Life Today, Part 2 May 1, 2007

Life Today, Part 2

By Guest Contributor
May 1, 2007

The second episode of Life Today that Jim and I taped is airing today!

Like before, if you’d like to check it out on TV, a station guide can be found here.

Yesterday’s episode is streaming up on the Life Today website (go to April 30) and it’s also available in other versions: QuickTime, MP3, Transcript.

Same deal with today’s episode. Streaming video is up on the site (Go to May 1) and other versions are also available: QuickTime, MP3, Transcript.

Your thoughts and comments are still appreciated!


[tags]atheist, atheism, Life Today, James Robison, Betty Robison, Jim Henderson, Christian[/tags]

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  • Nick Matheny

    As a strong believer in the atheist movement, I sometimes will watch life today just to see what the ”Believers” have to say. It was nice to see they are at least “trying” to show that there is another side to life including free thinking.
    Nick

  • Good show, Hemant. It’ll be nice, if one day, atheists can have a national TV show, and having a Christian on would be controversial. Although, I would hope that atheists would be more tolerant then those Christians who have a problem hearing from an atheist.

    One good thing I have noticed, is that atheists, at least recently, have been included in theological discussions and debates. Just as dialog between Jews and Christians is important, so is the dialog between believers and atheists.

  • Hi Hement
    It was great to see you yesterday on air. I am from Chandigarh India also
    coverted to believer and follower of Christ.
    When you know the Truth ,Truth will set you free is my case also
    Faith cimes by hearing and hearing the word of God.
    There is Man name Ravi Zaccaria from Hindism became now theolgian
    and speaks on Moody radio daily at 9.30Am in Florida(WKRES 91.1FM)
    You will be blessed to hear from him about his experience becomming
    a believer of Christ Jesus .
    God bless you in your journey of nerrow path of Truth and Love.
    Asha

  • Logos

    for your info Hemant already knows all about old Ravi.

  • Val

    Hi Hemant,
    Thank you SO much for appearing on Life Today. I admire your courage and I appreciate your openness. We (Believers, non-believers, humans- period) could sure stand to learn more about love, tolerance, and acceptance. You are a trail-blazer, opening up lines of communication as never before. THANK YOU!

  • Linda

    Thank you for appearing on Life Today program. I am sorry that you have been treated so shabby by “Christians”. I hope this does not come to you just as an excuse, because this really is the way I feel…not everyone who sits inside a church and calls themselves “Christian” really is. Many are just religious…they come because that’s where Grandma went or they like one of the cute girls who attends…there can be multiple reasons for sitting inside a church building. I am so sorry that people judge you by a label. I learned a lot by watching you interact with James Robinson and the man who “bought” you on eBay. Thank you for smiling and being polite. I hope you meet some real believers in Jesus Christ who are walking out their real relationship with Him. When I met these people, they were real and polite and loving. Thanks again for being brave enough to appear on Life Today.

  • Bart Dorsey

    I think you have the wrong link for today’s show. I believe this would be the link for the May 01 show.

    http://lifeoutreach.sitestream.com/http/QT/2007/05/70501a.mov

  • Ed Deneke

    I thought it was a good show Hemant, although you didn’t get near the camera time in the 2nd show as in the first.

    My one comment would be that, the entire time James Robinson was talking, I kept thinking that, no matter what the context, Christians will always have the same agenda: conversion. That seems to be the elephant in the room. They can learn that atheists are just as likely to be moral people as Christians, and they can claim to be interested in civil dialogues with no strings attached, but in the end, they believe that you, as an atheist, will suffer eternal punishement when you die, and they see it as their duty to convert you. They might frame it as “just another notch on the belt,” as James said, or they might place it in a more pc context, but the goal remains the same.

