Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Author at Mama Bear Apologetics: Recent Episodes
Hillary Morgan Ferrer, Author at Mama Bear Apologetics
Can you believe it’s September already?! New school year, new election year… A few years back, we shared a blog called “10 Things to Pray Every Day During September 2020” and that blog turned partly into the Honest Prayers for Mama Bears book!
But prayer isn’t something we relegate to just one specific time. (Okay… maybe it’s a good idea to be on our knees a little more than usual during an election season like this one?)
In general, mama bears, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of prayer. We fight ideologically battles ideologically, but we fight spiritual battles with the spiritual weapons that God has given us, because no amount of “discussion” will be effective if there is a spiritual stronghold jacking up communication. Remember, “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms” (Ephesians 6:12 NIV). Spiritual blindness is a real thing. Spiritual deafness is a real thing. (See Matthew 13.) We have an entire war raging all around us in the spiritual realm, and if we want to make a dent in our culture, we need to be prayed up not only for our own sakes, but for the sake of those who are held captive to these strongholds. (See Isaiah 61:1.)
Some of these prayers will be new. Some will be repeats from 2020. But I’d like us as a Mama Bear community to commit to pray these 10 prayers, every day at 12 o’clock noon. In fact, post “Prayed #10at12” on your socials. Let’s see how many mama bears we can get lifting up these strongholds every single day in September and October! And then let’s see if we can make it a regular thing. There is something magical about knowing that there are other mama bears all over the world praying at the exact same time as you (or within your time zone!).
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Unity around the essentialsThere’s a phrase from German Lutheran theologian Rupertus Meldenius that my husband’s former professor Norman Geisler used to repeat frequently: “In the essentials, unity, in the negotiables, liberty, in all things, charity.” Mama bears, there are a lot of different opinions out there at what constitutes “the essentials” of the Christian faith. There are hills worth dying on and hills that are not. Let’s be praying that God would reveal to us the essentials of Christianity around which we are to unapologetically unify, knowing that in some of the lesser issues, we should have grace with our brothers and sisters. Only then, can real unity take place.
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Division around the non-negotiablesAnd while we are on the subject of unity, there are some who (mistakenly) advocate for embracing allllll the things under the auspices of “Christian unity.” Mama bears, we can’t go there, either. Does it directly change who God has revealed Himself to be in Scripture, negate what the Bible says, or prevent us from fully reflecting God’s image to the world? Don’t unify with that! No matter how much the person claims to “love Jesus.” That being said, there are a whollllle range of different convictions, secondary issues, or personalities that all contribute to a healthy, functioning, body of Christ. That’s what healthy parts of the body do; they each have their own function while interacting with the whole. Separate yourself from anything that destroys the function of the whole, but it’s okay to be different with convictions and secondary beliefs. Pray that the Lord would reveal to you those issues, and be bold enough to separate from things that distort the gospel.
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Ability to see what’s going on in culture without fearThis is a prayer that I pray regularly for myself, and for y’all, my sweet mama bears. There is a lot going on in this world. God, please open our eyes to the schemes of the enemy without letting us give way to fear. If you are for us, who can be against us? Your perfect love casts out fear. But may we never turn a blind eye to what is going on in our world.
God, please open our eyes to the schemes of the enemy without letting us give way to fear. #prayer #10at12 #honestprayersformamabears #mamabearapologetics
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An insatiable craving for the WordWe cannot figure out what the essentials, negotiables, or dealbreakers are if we don’t know the Word! For anyone who has read the Honest Prayers book, you know that I spend a lot of time admitting to God how tedious it feels to study sometimes. That’s where we ask the Lord to change our desires! Make us absolutely insatiable for your Word, Lord! That is how we “Delight ourselves in the Lord” so that He can “Give us the desires of our heart.” When the desire for the Bible becomes a deep yearning in our souls, then Bible study becomes exactly what we want to do! It’s a pretty sweet deal.
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Eyes to see the teachable momentsThere is so much that goes on around us, from conversations at a soccer game to moments in the latest film, television show, or TSwift lyrics. Raising kids who are disciples of Jesus means that we need to reinforce the truths from His word while whether we are walking on the road or going through the Wendy’s drive-thru. Be careful with this prayer! The Lord is faithful to answer it! You’ll see nonsense everywhere, and your kids will get so tired of you pointing out lies that they’ll start being all “Nooo! Not again!!!” But mama bears, I say it all the time: sometimes that eye-roll means you are on exactly the right track!
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A mind that can remember what we’ve learnedAnyone else’s memory tanked in your old age? No? Just me? Riiiiiight. I literally pray this a lot. There’s so much study that I do, and it is frustrating when I can’t remember it all. I have those “teachable moments” come up with the neighbors’ kids or my nephews, but I sometimes fear that my ability to recall what I’ve learned is diminished. So I give that to God, too.
