reveal exquisite "interior designs" throughout the universe that are ideally suited for human habitation here on Earth right now. This scientific excursion includes the interior structures of super-superclusters of galaxies, clusters of galaxies, local galaxies, our Milky Way Galaxy, the Sun, our planetary system, the Moon, and Earth's interior—all of which reveal fine-tuning that manifests a Designer's planning and preparation.
So, if you are up for a trip through the ultimate neighborhood, join us as Eric Smith takes us through the "interior structures" of the universe -- from galactic super-superclusters down to the interior of the Earth -- and seeing how these previously unseen features display the fine tuning necessary for life.
Eric Smith
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. This information is also provided in our announcements. To subscribe, use the Subscribe link above in our header. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
August Event>>> In person! <<<
A presentation by Bruce Phillips
Thursday August 4th- 7:00 PM Room 105 Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 955 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta
Directions to Johnson Ferry Baptist
or Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
Thomas' publisher describes the book this way:
"University professor Neil Thomas was a committee Darwinist and agnostic – until an investigation of evolutionary theory led him to a startling conclusion: 'I had been conned!' As he studied the work of Darwin's defenders, he found himself encountering tactics eerily similar to the methods of political brainwashing he had studied as a scholar. Thomas felt impelled to write a book as a sort of warning call to humanity: 'Beware! You have been fooled!' The result is Taking Leave of Darwin, a wide-ranging history of the evolution debate."
"Thomas uncovers many formidable Darwin opponents that most people know nothing about, ably distills crucial objections raised early and late against Darwinism, and shows that those objections have been explained away but never effectively answered. Thomas's deeply personal conclusion? Intelligent design is not only possible but, indeed, is presently the most reasonable explanation for the origin of life's great diversity of forms."
If you have concerns about the impact that Darwinism has had on our society including, at a minimum, teaching now generations of students that we are a random product of nature and, by extension, that there is no meaning of purpose or life, then you will want to hear what Professor Thomas has to say. We have been fooled, and it's time more people came to that same realization. Michael Behe strongly recommends this book, as does Rod Nave!
Bruce Phillips
Bruce Phillips has been an active member of The Areopagus and RTB since the early 2000s, making presentations at many churches and other venues often exploring the intersection of science and faith. He is a Certified Apologetics Instructor by the SBC and through Cross Examined, an apologetics ministry associated with Southern Evangelical Seminary. Bruce is a semi-retired Certified Financial Planner ™ and lives in East Cobb. He and his wife Pamela split their church affiliation between Eastside Baptist and Johnson Ferry.
If you would like to join us for our zoom session, please contact us at rtb@atlantaapologist.org for the meeting ID and passcode. This information is also provided in our announcements. To subscribe, use the Subscribe link above in our header. Try to join early since we may not be able to accept joining after the presentation starts. |
July Event>>> In person! <<<
A presentation by Ray Williams
Thursday July 7 th- 7:00 PM Across from Room 108 Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 955 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta
Directions to Johnson Ferry Baptist
or Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
It’s well past time for the Christian Community to come together and settle on a consensus interpretation of the Biblical creation account. This presentation is a candidate to be such an interpretation. It’s an edited upgrade of a presentation that was given at the virtual meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation, which convened in July 2021.
This interpretation is a Concordist View of Genesis 1, which supports the harmony of Scripture and the scientific evidence of the world’s creation. The presentation includes a timeline of creation and reasons why the Calendar Day View and the Framework Hypothesis are not valid interpretations of the creation account.
Ray Williams
Ray is an honored friend and member of the Atlanta RTB chapter since 2005. This includes several presentations related to Genesis and Creation along with participation on panel discussions. He developed an eight-lesson program on The Harmony of Science and Biblical Creation and presented a formal paper on interpretation of the Genesis days at a meeting of the American Scientific Affiliation.
Ray has a diverse background. He is a retired Navy officer having served during WWII and the Korean war. With an electrical engineering degree, following retirement, he worked with several companies to include the Naval Air Development Center, the FAA, and the Lockheed Aircraft Company.
He was a member of the Presbyterian Church in America (PCA) and has served as a Ruling Elder since 1969. He is a Ruling Elder Emeritus from Christ Presbyterian Church, Marietta, GA and has taught classes in Christian Doctrine, Books of the Bible and the Westminster Confession of Faith. Ray has been engaged in the discussion of science and faith issues for many years and has written a number of articles that were posted on the PCA News web site. The articles contained comprehensive scientific and biblical arguments that stressed the Harmony of Science and Biblical Creation.