  • Jen

    I feel compelled to respond to the last comment, just in an effort, from a Christian perspective (or at least this Christian’s perspective) to help anyone possibly understand where we are coming from. I agree that it is on most Christian’s hearts to bring others to Christ. But this is not because we feel we will find more favor with God or because we just want others to agree with us or because we want to take over the world (although I don’t deny that those people do exist. Haha.) I would have to disagree though that we feel it is our “duty” to convert unbelievers. Our hope to see others come to accept Christ as a savior is truly because of a love for the people around us. All faithful Christians have a testimony. I could tell you how I sincerely feel and believe that God has changed my life and my heart. I could tell you about the hope I have for the future and the peace I have with life. That being said, I believe that many atheists are content and happy with life. I believe that many of them are hopeful and peaceful also. Don’t get me wrong about that. I also wholeheartedly believe that most atheists are moral, upstanding people. But I do feel that I have found something (I don’t know how best to describe that “something”) that I wouldn’t have if I didn’t have such a strong faith in God. Because of that, I want the people I care about and love to have the same thing. I assure you that I have many friends who are agnostic, and a few who are atheists. I promise I do not look at them and the first thing I think of is how they will be suffering eternal punishment when they die. I honestly don’t recall thinking about that at all. When I’m talking to them it’s not any different then when I’m talking to my Christian friends. I just want the best for them. I want them to find the highest level of happiness that we can obtain on this earth. Obviously, I cannot speak for everyone. I know that Christianity goes from one end of the spectrum to the other. But this is kind of my perspective on it and I feel confident that many of my Christian friends would tell you the same. I certainly don’t mean to step on any toes if I did! That definitely wasn’t my intent. Just hoping to maybe explain where some of us are coming from.

  • Ed Deneke

    Jen,

    Thank you for your response, and I’m relieved to hear that you disagree with some of my stereotypes. However, I’m still bothered by the fact that you think you have “the” answer in life. At that moment when you admit this, I think you run the risk of viewing non-christians as somehow inferior, as being below you. You feel the need to reach down and offer us a hand to pull us out of our quagmire. Christians view atheists as “lost,” and that leads to an unequal relationship in their eyes. Again, I appreciate your honest responses. Certainly no sore toes here!

  • Jen

    Hi Ed,
    I see where you’re coming from. I guess I don’t have a solid answer or response so I won’t venture one and risk sounding completely ignorant. Haha. I don’t feel that I view others as inferior to myself, but I also acknowledge that if I feel I have something they don’t then that’s how it’s going to come across and maybe somewhere in my subconcious that is how I feel. I certainly hope not, but I don’t deny the possibility. I guess the only thing I can say is that as a Christian I believe we all have access to God, that he will use all of us to further his will, whether we believe in him or not. I think in that way it causes me not to look down to others just because in my mind, I see the way God is using other people the same way I feel he uses me. But I definitely understand what you’re saying and I appreciate you saying it the way you did. It helps me to understand an argument that has eluded me for a long time. So thanks again and take care!
    Jen

  • Bart Dorsey

    I just finished watching Part 2. Hemant, you are certainly brave for going on that show 🙂 I’m wondering, when the host closed his eyes and started praying, and Jim did as well, being the only one not to bow your head, did that feel uncomfortable? I’ve noticed when I’m at a family gathering and they start praying before a meal or whatever, I feel uncomfortable. I think it has to do something with wanting to conform to a group’s behaviour. I just wondering if you had experienced something similar on the show.

  • Bart Dorsey

    Something else I noticed in the show. The Christians constantly refered to non-believers as “Lost”. Jim even had that in the title of his book.

    I know many Christians who say that the title of Richard Dawkin’s book “The God Delusion” is an insult. Isn’t calling an atheist “Lost” similar to calling the religious “Delusional”?

    Should we both avoid both terms? (that is, unless it can be shown with evidence that religious experience is a delusion, of course 😉 I know many neuroscientists who are working on the origin of religious experiences in the brain)

  • Sherri Sopher

    Hemant, I saw you on Life Today, and I admire your courage, as well as James & Betty’s. I hope you won’t be offended when I tell you I am praying that God will touch your life and bless you.

  • I’m wondering, when the host closed his eyes and started praying, and Jim did as well, being the only one not to bow your head, did that feel uncomfortable?

    I don’t really feel uncomfortable. It’s not like it was unexpected 🙂 In fact, it usually gives me a chance to collect my thoughts… and look around the room and watch everyone. Which can be interesting depending on the group.