Educate For Life With Kevin Conover

Whether they know it or not, every person possesses a worldview.  This is a set of broad principles that guides their perception of reality, informing them of what exists and what doesn’t, what is possible and what is not.  As human knowledge has advanced over the past few centuries, so has the idea that observational science can explain the whole of reality, physical stuff is all there is, and there is no spiritual realm.  This philosophical naturalism is a key component of atheism, a denial of the existence of any sort of god. But does this view do an adequate job of explaining the whole of human knowledge and experience?  On September 29th, Kevin is moderating a debate between a Christian (Dr. Andy McIntosh) and an atheist (Jeff Archer) on whether an atheistic worldview can make sense of reality. In the weeks preceding the debate, he is interviewing each participant in turn about why they hold the position they do. In this first of the two interviews, he speaks with

Kevin speaks once again with Dr. David Levy, neurosurgeon and author of Gray Matter.  This week Dr. Levy shares more of his professional and personal insights into the human brain, taking a deeper look at some of the mind’s quirks and how to stay mentally healthy. Have you ever wondered why you always feel a little better when there’s some sort of background noise, whether it’s the radio on the way to work or the TV when you’re home alone?  Have you ever felt that there must be something wrong with you, since you always dwell more on the negatives of life more than the positive?  Do you find that you are compassionate towards others when they make mistakes, yet extremely hard on yourself when you do?  If you can relate to any of these, you are certainly not alone.  Dr. Levy talks about how these and other psychological phenomena are typical of humans, yet can present serious threats to our relationships with both God and our fellow man.  He presents a pla

The thought of “combining medicine and spirituality” may cause you to picture medieval doctors drilling holes in a patient’s skull to let the demons out, or some other barbaric practice of history.  Yet Dr. David Levy, renowned neurosurgeon and UCSD professor, has been integrating his faith into his medical practice for years with great success.  How?  By simply offering to pray with his patients before surgeries. In this first part of a two-part series Kevin talks with Dr. Levy about his personal history, including how he entered the field of neurosurgery and what inspired him to start praying with patients.  Dr. Levy’s life has been an incredible journey, from his childhood of indifference towards God and church, to his days as an underachieving gas-station-attendant high-school student, to his becoming a highly skilled and successful (yet relationally challenged) neurosurgeon.  He describes how several extremely difficult life circumstances forced

In a previous show Kevin took a look at the Bible’s perspectives on slavery, which were written between 4500 and 2000 years ago.  This time he addresses an incarnation of slavery that plagues the modern world, including our own communities and schools in the US: human trafficking. Human trafficking can be defined as “the deprivation of a human being’s liberty for the purpose of sexual exploitation or labor exploitation.”  Traffickers identify vulnerable people and gain control of them through physical force, fraud, or psychological coercion in order to use them for profit through commercial labor or sex acts.  This ranges from forcing them to do excessive physical work for little or no pay, to making them participate in pornography or even prostitution against their will. Kevin’s guests are Chief Deputy District Attorney Summer Stephan, and PLNU professor Dr. Jamie Gates.  Both have been involved in efforts to end human trafficking for many years: Summer

Everyone’s looking for a purpose in life—and sadly, a lot of people aren’t finding one.  Is there no deeper meaning to be found, or are they just looking in the wrong places? This week Kevin talks with several of his high school students about the question of purpose.  According to the CDC, suicide is the second leading cause of death among Americans aged 15-34.  If life has no point, it makes sense that many would not choose to go on living.  But what is causing the young people of this nation have such an increasingly bleak outlook?  Kevin’s students weigh in on the issue, sharing their firsthand knowledge of the crisis their generation faces. People pursue all sorts of self-centered goals as their purpose, but in the end it’s always misguided.  Odds are you won’t be able to achieve the level of money, fame and power that you desire—and even if you do, you’ll only end up feeling empty.  Actor Jim Carrey once commented, “I think everybody should get

