Dr Andy Bannister joins us to discuss several of the questions that everyone wonders about but are often left unanswered. We talk about good vs evil, altruism vs selfishness, and the theory of evolution as a potential answer to these great wonders. Dr. Andy Bannister holds a PhD in Islamic Studies and he regularly speaks and teaches on Islam, philo…

Abdu Murray and Pastor Chris Rea of Community Christian Church in Sterling Heights, MI, discuss this chaotic election season in front of a live audience. Abdu's Washington Times piece referenced in this episode can be found at https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2024/jul/26/american-souls-are-sick-this-election-season/. Facebook https://www.facebo…

J Warner Wallace talks to us about the many lessons learned from his life as a homicide detective. J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured cold-case homicide detective and a best-selling author and national speaker in the field of apologetics. He also serves as a Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview and an adjunct professor a…

One approach to testing the reliability, or lack thereof, of the Gospel accounts of the Resurrection is the "minimal facts" approach by which we look at only those facts that are undisputed among even the most critical scholars. But are there good reasons to move beyond the "minimal facts" to "maximal data"? Resources mentioned in this episode: Min…

Abdu is joined by the John Stonestreet, president of the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, and a sought after author and speaker on the intersection of Christianity and culture. You can check out the Colson Center at https://colsoncenter.org/. Find John's socials at https://breakpoint.org/john-stonestreet/. The articles mention in this episode…

Analytic philosopher Dr. Lydia McGrew uses her specialty to answer the perennial question: Is the Gospel of John an eyewitness account or merely a theological fiction? Resources mentioned in this episode: Lydia McGrew on facebook https://www.facebook.com/lydiamcgrewauthor/ Lydia McGrew Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/@LydiaMcGrewChannel Lyd…

Has life been created inside of the laboratory? Some scientists say YES, making some believe that God is an unnecessary hypothesis for the existence of life. What does the science actually say? Join us as we discuss WHAT scientists are saying, WHY they're saying it, and WHAT the acual science says with one of our finest living scientific minds, Dr.…

Abdu and Derek get asked a lot about what they read to stay informed about the world and grounded in their faith. Today, they answer those questions in detail, highlighting a series of books that explore many relevant topics in our society today, including what atheism really is, the historical battles between science and religion, how to read the …

We are hard at work on season 3 and new episodes will be dropping SOON. But today we felt it necessary to bring you an important episode where we discuss the recent Trump assassination attempt and what it seems to be revealing about the soul of America during these precarious times.Oleh Abdu Murray

Abdu visits the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to answer questions from some of the brightest young minds in America. Listen in as Abdu fields questions on sexuality, Islam, and the reliability of the Bible. Do you have questions for Abdu? Send them to mail@embracethetruth.org. You never know when we might answer one live on the show! All Ri…

The world is full of wonders both mysterious and beautiful. Do we have reasons to believe that this beauty points to anything beyond itself? Our special guest, Xandra Grieme, says that when it comes to beauty, there may be more than meets the eye. Xandra Grieme is an apologist, speaker, and curator for the Museum of Created Beauty. She earned her b…

After Abdu's message at the University of Central Florida, several students came forward to ask their most pressing questions in a live Q&A. Listen in as Abdu fields questions on sexuality, slavery, and gender in the Bible, the toughest question he's ever received, and what it means to be a disciple. Do you have questions for Abdu? Send them to mai…

The late physicist, philosopher, and atheist Victor Stenger once said, "Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings." This is a popular notion today, especially in the West where Christianity and the Bible are often blamed for anti-scientific superstitions, terrorism, racism, and sexism, among other maladies. But is this correc…

Dr. Rob Bowman is an apologist, biblical scholar, author, editor, and lecturer. He is also President of the Institute for Religions Research, which researches and responds to some of the most difficult objections leveled against Christianity by other religious or anti-religious movements. If you would like to watch the YouTube clip we responded to,…

Recently, Dr. Bart Ehrman sat down and attempted to refute cherished Christian beliefs about the divinity of Jesus. Did he succeed? Dr. Rob Bowman says no! Join us for the first half of this exhilarating conversation as Dr. Bowman and Abdu discuss whether Jesus identified himself as God in the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and whether those G…

Abdu sits down with his friend, former homicide detective J. Warner Wallace, for a wide-ranging interview on the nature of evidence and persuasion, apologetics for children, the reticence of some Christians to accept apologetics, and so much more. Listen in on this masterclass as J. Warner and Abdu share much wisdom from their years of apologetics …

Popular internet personality Rhett McLaughlin, of Rhett & Link's Good Mythical Morning YouTube fame, has become famous for "deconstructing" his evangelical faith. In a recent Instagram Reel, he explains why: the experts! In this episode, Abdu and Derek look at Rhett's appeals to authority and confront two thorny issues: Is expert consensus emerging…