Lord, increase our study, and help us retain that which you want us to pass on to your children! Help us be faithful in each of these small, teachable tasks. #honestprayers #10at12 #mamabearapologetics
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Energy to defend our actual family and our church familyDefending our families doesn’t mean we go all West Side Story rumble style. One major part of defense is fortifying unity. What can you do that helps fortify your family’s bond? Family dinners? Family game night? Make sure that being together is where nostalgia will take them back to in the future. Same thing for our church families. There are a lot of bad experiences that people can have at church to the point where they want to tear down Christ’s bride altogether. Not on our watch! Weep with those who weep. Mourn with those who mourn. But do not stand idly by and allow the entire Bride of Christ to be trashed in the public sphere. One book we recommend about this is Jeff Meyer’s Truth Changes Everything, which goes into detail on all the beautiful things that the Church (big C) has accomplished throughout history.
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Know when to speak up and when to be silentMama bears, some fights are ours and we’ve been called to serve. Other fights? Not so much. It’s okay to pick your battles. It’s okay to let people be (gasp) wrong sometimes. Do you know where you’ve been and how far God has brought you? If every single time you were wrong someone was in your face about it, the maturity might have ended there. Just remember how you are as a parent — sometimes you let things go because it’s a small skirmish in the bigger battle of raising kids up into adulthood. The same is true with all of us who are at different spiritual maturities. Just ask the Lord for wisdom in the moment, and then either boldly speak up or boldly hold your tongue. Either way, don’t do it because you fear being quiet or not speaking up. We are bold when we know we are answering a situation aptly.
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Ability to see root issuesI was talking to my cousin about a lady who was rude at the grocery store. My mind immediately went to all the possible scenarios that she might have lived through today. Now, this isn’t the case all the time. Sometimes, people are just jerks. But as we go about being light, being seeds, and spreading the kingdom, let’s ask God for the ability to see what the root of the issue is rather than the symptom.
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Freedom to release all consequences to GodEven looking at this list, being a Christ follower can feel like walking a tightrope. There’s so much to balance, so many perspectives to take into consideration. But you know what? We’re probably going to mess it up again… and again… and again. And being a Christian means that we as sinners just keep trying. We give grace to ourselves when we blow it, and grace to others when they blow it. If there was something that God needed us to do, the world will not crumble unless we do it perfectly. He chooses to use us because He delights in using us! We do our best, but the results are ultimately up to Him. Now, our hearts, on the other hand, don’t know this. Personally, I take every failure as if I should have known better. But the older I get, the more I realize that I don’t have as much control as I like to think I do. So my prayer in those situations is that I would just release it to God. Otherwise, there are just too many things to keep me up at night, and I’m not particularly pleasant when I’ve been up all night! Haha!
I do what I can, release it to God, and when I find myself ruminating again, I ask Him to take it one more time. #10at12 #prayers #honestprayers #mamabearapologetics
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I hope that you like our 10 at 12 for this year! Let us know in the comments if any of these particularly spoke to your heart.
P.S. A new note-taking edition of Honest Prayers for Mama Bears book will be released next month! We think you’ll love its beautiful design, which includes space to write down your own thoughts related to the prayers. You can preorder it now wherever books are sold!
Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is the chief author and editor of Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies and Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality: Empowering Your Kids to Understand and Live Out God’s Design. Hillary has her masters in Biology and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for 17 years. Don’t let her cook for you. She’ll burn your house straight to the ground.
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In case you haven’t noticed, I (Hillary) am a big fan of honesty. This has worked both to my favor and my detriment in regular life. People know they can come to me to get honest assessments of things. On the flip side of that coin, I sometimes don’t guard my words as carefully as I should.
When I’m coming to God in prayer, I find it necessary to let Him know where I am—right here, right now, with all the ugly out there for Him to see. There is nothing I withhold, no matter how horrible it feels to admit or say aloud to Him. So, in that vein, there is no honest that is too honest. I find that, in general, it is helpful to verbalize out all my yuck first, and then I can see what needs changing. Think about it this way: If you are lost and need directions, you must figure out where you are first. Only then can you navigate to where you want to be. I find that to be the case emotionally. When I feel trapped or lost in grief or anger or discontentment, I need to identify where I am before the Lord so He can lovingly direct me out of the pit.
The point where we can go from honest to toxic, however, is when I begin to ruminate on the negatives to the exclusion of truth. If all I’m doing is wallowing in my sin (or my hurt feelings, or my anger, what-have-you) then it can be easy to start reinforcing those feelings. At this point, we have released all our blech, but failed to inhale truth and goodness. If we stop at the step of identifying our emotions without moving forward, we haven’t done ourselves any favors.
Yes, we have total permission to say allllll the things to God—but, we must purposely redirect our thoughts to what is ultimately true, not what feels true right now. David does this really well in the Psalms. He cries, he rants, he rages. And then he starts listing all the beautiful truths about God, such as His faithfulness and kindness (Psalm 10,13, 22, and 143 are good examples.). Or David declares what he’s going to do in the face of his suffering: “I will always have hope! I will praise you more and more!” (Psalm 71:14).