Jesus provided his followers with an excellent example of ministering to those who are in the greatest need of salvation: the poor, the outcasts, the orphans, the captives.  This week Kevin’s guest is Roger Ziegler, who for the last 15 years has been following Jesus’ example by taking the Gospel to R. J. Donovan Correctional Facility.  There are over 2.3 million prison inmates in the United States, and over 100 thousand in California alone.  Roger works with Pastors to Prisoners, a ministry dedicated to reaching as many of these people as possible with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God has undoubtedly been working through the efforts of Pastors to Prisoners, touching the lives of more inmates every week.  In addition to Roger, Kevin talks with two men who were personally impacted by the ministry: Freddy and Ralph.  Freddy joined the LA street gang the Crips in 1973, and ran with the gang’s founder Tookie Williams.  His lifestyle of drugs and violence landed him

One of the greatest objections to the existence of an all-powerful, supremely loving God is: why is there so much suffering in the world?  This is a serious question on a philosophical level, but it takes on a whole new significance when tragedy strikes close to home. How can we find meaning in suffering? Can something so negative be a blessing in any way? This week Kevin talks to several of his own students (as well as the principal) from Christian High School, where he teaches apologetics. In particular he speaks with his former student Jason Lyon, who will soon be entering his senior year—and who was recently diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer. The question of suffering is no longer abstract to Jason and his friends, who must constantly face the fact that they do not know how much longer he has on this earth. One might expect a young man in Jason’s circumstances to be racked with fear, anxiety, and maybe even hatred towards God for allowing such a thing to happen to him. As Job’s wife said whe

Scientific advancement is making it harder and harder to believe in evolution.  Kevin’s guest this week is Dr. Jeffrey Tomkins, Research Associate in the field of Genetics at the Institute for Creation Research.  Dr. Tomkins is a living refutation of a common evolutionary claim, which states that the only reason anyone believes Creationism is because they were raised in it by their parents.  Dr. Tomkins was in fact indoctrinated from a young age—but into evolution, not creation.  He became a born-again Christian while in college, and realized he would have to reconcile his spiritual beliefs with his scientific ones.  After recognizing quickly that attempts to reconcile biblical teachings with evolution are futile, he read Scientific Creationism by Dr. Henry Morris and saw how well it harmonized scientific findings with the Bible.  As Dr. Tomkins continued his academic career (going on to earn a Ph.D. in genetics), everything he learned confirmed his biblical b

This week Kevin talks with Rabbi Joel Liberman, who in one important respect is different from most rabbis: he recognizes Jesus Christ as the Messiah whom God sent for the Jews and the world.  Joel is a prominent member of the Messianic Jewish movement, and has been a part of it for the past 28 years.  He has held leadership positions in multiple Messianic organizations (such as the MJAA and IMJA), has written multiple Bible commentaries from that perspective, and is the leader of a Messianic Congregation. Kevin and Joel talk about a variety of topics related to Messianic Judaism, from its roots in the New Testament to the current issues faced by modern-day Israel.  Joel explains what is at stake for Jews who turn to Jesus, as well as why and how Messianic Jews honor their heritage during their Saturday congregational meetings.  They also discuss the Old Testament prophecies that reveal Jesus to be the true Messiah—some of which are no longer ev

Slavery is undoubtedly one of humanity’s ugliest inventions, yet it is found within the pages of Scripture in both the Old and New Testaments.  Many people, from plantation owners to secular humanists to President Barack Obama, have alleged that the Bible explicitly supports this dehumanizing institution.  How should Christians respond to such an accusation? This week Kevin looks at data both inside and outside the Bible to cast some light on the issue.  What is the connection between slavery and finances, and what does this mean for modern-day America?  When the Bible refers to slavery, does it mean the same sort of thing that occurred in America before the civil war?  Does the New Testament affirm that slavery is OK? Kevin examines specific laws God gave to Israel concerning slavery and compares them with surrounding nations of the time, revealing God’s intention to make this ubiquitous practice far more humane.  Then he examines references to slavery in the New Testament, incl