Michael Shermer is one of the world's foremost public atheists and critics of religious belief. In a recent tag team of tweets, Shermer sought to put on display the "twisted logic" of the biblical account of atonement, the cross, and forgiveness. In this episode, Abdu addresses Michael's objections and assumptions to see where the twisted logic tru…

Greg Koukl is a man who needs no introduction. He's got a new book out called Street Smarts, and it will revolutionize the way you think about engaging the culture today. Many evangelism tactics focus on harvesting, but Greg recommends gardening. Find out the key differences between the two and more on this episode of All Rise! Greg Koukl is a high…

Mystery gospels full of secret truths suppressed by the Church for centuries have finally been revealed! … Sounds intriguing, doesn't it? According to the millions of people who have bought books, watched movies, and read news stories with such headlines, it certainly is! We all love a good "mystery has been revealed" story, but is there anything t…

Barbie is everywhere thanks to Greta Gerwig's recent blockbuster movie about the (in)famous doll. Some say it is anti-man propaganda that went too far while others say it didn't go far enough! Abdu and Derek discuss these reactions and some surprising was in which Barbie actually affirms the Bible, while also being confronted by it. This episode ma…

Artificial Intelligence is everywhere right now, and much of the press has been concerned with one question: will AI unleash a technological revolution that inevitably ends in catastrophe? Cutting through some of the uninformed hyperbole of those who think it will destroy the world (and those who think it will save it!), Abdu and Derek discuss the …

Astrophysicist Dr. Hugh Ross joins us to discuss the disruption of the James Webb Space Telescope images in our understanding of the early universe. Many pop science articles hailed it as a major disruptor of the theory of the Big Bang, even debunking the notion that the universe had a beginning. Is this true? Join us as Dr. Ross and Abdu deliberat…

Join us LIVE,Tuesday July 11 @ 1sts :00 PM EST for Deliberations Live, a bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek. Abdu and Derek discuss All Rise season 2 ep 18. Critical New Testament scholar Paula Fredriksen claims that the allegedly unknown author of Luke/Acts wrote his or her work in the second century and was not…

Critical New Testament scholar Paula Fredriksen claims that the allegedly unknown author of Luke/Acts wrote his or her work in the second century and was not actually a travel companion of, nor all too familiar with, the Apostle Paul. But is that where the evidence truly points? Join Abdu and Derek as they investigate these claims! This episode is …

Join us LIVE,Tuesday June 27 @ 11:00 AM EST for Deliberations Live, a bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek. Abdu and Derek discuss All Rise episodes 16 and 17. Ricky Gervais claims atheists just believe In one less god--Bart Ehrman claims the gospels are anonymous! You can submit your questions on our social channe…

Comedian Ricky Gervais claims that we are all essentially atheists with regard to 2,999 gods, and that atheists just have the courage/integrity (?) to go one god further. But is this a meaningful statement? Abdu and Derek address other claims made by Gervais, including what would happen if all science and history books disappeared and where God cam…

On June 13 @ 1:00 EST Abdu Murray will be joined LIVE by astrophysicist and founder of Reasons to Believe, Dr. Hugh Ross, to answer your questions about science, faith, and the Bible. Recently, Dr. Ross appeared on Abdu’s podcast, All Rise, to discuss claims made by popular astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson about the Bible’s alleged scientific err…

Bart Ehrman claims that the Gospels are anonymous because the names attached to them are too convenient and were added a century later, and because the disciples of Jesus were too illiterate to write such exquisite Greek texts. Has Dr. Ehrman overstated the case? This episode is in response to the comments that critical New Testament scholar Bart E…

Join us for Deliberations Live, a bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek. For this episode, we will ask "Is Bill Maher right? Jesus is based on pagan myths?" By now everyone has heard some version of "Jesus is based on [enter ancient deity here]." But these claims were debunked for nearly a century before being resur…

By now everyone has heard some version of "Jesus is based on [enter ancient deity here]." But these claims were debunked for nearly a century before being resurrected recently. And now, because overwhelming evidence debunked the older claims, new proponents have suggested different deities as the template for Jesus. Are these new claims any more su…

Join us LIVE,Tuesday May 16 @ 1:00 PM EST for Deliberations Live, a bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek. For this episode, we will ask "Can you handle the Truth? " Abdu discusses our complicated relationship with truth. Quite often, people simply seek verification for what they already hope is true. To complicate …

Abdu discusses our complicated relationship with truth. Quite often, people simply seek verification for what they already hope is true. To complicate matters, painful disruptions in our lives make it more difficult for us to recognize what is good and true. So, how do we begin to escape the cycle of confirmation bias to find real truth? All Rise i…