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
A presentation by Doug Hohulin
Thursday June 2 nd- 7:00 PM Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
The Metaverse is going to be as disruptive to our world in the late 2020's as smartphones were in the 2010's and cell phones & PC's in the 2000's. In 10 years, smartglasses will replace the smartphone for a fully immersive experience that is indistinguishable from the physical world. Join us as Doug Hohulin discusses this transition from Web 2D to Web 3D - How we will Work, Learn, Live (healthcare), Worship and Play in 2030.
In this presentation, Doug will provide a short overview of how society uses the internet today and how it may be used in the future. This will include what is the Metaverse, and how to prepare for the changes in our world that are about to take place to make it Christ Centered. There will be a focus on how immersive technology can improve healthcare and allow us to ponder… what will the schools of tomorrow look like with XR?
A number of fun videos will be shown that discusses the Metaverse including: an interview of Dr. Jeff Zweerink on The Babylon Bee and a humerous video by John Crist who states "With virtual reality Church, you're in charge for the sermon. Choose the amount of conviction you'd like. … An option for people asking the question, how can I make Sunday morning even more about me.”
So please join us to learn what the future holds for this fast coming technology and how we may prepare for it.
Doug Hohulin
Doug graduated from Purdue with a BSEE. He worked for 33 years at Nokia/Motorola in Strategy, Business Development, Account Management, and Engineering roles. He focused on Telecommunication (5G/6G, WiFi, Cable), Intelligent Transportation (Automated Vehicles, Traffic Safety), XR/Metaverse, Digital Health, Telehealth, Education, Future of Work and Public Policy projects. He is a Volunteer Affiliate Faculty member at the University of Kansas School of Nursing supporting various XR projects. He is a KC Digital Drive Health Innovation Team member and on the University of Central Missouri Gigabit Lab Advisory Board. He lives in Olathe KS and presents regularly at the KC RTB chapter on technology and impacts to society.
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. |
May Event
A presentation by Vaughn Mancha MD
Thursday May 5 th- 7:00 PM Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
The field of epigenetics is causing a major disruption in the field of evolution. Epigenetics can be described as the study of heritable phenotype changes that do not involve alterations in the DNA sequence. This is in contrast with Darwin’s explanation of changes in the DNA via random mutations with natural selection. A recent news article reports "Current estimates are that approximately one-third of professional academic biologists who do not believe in intelligent design find Darwin’s theory is inadequate to describe all of the complexity in biology.”
Using reason and logic we examine the evidence available to determine what Worldview offers the best explanations for the reality that we exist in. We find some of the strongest arguments for the existence of God are scientifically grounded and not associated with any one theology unto themselves.
In this presentation, Dr. Vaughn Mancha will describe how epigenetics best explains the biological complexities of genetic change and why it is so disruptive to Darwin’s theory of evolution.
Vaughn Mancha MD
Dr Mancha has a MD from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with an undergraduate degree in biology from Florida State University. He is a retired Board Certified Family Practitioner. He presently resides as the director of the Mobile Alabama Ratio Christi and the president of the Daphne Alabama chapter of Reasons to Believe. His apologetic interest is primarily in evolution and its eclipse due to nondarwinian epigenetics.
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. |
NOTE: There was no April event...
all our meetings were moved to the first Thursday of each month.
March Event
A presentation by Larry Dougherty
Thursday March 24 th- 7:00 PM Room 108 Johnson Ferry Baptist Church 955 Johnson Ferry Rd, Marietta
Directions to Johnson Ferry Baptist
or Via ZOOM (See below for joining)
"What is apologetics? Apologetics (from the Greek apologia: a defense) is that branch of Christian theology which seeks to provide a rational justification for the truth claims of the Christian faith. Apologetics is primarily a theoretical discipline." William Lane Craig opens his seminal book, Reasonable Faith. with this understanding.
Using reason and logic we examine the evidence available to determine what Worldview offers the best explanations for the reality that we exist in. We find some of the strongest arguments for the existence of God are scientifically grounded and not associated with any one theology unto themselves.
However, once pursued, the basic scientific understanding of our material existence contributes to a foundation that leaves all with a dilemma. That is if, by science, it is shown that it is highly unlikely that there is not a powerful transcendent Being - which understanding of that Being, which theology, best represents Him?
Join us for a discussion of some of the basic scientific understandings that lays such a foundation.