We can do the same in our honest prayers. Yes! Cry out to the Lord! But always circle back to who He is and what He’s done—the ways He has been faithful to you already. Honest is only too honest when you refuse to move on from the unfiltered negative realities and don’t interact with the life-giving positive truths. And if you are having a hard time moving on, then tell that to God, too! It’s one more thing to be honest about. (“Ooops! God, I’m doing it again. I’m ruminating and it’s just making me feel worse. I really want to move on to your glory, but I’m having a really hard time. Please redirect my thoughts to what is true.) Then choose to speak what is true, even if you don’t feel like it. Forcing yourself to verbalize truth (whether through writing or speaking) has an amazing way of redirecting both our thoughts and our feelings. Our emotions often have to catch up to what our brains have already acknowledged. That’s where meditating on the truth comes in. When we force ourselves to acknowledge truth, we can’t help but fall back in love with what God has already done for us. So, be honest Mama Bears! But be truthful too. And remember, honesty and truth aren’t always the same thing.
Yes! Cry out to the Lord! But always circle back to who He is and what He’s done—the ways He has been faithful to you already. #honestprayersformamabears #honestprayers #prayer
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Part of this blog was taken from our newest book Honest Prayers for Mama Bears which you can find here.
Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is the chief author and editor of Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies and Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality: Empowering Your Kids to Understand and Live Out God’s Design. Hillary has her masters in Biology and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for 17 years. Don’t let her cook for you. She’ll burn your house straight to the ground.
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We interrupt our regularly scheduled 3-part series on the Enneagram to address some hurts that may be caused by the timing of this series. We had no idea it would turn into such a cultural moment — thanks in no small part to Jackie Hill Perry publicly announcement about the Enneagram days before we released the first blog. We are still going to talk about the scientific validity of the Enneagram (part 2), and we are still going to do a final ROAR through the Enneagram (part 3). But before we do, I feel a burden to speak to our mama bears who are feeling hurt, ashamed, angry, or even stupid at the sudden outcry against the Enneagram. To you, I want to say: “There is therefore now, no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1). Repeat it until you believe it.
Make no mistake, I do think the Lord is breaking a stronghold within the church that has been there for far too long. But in the midst of this, we need to address the Christian who asks, “What do I do if I feel like I was really helped by the Enneagram?” The enemy loves to jump in on what God is doing and surround it with a cloud of confusion and shame. If you, or someone you love has been a champion of the Enneagram and feels like someone just released a tsunami of condemnation on your head, here are some thoughts for you.
I do think the Lord is breaking a stronghold within the church. But in the midst of this, we need to address the Christian who asks “What do I do if I feel like I was really helped by the #Enneagram?”
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1. Occult temptations always start by “working”There have been a few times in my life when I dabbled in things that I later concluded to be occult. Each time, I forged ahead because there was just enough science (or theoretical science) for me to justify my interest. Each time, in His own way, the Lord made sure that I was no longer able to justify my study. I remember when it finally occurred to me that “occult” doesn’t mean “not true.” It’s not synonymous with “doesn’t work.” Occult means secret or hidden. There are almost always short-term “benefits” to dabbling in the occult. It wouldn’t entice anyone otherwise. Don’t feel ashamed because you were enticed by something that seemed good and true. Know that…
Remember: #occult doesn't mean 'not true' or 'doesn't work.' It means hidden (or even forbidden).
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2. God can reap where He doesn’t sowI have heard from a few friends saying that they felt like the Enneagram saved their marriage. They had gone to church classes and counselors and conferences trying to better understand themselves and their spouses. The Enneagram was like this “aha” moment where they could finally connect. To this, I want to say “Praise God that He reaps where He does not sow!” When a marriage is saved or a relationship is improved, all glory goes to God. God can use all things. However, we need to be aware that this is a grace that was extended to us because we serve a good God, not because God is giving us permission to follow something that is not from Him. And as we saw in part 1, the origins of the Enneagram have all the earmarks of occult activity through trance and automatic writing.
3. It’s not what you did, it’s what you do nowIf you have felt helped by the Enneagram, be grateful to God… and move on. As I said in point #1, occult fascination always begins by hooking us in with things that feel true, good, beautiful, or that “work.” Pay attention now to how difficult it is to take the information that God revealed to you about yourself, and disconnect it from the Enneagram. Yes, it may have been during your time studying the Enneagram that you had aha moments. The question is, do you believe that it was the Lord who revealed those things to you or the Enneagram? If you are trusting God, you can trust that He will continue to refine you without any more help from the Enneagram. If you keep feeling pulled back to the Enneagram, ask yourself why? What are you trusting in? Pay attention to how often you still want to assign people a number or how often you excuse something because of your number. This isn’t to shame you. It is to help you realize that there may have been a bigger spiritual stronghold than you realized. Any tool that is truly of God will push us back to Him and His Word, not back to the tool.
How do you help people in your life who are feeling shamed for studying the Enneagram?I know it can be tempting – especially for those who were uneasy from the start – to yell “HA! I KNEW IT! Told you so!!!” to someone whom they’d previously debated on the topic. But that is not how we as Christians should engage with those who are just escaping deception. Be honest: did you stay away from the Enneagram because you were sooooo much more spiritual or because it didn’t work for you to begin with? We’ve all been deceived at some moment or another. Be kind to others, for you have no clue how long it will be until you will look the fool. Treat them the way you will want to be treated when you are blinded by something that you thought was good. Do not rub each other’s faces in folly. We all need God’s kindness which leads to repentance. Whatever you do, do not make repenting more difficult for someone. Trust me, you don’t want to tempt God to unsaddle you from that moral high horse you’re on.