Join us LIVE every other Tuesday @ 1:00 PM EST for Deliberations Live, a bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek. For this episode, we will ask, "Is the Shroud of Turin a medieval fraud? Could it really be the image of Jesus? Abdu is joined by special guest Bob Rucker to answer your questions on the Shroud of Turin LI…

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson claimed that if all you had was the Bible, you would gain a false view of the universe. However, fellow astrophysicist and our expert witness, Dr. Hugh Ross, explains to us that if Dr. Tyson had applied his own scientific method to the Bible, he would have found a library of books full of accurate scientific i…

Join us LIVE, Monday, April 17 @ 7:00 PM EST for Deliberations Live, a bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek about past episodes of the All Rise podcast! For this episode, we will be discussing the latest edition of All Rise, " Objection, Matt Dillahunty! Asked and Answered!" You can submit your questions on our soc…

Plato's "Euthyphro Dilemma" has been asked and answered, and some say settled for centuries. Popular atheist podcaster, YouTuber, and debater, Matt Dillahunty says that, to the contrary, Christian apologists have not sufficiently responded to the philosophical dilemma. In this episode, Abdu discusses and critiques Matt's revived and rehabbed versio…

Join us LIVE, Thursday, April 6 @ 1:00 PM EST for Deliberations Live, a new bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions to Abdu and Derek about past episodes of our All Rise podcast! For this episode, we will be discussing the latest edition of All Rise, " Objection! "The Bible Is Sexist!" Part 2" You can submit your questions on our socia…

In the previous episode, Abdu addressed allegedly sexist "texts of terror" in the Bible. Today, he presents his evidence for why the Bible establishes rather than inhibits the equality and dignity of women, often in very surprising ways!Oleh Abdu Murray

Join us LIVE, Tuesday, March 21 @ 1:00 PM EST for Deliberations Live, a new bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions about past episodes of our All Rise podcast! For this episode, we will be discussing the latest edition of All Rise, " Objection! "The Bible Is Sexist!" Part 1" You can submit your questions on our social channels, throug…

Are certain verses in the Bible truly sexist "texts of terror"? Are women forbidden from speaking in church? Does the Old Testament command that women must marry their rapists? Join Abdu as he cross-examines these texts and more in the first part of a two-part series on sexism and the Bible. Check out Abdu's new book More Than a White Man's Religio…

In this episode, our expert witness, New Testament scholar and resurrection expert Gary Habermas, is called to the stand to discuss the surprising findings and promise of the Shroud of Turin, a burial cloth shrouded in mystery for centuries. Is this evidence of Jesus's resurrection? If so, how so? If not, why not? Explore these questions and more o…

Join us LIVE, Tuesday, February 21 @ 1:00PM EST for Deliberations Live, a new bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions about past episodes of our All Rise podcast! For our first live episode, will be discussing the latest edition of All Rise, "Objection, Bill Maher claims the Bible never condemns slavery" You can submit your questions o…

Comedian, television host and avowed atheist Bill Maher claims that the bible never condemns slavery, and in fact, it implicitly supports the institution. Abdu answers these claims but also asks whether Maher's objection would be sustainable in a court of law given his level of expertise. In other words, does speaking authoritatively mean that you …

Welcome to Deliberations Live, a new bi-weekly podcast where YOU, the jury, ask questions about past episodes of our All Rise podcast! In our first live episode, we discussed the latest edition of All Rise, "Objection, Richard Dawkins! Asked and Answered!" You can submit your questions for future episodes on our social channels, through mail@embrac…

Who made God? This is a question that has been asked many, many times. It has also been answered just as many times, if not more! Why won't this question go away? Abdu offers a response to the question, Who Made God, while also addressing the tactics of those who continue to ask the same already-answered question until they elicit the desired respo…

Christians believe the Bible was inspired by God, who does not make mistakes. Therefore, the Bible must be without error. However, if an error in the Bible is located, does this mean God did not inspire Christian holy writ? Join Abdu as he cross-examines a claim about the disputed age of King Ahaziah.…

In the previous episode, medical physicist Scott Symington described his paradigm for understanding the relationship between Christianity and science, which he called STOMA, or symbiotic trending overlapping magisteria. In this episode, Abdu and Scott discuss certain controversial topics in the conversation between religion and science and apply Sc…

Abdu is joined by medical physicist Scott Symington to discuss the relationship between religion and science. Do they intersect or overlap, or are they part of what Stephen Jay Gould called non-overlapping magisteria (NOMA)? Symington proposes an alternative paradigm, STOMA, that holds the potential for mutual benefit between science and, in partic…

"The Bible is the Word of God because the Bible says it is the Word of God." If you've ever made or heard this argument, you may have heard the accusation that it uses circular reasoning. Is that true? And if so, is it even possible to claim the divine authorship of the Bible without using circular reasoning? All this and more on this week's episod…