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1 week ago | 
biola.edu | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes
This week's topics:
Abortion Pill Study: A massive study reveals serious health risks linked to the abortion pill mifepristone, with adverse events 22 times higher than FDA estimates—raising ethical and philosophical concerns about privacy, safety, and the personhood of the unborn.
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2 weeks ago | 
biola.edu | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes |Charlie Trimm
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — April 29, 2025What does the Bible say, if anything, about living together before marriage? Given that 70% of Americans now cohabit before marriage, and roughly 2/3 believe it will improve the odds of relationship success, what does the data show about how effective it is? While this is a huge topic in the church and culture today, surprisingly, few people are discussing it.
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2 weeks ago | 
biola.edu | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes |Charlie Trimm
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — April 25, 2025Topics this week:
Controversy after Christianity Today published an article questioning whether Jesus was crucified with nails. The Supreme Court is debating whether parents can opt their kids out of LGBTQ-themed books in elementary schools. The New York Times and USA Today published articles discussing the return to church, particularly among young men, and the increased interest in the supernatural in today's culture.
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3 weeks ago | 
biola.edu | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes |Charlie Trimm
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — April 22, 2025How many Americans are engaging the Bible today? And in what ways? How does Bible reading affect giving to charity, life flourishing, and experience with loneliness? Sean and Scott discuss these questions, and more, by analyzing the latest report from the American Bible Society. While some of the findings are expected, quite a few are eye-opening and unexpected.
Read and download the report here.
Transcript coming soon.
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3 weeks ago | 
biola.edu | Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes |Sean McDowell |Charlie Trimm
Scott Rae is professor of Christian ethics and dean of the faculty at Talbot School of Theology. A noted Christian scholar and ethicist, Scott is the author of such books as Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics; Business for the Common Good; and Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics.
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Dec 10, 2024 | 
biola.edu | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Stacy Eltiti |Erik Thoennes
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — December 10, 2024The Barna Group has released a new alarming study about the extent and impact of pornography in the culture and the church. Some of the findings are truly eye-opening and disturbing. For example, 55% of practicing Christians reportedly believe that one can view porn and be sexually healthy. How did we get here, and what can we do about it?
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Dec 6, 2024 | 
biola.edu | Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes |Sean McDowell |Stacy Eltiti
Scott Rae is professor of Christian ethics and dean of the faculty at Talbot School of Theology. A noted Christian scholar and ethicist, Scott is the author of such books as Moral Choices: An Introduction to Ethics; Business for the Common Good; and Beyond Integrity: A Judeo-Christian Approach to Business Ethics.
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Oct 18, 2024 | 
biola.edu | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Erik Thoennes
Sean McDowell, Scott Rae — October 18, 2024This week, Scott & Sean discuss:
Italy criminalizes surrogacy abroad for its citizens, sparking controversy on LGBTQ rights and ethical surrogacy practices. The University of Michigan invests $250 million in DEI initiatives, but faces increased discord and skepticism over their effectiveness. A new prenuptial agreement feature introduces embryo clauses, addressing legal issues in the event of divorce or death.
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Oct 15, 2024 | 
biola.edu | Scott Rae |Thaddeus Williams |Erik Thoennes |Sean McDowell
with Mihretu GutaSean McDowell, Scott Rae — October 15, 2024The most fundamental question that our polarized culture faces is this — Who should be included in the human community? And on what basis? Should embryos, fetuses, the severely demented or the persons in a vegetative state? What does our view of a person suggest about how we care for people at the end of life?
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Oct 15, 2024 | 
shorturl.at | Sean McDowell |Scott Rae |Thaddeus Williams |Erik Thoennes
The most fundamental question that our polarized culture faces is this — Who should be included in the human community? And on what basis? Should embryos, fetuses, the severely demented or the persons in a vegetative state? What does our view of a person suggest about how we care for people at the end of life? Taking Persons Seriously connects philosophy and bioethics—it’s a bit more technical discussion so hang in there with us and the dots will connect and the light will come on as we go along.