Instead remember, mama bears, “Above all, love each other deeply because love covers over a multitude of sins” (1 Peter 4:8). For it is love which binds us all together in perfect unity (Colossians 3:15).
We have all been #deceived at one time or another. Don't rub each other's faces in it. Rather put on love, which binds us all together in perfect #unity. (Colossians 3:15)
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Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is the chief author and editor of Mama Bear Apologetics: Empowering Your Kids to Challenge Cultural Lies and Mama Bear Apologetics Guide to Sexuality: Empowering Your Kids to Understand and Live Out God’s Design. Hillary has her masters in Biology and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for 15 years. Don’t let her cook for you. She’ll burn your house straight to the ground.
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I was in my mid-20s living in San Diego. I joined some people from a nearby church and went to a Pride parade to pass out water, give hugs, and hold signs saying “We are sorry the church hasn’t loved you the way Jesus would” (or something along those lines). All of a sudden, I […]
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Oh Lord, my God. My rock. My redeemer. We have so much blood on our hands. You say in Your Word that the blood of the innocent cries out to you (Genesis 4:10). Bloodshed pollutes the very land in which we live (Numbers 35:33). Oh, my God, our land is polluted with the blood of innocent […]
The post Praying Together Over the SCOTUS Decision to Overturn Roe v. Wade appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
What does the “Don’t Say Gay” Bill really say? You might have heard of a bill that was recently passed in Florida which has been pejoratively dubbed as the ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill by LGBTQ+ activists. (The official name is ‘Parental Rights in Education Bill’, or HB 1557.) As always, we encourage our mama bears to […]
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A clip from Skillet frontman John Cooper has recently been making the rounds on social media. In it, Cooper is heard saying that “it is time to declare war on this idolatrous deconstruction Christian movement.” And just like that, the Christian community split. One set of people claims that Cooper is causing further harm to […]
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I don’t live my life super publicly, but neither am I overly private. John and I joke that if my mouth doesn’t say it, my face will. And in this new world of communication — screens, social media, etc. — if my mouth and face are saying it but there’s not enough discussion for my […]
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What do you think of when you hear the word tradition? Your great aunt’s famous casserole? Opening a single gift on Christmas Eve? Watching that creepy claymation Rudolph film? (You know… the one with the elf who wants to be a dentist?) Most of our families have some sort of tradition — some that are […]
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The world has watched in horror as Afghanistan, a nation in which we have invested for decades, has toppled in a matter of days. Over here in the West, school is just starting. The COVID-19 Facebook debates are making me want to give up social media altogether, and now we have this new atrocity unfolding […]
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We started a new podcast series a couple of weeks ago called, “Fostering Joy in 2021.” (You can listen to or watch the first episode, “The Role of Gratitude,” here.) In this episode, we’re focusing on finding joy in suffering. We’ll dispel some myths and dive into biblical examples of the purpose of suffering. We’ll […]
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Welcome to the first podcast of 2021! Amy and Hillary have been hard at work on our second book, but they are still putting together podcasts, too. In light of 2020 and the start of 2021, they thought it was especially important to focus on joy for the next several podcasts. This first episode in […]
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Chapter 3 of our first book, Mama Bear Apologetics, describes the “Chew and Spit” method. In the chapter, we write, “We don’t need to train our children to be picky when it comes to what they feed their bodies—they do this on their own. But we do have to train them to be discerning about […]
The post MBA Episode 57: Teaching Your Kids the Chew and Spit Method appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
This has been quite a week, has it not? Or heck, this has been quite a year. Even the weather is rebelling. I’m sitting outside in short sleeves and flip flops, and I’m hot… in Iowa… in November. John is usually snow blowing the driveway by now. (Not that I’m complaining! This Texafornian girl is […]
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Let’s all make a pact, Mama Bears, that in a world gone mad…we don’t add to the madness. You may remember our recent Daily Discipleship videos about disagreeing well (you can watch them here), but we didn’t say all we wanted to about the topic in those videos, so Hillary and Amy decided to talk […]
The post MBA Episode 55: The Art of Disagreeing Agreeably appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
Sifting, church. A great sifting is taking place in our ranks. Destructive ideologies are infiltrating the church. Culturally reinforced Christianity is, for the most part, a thing of the past. (Which I’m actually kinda okay with. It’s about time that the only people in the church are the ones who actually believed what the Bible […]
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If you read the Mama Bear Apologetics book, you are likely familiar with the term “linguistic theft.” Hillary wishes she’d been able to include much more on that topic in the book, so in today’s podcast, Hillary and Amy are going to address the subject, because this is something that is taking our kids (and […]
The post MBA Episode 54: Linguistic Theft: What It Is, How It Works, and WHY Your Kids Need to Know About It appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
Welcome to our very first video-formatted podcast! Shoutout to Papa Bear Jerimiah for helping us get it looking so nice. Now you can watch our podcast on YouTube, or you can still listen to it on your favorite podcast app. Our Patrons over on Patreon got to see this early, and we’re thrilled to share […]