This week Kevin continues to examine the tough issue of sexuality by talking with Joe Dallas, an expert on sexual addiction and homosexuality.  Dallas is an author, conference speaker, and ordained pastoral counselor.  His writings have been featured in both Christian and secular media (such as The Christian Research Journal and The Los Angeles Times), and he has made appearances on a variety of television programs (ABC Evening News, The Joan Rivers Show, and others). Joe has a Masters Degree in Christian counseling and is a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors.  He is the program director of Genesis Biblical Counseling, a ministry that helps men deal with sexual addiction. Joe’s life is a fascinating story that makes him uniquely qualified to speak on issues of sexual identity.  In his youth he experienced attraction to both men and women, and lived a promiscuous bisexual lifestyle before becoming a Christian.  Even after he came to

This week Kevin talks with Ray Comfort, Founder and CEO of Living Waters Publications.  Ray discusses his latest movie, Audacity, which focuses on the controversial topic of homosexuality. Unlike Ray’s previous films, Audacity is not a documentary, but a scripted “Hollywood movie” with professional actors.  The movie follows the story of a stand-up comedian who finds himself increasingly confronted by supporters of homosexuality, and faces the challenge of lovingly voicing his own convictions rather than giving into the pressure to remain silent. Though the movie is fictional, the subject matter is all to real: in light of the recent Supreme Court decision it is already becoming more difficult for Christians to hold to biblical principles, and many are capitulating.  After talking with Ray, Kevin discusses various scientific, social and medical issues related to the subject of homosexuality in order to address some of the toughest questions and objections Christians face. Audacit

“I’ve never met a woman who regretted having her child; but I’ve met many women who regretted having an abortion.” —Heidi Cessna, CAPS This week Kevin talks with Julie Dowler and Heidi Cessna of College Area Pregnancy Services (CAPS), a licensed medical clinic that serves women who are dealing with unplanned pregnancies.  CAPS provides pregnancy tests and ultrasounds, information about all the options, and counseling for those who have suffered as a result of abortion.  All of these services are free of charge. Julie started as a financial supporter and prayer partner of CAPS when it was founded in 1998.  She started working as a volunteer pregnancy counselor in 2000, and became the program director in 2004.  She was promoted to her current position of Executive Director in 2008. Heidi is the nurse manager for CAPS.  She began her career as an RN at Scripps Hospital in La Jolla, and started at CAPS as a volunteer receptionist.  She is currently working at Sharp Grossmon

Whose job is it to take care of the needy: the government, or the church?  In this episode Kevin talks with national black conservative leader Star Parker.  Parker is the founder and president of the Center for Urban Renewal and Education (CURE), a think-tank devoted to creating market-based solutions to fight poverty.  She has spoken on more than 190 college and university campuses about anti-poverty initiatives.  In addition to these qualifications, she is intimately acquainted with the issues of poverty and welfare from experience: Star spent seven years of her life in and out of welfare dependency. How did Star overcome her disadvantaged situation?  It turns out that the welfare system only caused her to remain dependent, and prevented her from working for fear that she would lose all of her support.  It wasn’t until she became involved in a church, which encouraged her to entrust her needs to God and release herself from the welfare system, that she was able t

Do you really have to turn off your brain to believe the Bible?  It is a common myth that science and the Bible have always been in conflict, and the case of Galileo is often cited as proof.  But not only is Galileo’s story misinterpreted to fit this agenda (see here for an explanation); there are numerous examples of the Bible being surprisingly consistent with, or even ahead of, scientific knowledge.  In this episode Kevin goes over some of these examples to show that in reality, science the Bible are best friends forever. What accurate scientific information can be found in the Bible?  For one, it acknowledges that the earth is resting on nothing (Job 26:7; yes it is supported by the invisible force of gravity, but it is not held up by any physical object).  It states that the heavens are stretching out (Psalm 104:2 among others, in line with the expansion of the universe), and that all of creation is wearing out and will one day pass away (Psalm 102:25-27, in line w