Larry Dougherty
Larry Dougherty has resided in Marietta since 1987. He and his wife Debbie have been members of the Mt. Bethel Church in East Cobb since they arrived. Larry retired in 2014. They have two children and 5 grandchildren. He enjoys being with his grandchildren and spends much time retreating to the panhandle of Florida where he and Debbie met. Larry and Debbie have been married for 48 years.
Larry graduated from Florida State University with a degree in Biology. He was with Avon Products for 15 years serving in various positions throughout the U.S. specializing in Logistics. Prior to retiring he owned and operated an Executive Search Firm in Marietta for 22 years.
Larry served in the military (USAF) and was raised in a military family. With his childhood family and his many moves throughout his adult life, he has had the opportunity to live in 2 foreign countries (Germany & Japan) and 14 states.
Larry particularly enjoys sharing his passion for Apologetics by leading adult Sunday School Classes. In 2016 he became involved with a prison ministry program, Prison Fellowship, serving at state prisons. In 2018 he transitioned to the Reasonable Faith organization serving at the Federal Prison in Atlanta Georgia.
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. |
February Event(Via ZOOM) Sponsored by...
A presentation by Fazale 'Fuz' Rana, PhD
Thursday February 24 th- 7:00 PM (See below for joining)
Did Adam and Eve really exist?
Did all humanity come from a single couple?
Is there any scientific evidence that supports the biblical narratives of human origins?
Already an influential—and controversial—work, In the Quest of the Historical Adam is an impressive—and bold—interdisciplinary exploration into the historicity of Adam (and Eve). William Lane Craig argues that Scripture, indeed, teaches that Adam was a historical person, who, along with Eve, served as humanity's progenitors. Yet, Craig adopts an evolutionary perspective on humanity's origin. To reconcile a human evolutionary history with the biblical account of humanity's creation, Craig makes the case that Genesis 1 to 11 belongs to a genre, called mytho-history—a mythical account of our origins that is not to be understood literally. Yet, as mytho-history this passage of Scripture references real historical figures, including Adam. Craig makes use of scientific evidence from paleoanthropology and archeology to locate Adam in evolutionary history, provisionally concluding that Adam (and Eve) lived between 750,000 and 1,000,000 years ago as a member of the hominin species Homo heidelbergensis.
For many evangelical and conservative Christians, Craig's conclusions may be shocking. But is Craig's model valid? Will it convince the Christian community? The scientific community? What are it strengths? Its limitations?
The goals in this presentation are to summarize and engage the ideas found in Craig's In the Quest of the Historical Adam. Towards that end, Dr. Rana will offer a brief biblical and theological assessment of his ideas about Genesis 1-11 followed by a detailed scientific critique of Craig’s human origins model.
In the process, we hope to shed light on the question: Who was Adam?
Fazale Rana
Biochemist Fazale "Fuz" Rana is Executive Vice President of Research and Apologetics at Reasons to Believe (RTB), an international science-based Christian apologetics organization dedicated to demonstrating the compatibility of science and Christianity.
Dr. Rana holds a PhD in chemistry with an emphasis in biochemistry from Ohio University where his studies of cellular systems convinced him of a Creator's existence and set him on a journey to faith in Christ.
After receiving his PhD, Dr. Rana pursued postdoctoral studies at the Universities of Virginia and Georgia. He then worked seven years as a senior scientist in product development for Procter & Gamble before leaving his position in 1999 to join RTB.
Dr. Rana is author or co-author of several books including
- The Cell's Design: How Chemistry Reveals the Creator's Artistry (2008); - Origins of Life (2014); - Who Was Adam? (2015); - Humans 2.0: Scientific, Philosophical and Theological Perspectives on Transhumanism(2019); and most recently... - Fit for a Purpose: Does the Anthropic Principle Include Biochemistry? (2021).
Additionally, he has published numerous articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals and has made presentations at numerous international scientific meetings. Dr. Rana travels widely, speaking on science-and-faith related issues in churches, business firms and universities and addressing the evidence for divine creation from biochemistry, genetics, and human origins. He also participates in RTB's podcasts and daily blog, "Today's New Reason to Believe," and has made guest appearances on various TV and radio programs. He also lectures for the Master of Science and Religion program in Christian Apologetics at Biola University and Southern Evangelical Seminary.
A native of West Virginia, Dr. Rana lives in Southern California with his wife, Amy, and their three daughters. |