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Mama Bears, there has been something stirring in my heart for a few months, and I haven’t been sure what to do with it. It is no secret that we at Mama Bear have always placed a high value on prayer. But I believe that in the coming months, it will be even more important […]
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I have a good friend and apologist who posted on Facebook the other day. It wasn’t her normal careful, reasoned response. It was angry and belittling — not at all like her. I sent her a private message that said something along the lines of, “I love you, friend! Do you think your recent post […]
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We took a break from our Dawkins series to discuss the racial tensions that have been building in our world (listen here), but we’re back with part 10 of our ongoing talk about Dawkins’s book, Outgrowing God. Today, we’re going to look at another area of his expertise, though he hasn’t really been involved in […]
The post MBA Episode 52: Doubting Dawkins – Oh, Nuts! What Do Whale Testicles Have to Do With Evolution? appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
I (Hillary) titled this podcast/blog about a thousand times because I couldn’t quite figure out how to summarize our main message. The messy art of kingdom community? No. I hate the word messy. It’s so misused. (But this topic is legit “messy” if there ever were one.) Grieving with those who grieve? Yes, but that’s […]
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Today, we celebrate a very special milestone! This is our 50th podcast episode, and we’ve got something fun for you. We turned the tables on our Mama Bear-in-Chief, and Amy interviewed Hillary Ferrer. This is your chance to learn more about Hillary, from how she got involved with apologetics, why she started Mama Bear, and […]
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Whenever we turn on the TV these days, it feels like we’re being bombarded with bad news. Because of that, we decided to record this “chaser” episode of the Mama Bear Apologetics podcast. While the Covid-19 pandemic is something we should take seriously, we wanted to point out that we have also been surrounded by […]
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In this episode of the Mama Bear Apologetics podcast, we’re continuing our dissection of Richard Dawkins’ book, Outgrowing God, in our Doubting Dawkins series. Today, Hillary and Amy discuss chapters 7 and 8, which were the easiest to go through of all of the chapters for us. In Hillary’s opinion, this is where the book begins to shine. There are lots of links, photos, and videos that kids and parents, alike, will find fascinating.
Since Hillary comes from a biology background, she loves reading about how things work. He’s presenting evidence. Within these chapters, it’s clear that Dawkins becomes a stronger writer when he discusses animals in general, as opposed to his passages that speak about topics at a more molecular level. His specialty is, after all, zoology (specifically ethology, the study of animal behavior). When comparing these two chapters with others in the rest of the book, it becomes painfully clear that very little of what he writes is in line with his academic specialty.
We hope you learn a little more about how to sift through ideas, accept the good, reject the bad, and now you can teach your kids to do the same.
Do you have any questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes? Send us an email at askthemamabears@gmail.com.
Main Points Covered: * What is Intelligent Design? * The first two main camps in the arguments for creationism are: young creationists and older generation creationists: + Younger creationists - Theistic evolutionists + Older creationists * Dawkins begins by talking about cheetahs, gazelles, the heart, and how they are designed. + “If you’ve seen a film of a gazelle and a cheetah running—perhaps one of David’s Attenborough’s documentaries—you’ve probably noticed how beautifully, how elegantly designed both animals seem to be” (emphasis in original). (Outgrowing God, 146) + Imperfect design + Dawkins claims that octopus eyes and human eyes are an example of imperfect designs. https://www.quora.com/Why-are-the-eyes-of-octopus-and-mammals-homologous
- This is a false presentation of the information.
- He is comparing the eye to the camera.
- Backward wiring = improved oxygen flow
- Verted versus Inverted Retina
- If he’s a biologist, why misrepresent this information?
+ The Design of a Larynx
+ Junk DNA
+ Cephalopods and chameleons
+ **Parents**: Give us examples of what you have seen as design constraints.
+ Closing Prayer
Quotable Quotes:
Design constraints exist. That doesn’t mean that there is a design flaw.
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Don’t be afraid of science. What we need is more science, better science. The more details the better!
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God cannot be the same nature as His creation because material things cannot bring themselves into existence and are ultimately dependent upon something else.
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Resources Mentioned: Richard Dawkins, Outgrowing God. The text that we have been discussing can be found on Amazon.
Jerry Bergman, Inverted Human Eye a Poor Design? Article about the design of the human eye. Is it a poor design?
Jerry Bergman and Joseph Calkins, Is the Backwards Human Retina Evidence of Poor Design? We referenced this while we were talking about the design of the human eye.
Helga Kolb, “How the Retina Works” This article was published in a 2003 edition of American Scientist about intelligent design and the biology behind the retina.
Wolf-Ekkehard Lönnig, “The Laryngeal Nerve of the Giraffe.. Does it prove evolution?” This topic was discussed in chapter seven of Dawkins’s book.
Casey Luskin, The Recurrent Laryngeal Nerve Does Not Refute Intelligent Design, an article from the Idea Center to help you understand more about the laryngeal nerve.
Insane in the Chromatophores, YouTube video. This was suggested by Dawkins as an interesting and entertaining example of how chromatophores in cephalopods work.
Donate to the podcast on our website.
Looking for detailed podcast notes, which include time-stamps, definitions, full Bible verses, and more? We provide them to Patrons on Patreon who donate $10 per month or more. If you’re interested in learning more about Patreon and our giving levels, please visit patreon.com/MamaBearApologetics.
Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is coauthor and editor of the Mama Bear Apologetics book, and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for over 12 years. She is working on her second master’s degree, and yet can’t seem to figure out the simplest cooking recipes.
www.mamabearapologetics.comThe post MBA Episode 48: Doubting Dawkins – No, the Human Eye Isn’t an Example of Bad Design (a Discussion on Design Constraints) appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
In this podcast, we’re wrapping up our discussion of comments made by Richard Dawkins in his book, Outgrowing God, Chapter 6 (regarding whether slavery is advocated in the Bible) by discussing the most commonly asked questions about slavery in the Bible.
The previous two podcasts (part one here and part two here) addressed the question, “Does the Bible Advocate Slavery?”
Do you have any questions, comments, or ideas for future episodes? Send us an email at askthemamabears@gmail.com.
Main Points Covered: * Dawkins’ main point is, “The Bible got slavery wrong, therefore the Bible is wrong.” + He only points out the problem, but doesn’t go into it, so it’s like a faith grenade, hoping that it’ll wreck someone’s faith just with the question.
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Main questions regarding slavery:
- What are the main verses regarding slavery that people reference?
- What is the main argument against Christianity regarding slavery?
- Does condoning slavery mean that slavery is endorsed?
- What did slave mean in the Old Testament?
- Who could become a slave and why?
- What does it mean when it calls a slave “property”?
- What kind of protections did slaves have?
- Why didn’t God have New Testament Christians release all slaves?
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We need to be aware of linguistic theft and linguistic baggage like slavery/slave, condone, etc. These words have multiple meanings, so when kids first hear a ‘buzz word’ they need to dig deeper and find out:
- What is the context?
- Does this mean the same in our language as it did in the original language?
- Are there multiple definitions to this word?
The following table shows a comparison of slave systems:
| Old Testament | Roman | New World | | Holiday | Yes | No | Yes | | Enough food | Yes | No | No | | Legal redress | Yes | No | No | | Sexual protection | Yes | No | No | | Kidnapped | No | Yes | Yes | | Chains | No | Yes | Yes | | Torture | No | Yes | Yes | | Physical abuse | No | Yes | Yes |
(Peter J. Williams, Does the Bible Support Slavery?, bethinking.org, 2015, lecture notes)
What to Talk About with Kids: * Hermeneutics skills: kids need to know how to find context, the meaning of words, understand the linguistic baggage/theft that may in happening/imported * Discuss words that have more than one meaning depending on context, such as love, destroyed, baby, etc. * Emphasize the two different meanings of “condone.” * Slavery/servanthood was a method that the poor could take care of themselves or family within that culture. Highlight Psalm 41:1, Deuteronomy 24:14 about how to treat others (especially the poor). * Movies to Watch: + Joseph and the Coat of Dreams (2000) + Harriet (2019) * Books to Read: + Roman Diary series (Richard Platt) + Tirzah (Lucille Travis)
Unfamiliar Vocab: * Avalanche tactic * Descriptive vs Prescriptive * Hermeneutics * Bondservant * Kinsman redeemer * Chattel slavery * Pederasty * Linguistic baggage
Quotable Quotes:
To own someone’s work is different than to own their identity. - Hillary Ferrer
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What I love about (having your kids pay attention to the way in which words are used) is that it starts getting your kids thinking critically and actively listening…It’s a way to help your kids think better. - Amy Davison
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When your kids start rolling their eyes, you’re doing something right! - Hillary Ferrer
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When we’re looking at Scripture, our focus shouldn’t be just on the law, but on the other commandments and the design for humanity, as well. We need that whole picture concept. - Amy Davison
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Resources Mentioned: Outgrowing God by Richard Dawkins, Amazon
Code of Hammurabi
Paul Copan, Is God a Moral Monster (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 1996)
Bethinking (ministry): bethinking.org
Peter Garnsey, Ideas of Slavery from Aristotle to Augustine
Muhammad A Dandamayev, Slavery (OT), in Anchor Bible Dictionary (available on Logos Bible Software)
Lex Fufia Caninia and Lex Aelia Sentia
Peter J. Williams, Does the Bible Support Slavery? – Lecture from Lanier Theological Library on 30th October 2015
Bible Passages Mentioned: * Genesis 11:5-7 * Exodus 21:16 – Slave trading (selling and owning) wasn’t allowed and was punished by death. Considered a violation of the image of God and the dignity of man. * Exodus 21:20, 21:26-27; Leviticus 19:20-21, 29 – Protection for slaves existed (see the table above). * Deuteronomy 24:14 * Psalm 41:1 * Leviticus 19: 33-36 * Deuteronomy 23:15 – Fugitive slaves are to be protected. * Exodus 21:21 * Exodus 16:16 * Leviticus 25 * Deuteronomy 15:12–18; Matthew 19:8 – Why slavery may have been allowed.
Donate to the podcast on our website.
Looking for detailed podcast notes, which include time-stamps, definitions, full Bible verses, and more? We provide them to Patrons on Patreon who donate $10 per month or more. If you’re interested in learning more about Patreon and our giving levels, please visit patreon.com/MamaBearApologetics.
Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is coauthor and editor of the Mama Bear Apologetics book, and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for over 12 years. She is working on her second master’s degree, and yet can’t seem to figure out the simplest cooking recipes.
www.mamabearapologetics.comThe post MBA Episode 47: The 8 Most Commonly Asked Questions About Slavery in the Bible appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
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Coronavirus… It is the giant elephant-virus in the room that everyone is talking about… so let’s talk about it from a Mama Bear perspective.
I sometimes jokingly refer to myself as a “Debbie downer” because my first instinct isn’t to make people feel better about a situation, it’s to help them think biblically about it. And the biblical teachings are not always the message we want to hear. But they are always the message we need to hear.
Biblical teachings are not always the message we WANT to hear, but they are always the message we NEED to hear. #apologetics #mamabear #ROARLikeAMother
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We are called to place our trust in Christ above all else. Those of us in the U.S. live in a relatively safe and secure country in comparison to other countries. So much so, that I think we have confused it for the norm! But our culture is not the norm. This idea that we as Christians are promised safety and health, and or that we can pray away all trials and tribulations… friends that just isn’t true. It sounds nice. I wish it were true. But it is not. If we are basing our theology on something that wasn’t true for first-century martyrs and our current third-world impoverished nations, then we are not teaching truth. Period. By far the majority of experiences in this world revolve around suffering, sickness, persecution, poverty, and yes, even death. Now, we don’t need to necessarily always lead our Bible studies talking about that. There’s no point emphasizing these things if our end result isn’t immediately pointing to the sufficiency of Christ. Similarly, there are ways that we can approach this whole Coronavirus thing in truth, yet not without hope.
So here are a few helpful tips as you go about your day:
1) Praise God for the opportunity to learn trust! These weird, weird, times we are in right now are opportunity-rich for teaching our kids what real faith and trust are about. I’m talking about the kind of faith and trust that the persecuted church in China experiences every single day. Thank you, Lord, for the opportunity to share in their sufferings and for giving us this opportunity to dismantle our idols of “safety and security.” Because friends, those are massive idols right now in the church. Even more than idols, they are expectations. We think that with enough prayer and faith, we will be able to escape trials and tribulations. But if our faith is in the temporal security of this world, then we have completely missed the point of the cross. The cross guarantees us eternal safety, security, and health. The faith of the Christians in third-world and persecuted nations far exceeds our own because they don’t have the luxury of this “theology of safety.” And friends, this is worth repeating: as I said above, if a theology is not true for the persecuted church (or for first-century Christian martyrs), then it’s not true. Period. We have preached “trust in the Lord” to our kids for a long time. Thank you, God, for giving us the opportunity to model it during hard times.
If we are basing our theology on something that wasn’t true for first-century martyrs and our current third-world impoverished nations, then we are not teaching truth. Period. #Truth #soundtheology #apologetics
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2) Emphasize to our kids the real meaning of Philippians 4:13. This is one of those verses that has been used and abused in Western culture. Almost every time I hear it used, someone is referring to what they can accomplish through Christ, as in… well… accomplishments. (I’m embarrassed to say that as a cheerleader, we used to cite this verse before we did a difficult stunt. Talk about missing the point!) So let’s look at the real meaning of this verse via context. And to do that, we have to read the red-headed stepchild verses right before it. (you know… the ones that NOBODY quotes…)
“I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.” (Philippians 4:11-13)
When Paul said that he could do 'all things through Christ,' he meant that he could SUFFER all things because he had Christ. God's goodness is not contingent upon our safety. #betterexegesis #allthingsthroughchrist #coronavirus
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So what does Paul mean that he can do all things through Christ? Is he talking about placing first in all competitions? Succeeding in all things he tries? Performing all miracles? Winning friends and influencing all people? No. He means that, through Christ, he can suffer all things. He can be in plenty or in want. He can be well-fed or going hungry. Talk about this verse with your kids. Ask them about some of the things that have been easy for them and some things that have been hard. Bring it back to how they can get through anything as long as they have Christ. And then we can take it to current events. We can come down with the Coronavirus, or we can stay healthy. Either way, we can do all things through Christ!
We cannot tell our children that suffering is something to be feared. It is to be expected, and we can endure all things through Christ. #Phil4:13 #betterexegesis
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3) Be clear with our kids about where our hope lies. Piggy-backing on the previous point, we should reinforce with our children where our faith, hope, and trust lie – in Christ. Our hope and faith lie in Christ crucified, paying the penalty for our sins so that we have the promise of eternal life in relationship with God. The rest of this life here on earth is us learning how to be a people of God, and that is often a painful process.
Our hope is not in this world.
Our hope is not in our healthy bodies.
Our hope is not in a painless existence.
Our hope is not in a life void of trial and tribulation.
None of these are wrong to hope for. We just cannot place our hope in these things. We all “hope” for healthy, painless lives without trial and tribulation. You’re kinda weird if you revel in those things. But when we have made it sound like God will always protect us from uncomfortable and even painful things in life, then we are not worshipping the God of the Bible. Sooner or later, your kids will experience pain, suffering, or sickness. If they thought that God’s job was to protect them from these things, then it should be no surprise when they decide that He is not real and walk away from the faith. We need to be giving them a biblical view of God and what to expect in life. What better opportunity than now, when it feels like the whole world is living in fear?