A great ideological chasm exists between the godlessness of Hollywood and the convictions of Christianity.  How can believers bridge that gap to make a difference in the entertainment industry? Kevin talks with Dr. Larry Poland, who has had the rare privilege of ministering directly to the industry’s top executives for over 30 years.  From his extensive experience, Dr. Poland shares what what works and what doesn’t when it comes to Christians expressing their concerns about movies and television. Dr. Poland explains that anger-fueled protests are just what the industry leaders expect from the Christian community—and it doesn’t phase them.  Rather than inspire them to take the feelings of millions of Christian consumers into consideration, this type of reaction only confirms their belief that Christians are generally irrational, hateful people.  But there is one response that does make a difference: unconditional love.  As Dr. Poland states, this is the offense for which

This week Kevin talks to Christian microscopist Mark Armitage.  After discovering unfossilized dinosaur tissues, Armitage was suspiciously dismissed from his position as Manager for the Electron and Confocal Microscopy Suite at California State University, Northridge.  His scientific resume is impressive: Armitage has a BS in education, an MS in biology, and an Ed.S. in science education.  He has contributed micrographs and scholarly articles to scientific journals, and has taught at both Azusa Pacific University and CSUN.  Armitage contends that he was terminated not for his performance, but for his religious views, and is in the process of suing for wrongful termination. What’s the big deal about soft dinosaur tissues?  The scientific establishment knows what is at stake with this issue, which is why other scientists (such as Mary Schweitzer) have offered feeble attempts to explain it away.  As Armitage puts it, “If these fossils, these b

Back in June 2008, Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal signed the Louisiana Science Education Act into law, allowing public school science teachers to include information about Creationism in their lessons.  In May 2015, he announced that he was launching an exploratory committee to determine whether he will be making a bid for the presidency in 2016.  According to one Slate writer, the connection between these two events is clear: though Governor Jindal majored in biology at Brown University (and therefore knows better), he decided to abandon real science and embrace Creationism to gain support from conservatives and advance his political career. To many people, it’s as simple as that: if you aren’t stupid or ignorant enough to actually fall for Creationism (which Governor Jindal can’t be, given his education), then you must only be pretending to believe it due to ulterior motives.  But is it possible that a person’s decision to move from evolution to Creationism could be an intellectually honest

In this episode Kevin talks with Jeremy Tedesco, Esq., a senior legal council for Alliance Defending Freedom who is currently representing Kelvin Cochran.  In the United States of America in the 21st century, is it possible for a qualified individual to be fired from his job solely on the basis of his religious beliefs?  We would all like to think that the answer is no, but this seems to be exactly what happened to Kelvin Cochran, former fire chief of Atlanta, GA. After having achieved the highest possible position for a fireman in 2009 (US Fire Administrator), and being named Fire Chief of the Year in 2012, Cochran was dismissed from his position in Atlanta in 2014.  Why?  For writing and self-publishing a devotional, completely separate from his job as fire chief, which stated his Christian perspective on marriage and sexuality.  When the devotional was first brought to public attention, Cochran was suspended without pay, and an investigation

Are the stories recorded in the Bible real history, or just mythology?  There’s only one way to know for sure: through biblical archaeology. This week Kevin talks with archaeologist Dr. Scott Stripling of the Associates for Biblical Research, author of The Trowel and the Truth. Dr. Stripling grew up in a Christian home, hearing the stories of the Bible from his mother.  He became an avid Bible reader in his teen years, but was perplexed by the huge cultural divide between the biblical text and modern day readers such as himself.  His desire to better understand the historical context of the Bible led him to study archaeology, and he went on to earn his Doctorate in Ministry with an emphasis in Ancient Near Eastern archaeology. Today Dr. Stripling is the director of ABR’s excavation in Khirbet el-Maqatir, located 9 miles north of Jerusalem in the disputed territory of Security Zone C.  Though excavation only takes place five weeks out of the year, his team has made many