Why do atheists see the problems of evil as such a problem for Christians? And is the problem of evil really as problematic as some atheists seem to think? Those are a few of the many questions that Timothy explores in this episode with Mary Jo Sharp. A former atheist who’s now a faithful follower of Jesus, Mary Jo Sharp first encountered apologetics in her own spiritual search for truth. Now, Mary Jo is assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University and the founder of Confident Christianity Apologetics Ministry. She’s also a delightful guest and a knowledgeable musician, which cranks up the dial on this episode from “ordinary” to “epic.”
In the second half of the episode, the star is a one-hit wonder from 1995. Garrick and Timothy delve into “One of Us,” a song made popular by a musician who was born and raised about five miles from Timothy’s house. Along the way, your intrepid cohosts discuss how nothing less than the incarnation and suffering of God in Christ is able to provide a comprehensive solution to the problem of evil. Before it’s over, the dynamic duo also takes a look at a far superior version of “One of Us” from a Jehovah’s Witness who went by the name of Prince (except for those few years when he went by a symbol instead).
Once again, the Toybox Hero Tournament nearly degenerates into uncontrollable insanity and chaos, as an A-Wing starfighter from Star Wars clashes with an armor-plated coffee pot from Target. This unexpected contest forces Garrick and Timothy to face some of the most crucial and difficult questions that they’ve ever discussed on this program, questions such as “Is a lightsaber capable of blocking boiling water?” and “Exactly how much coffee would a Star Wars pilot need to stay awake in space?” Also, “One of Us” would actually be a great name for a band—much better than “the Hooters,” which also shows up on this episode and which Timothy awkwardly compares to Forrest Gump if you listen all the way to the end.
The new cover art for this season was created by Dani Wallace (daniwallace.myportfolio.com).
This Week’s Guest: Mary Jo Sharp
Mary Jo Sharp is assistant professor of apologetics at Houston Baptist University and the founder and director of the apologetics ministry Confident Christianity. An international speaker on apologetics, Sharp focuses on love and logic to uncover truth. She is also a published author with Kregel, B&H Publications, and Zondervan. Her most recent book is Why I Still Believe.
Click the image to order Mary Jo Sharp’s book Why I Still BelieveLinks to Click
Why I Still Believe: book by Mary Jo Sharp
One of Us: song by Joan Osborne
One of Us: song by Prince
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The Closing Credits
Three Chords and the Truth: The Apologetics Podcast thanks B&H Academic for their sponsorship. Music for the podcast has been licensed through Artlist.io and performed by Trent Thompson. Brief excerpts of music played in each program are included solely for the purposes of comment and critique as allowed under the fair-use provision of U.S. copyright law. “The fair use of a copyrighted work … for purposes such as criticism, comment, news reporting, teaching, … scholarship, or research, is not an infringement of copyright” (U.S. Code § 107, Limitations on exclusive rights: Fair use).