Health and safety are not bad things to hope FOR, we just cannot place our hope IN these things. Our hope is in Christ and Him crucified, reconciling us to God and guaranteeing for us an eternal future of health and security!
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4) Be wise and loving (and not reactive) with “social distancing.” Social distancing is the phrase de jour. It means keeping a healthy physical distance between yourself and other people to prevent the potential spread of illness. This is especially important right now since most people who have the Coronavirus do not exhibit symptoms until days or sometimes weeks later. So how are we, as believers, to think about this concept of “social distancing”?
There is a difference between acting in wisdom versus acting in fear. As a biologist, I can assure you that overpopulation (and people in close proximity) is basically the way that all widespread plagues start. Even in the animal kingdom, you’ll see some mite or virus or bacteria take over an animal population if they get too abundant. It is nature’s way of preventing overpopulation. The way things spread is by too many people in close proximity. So, if we want to prevent this virus from spreading, then physical distance is our friend. Not congregating in huge groups is probably wise.
It’s not that we’re afraid that this is the bubonic plague and about to wipe out two-thirds of the world’s population. It is just our way of being kind and loving our healthcare professionals who have a finite amount of time and resources. Too many people sick at the same time means that there are not enough resources to respond. Again: it’s not the plague, and it’s not the end of the world. We are just trying to prevent an over surge of demand on our medical resources when we have a limited supply. It’s as simple as that.
Social distancing doesn't mean that we are living in fear of a worldwide plague. It's just our way of loving our medical professionals by helping curtail the spread of the virus and not overtaxing our medical system. #love #wisdom
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5) Remain in community and continue to serve. So while a healthy social distancing is our way of loving our healthcare providers by trying to make their jobs easier, we must address the other end of the spectrum with “How are we to remain in Christian community while loving and obeying our healthcare professionals?”
We need to realize when we are acting in fear instead of love. When the fear of the virus gets in the way of loving our neighbor, then we have gone too far. So what are a few simple things you can do with your kids to maintain community during this time?
Facetime!
Anyone who knows me knows that I love Facetime. I would prefer speaking face-to-face over voice-alone any day of the week. Even without makeup. Even if I have some huge zit. I don’t care. I love face-to-face interaction. If you have means of connecting with loved ones via video chat, DO IT! Facebook has a video function, there’s Skype, Google hangouts, you name it! Just because we have to keep a physical distance does not mean we have to keep an emotional distance.
Serve those who are sick, but wisely.
Congratulations: most parents have, overnight, become homeschooling parents. Your kids may have extra Spring Break, or maybe their school has just flat-out shut down. What do you do with them all day? Show them how to serve! You don’t need to go wait hand-and-foot on someone who has the flu and then go home to your family of five. But you can cook a meal and then leave it on their doorstep. You can offer to go pick up medications. You can mention on your social media that if anyone needs help picking stuff up from the store or pharmacy, then you are more than willing to get it and leave it for them on the doorstep. Take your kids with you. Let them participate with you as you use this opportunity to serve rather than hunker down and horde. (All you people with 137 rolls of toilet paper, you know who you are! My husband loudly proclaimed them all fools in the checkout line and announced that he was stocking up the essentials: bacon and cheesecake. I love John Ferrer.)
Congratulations! You have all become homeschooling parents overnight! So what are some ways to use this #coronavirus thing to disciple your children? #apologetics
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At the end of the day, Mama Bears, this too shall pass. It may pass like a kidney stone, but it shall pass. In the meantime, may we always be looking for ways to disciple our kids, even in the storm. Be wise and be loving, Mama Bears. Our children are watching how we respond to this crisis. Remember that our actions will tell them more than our words. If you feel yourself succumbing to fear, pray through it. Pray through it with your kids even! Show them what it looks like to struggle with fear, and ultimately trust in God. This is such an amazing opportunity to show our kids what true faith in the midst of fear looks like. These opportunities don’t come around too often, so milk it for all it’s worth, to the glory of God.
Showing our kids how to react biblically in a time when many are succumbing to fear shows them that our God is bigger than whatever sufferings this world may throw at us. #GodHasNotGivenUsASpiritOfFear
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Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is coauthor and editor of the Mama Bear Apologetics book, and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for over 12 years. She is working on her second master’s degree, and yet can’t seem to figure out the simplest cooking recipes.
www.mamabearapologetics.comThe post 5 Ways to Disciple Your Kids and Love Your Neighbor Through the #Coronavirus Pandemic appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.
The original article is located at http://bellatorchristi.com/2017/04/11/10-reasons-to-accept-the-resurrection-of-jesus-as-an-historical-fact/.
Hillary Morgan FerrerHillary Morgan Ferrer is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics. She is coauthor and editor of the Mama Bear Apologetics book, and has been married to her husband, Dr. John D. Ferrer, for over 12 years. She is working on her second master’s degree, and yet can’t seem to figure out the simplest cooking recipes.
www.mamabearapologetics.comThe post AAB Episode 34: 10 Reasons to Accept the Resurrection of Jesus as a Historical Fact appeared first on Mama Bear Apologetics.