ROARing Through the Wicked Film

Alexa Cramer, cultural apologetics, entertainment, ethics, Hillary Ferrer, media, Musicals, Uncategorized, Wicked, Worldview, www.mamabearapologetics.com
*Spoilers for the film Wicked (2024) ahead. Stop reading if you don’t want to know what happens in the film. Also, this is about the film, not about the book by Gregory Maguire or the Broadway musical.* A lot of opinions are circling the interwebs as to whether Christians should see the film, Wicked. While there are definitely certain unredeemable media that we here at Mama Bear Apologetics feel totally comfortable giving a black-and-white “NO” to (*cough* Fifty Shades *cough*), most of the time we just try to give you some things to think through and leave it up to you and the Holy Spirit. That’s where we’re at with Wicked. It’s not for everybody, particularly those who themselves (or their kids) are sensitive to themes containing witchcraft. For instance, there is a scene towards the end of…
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Personally Prolife, Politically Prochoice: A Response

abortion, Apologetics, Christianity, cultural apologetics, Gospel, John Ferrer, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, pro-choice, pro-life, Pro-Life Apologetics, www.IntelligentChristianFaith.com, “personally pro-life”, “politically pro-choice.”
Can we be pro-life personally but pro-choice politically? The quick answer to this loaded question is: No, we can’t really be pro-life personally if we are pro-choice politically. That’s because pro-lifers recognize that the child-in-utero is a human being, so the decision to abort isn’t a strictly personal decision at all, it’s an interpersonal decision. In that sense, it’s not a “private” decision (for just one person to decide). It’s a public decision (where at least 2 people are involved). Since abortion is an interpersonal act, it bears upon society and politics. Some people might not want to have an abortion, for themselves, but that does not qualify anyone as pro-life. Pro-choicers themselves recognize a “freedom to choose,” even when that includes choosing against abortion. In summary, if you are…
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Is AI Dangerous? (Part 2)

Alexa Cramer, Apologetics, Artificial Intelligence, Christianity, cultural apologetics, Culture and Politics, Gospel, MamaBearApologetics.com, Science and Technology, Techie
In Part 1, we may have virtually scared the pants off our readers with our semi-dystopian view of the future. But everything’s going to be okay, mama. You’re fine. I’m fine. Everything’s FINE! No, really, we’re all fine. Let me ask you something: can you give me an example of any time the future wasn’t scary? I doubt it. On this side of heaven, the future will always be uncertain. So, what we can do is cling to that which we are certain of – absolute truth. And that truth is found in a person: Jesus. Seek truth, and you’ll find Christ and His promises. Seek Christ, and you’ll find truth and clarity. Consequently, it’s no surprise that God’s number one enemy is working relentlessly to distort our view of truth. Because that’s ALL…
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What the Heck is Artificial Intelligence and Why Does it Matter?

AI, Alex Cramer, Artificial Intelligence, consciousness, cultural apologetics, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, MamaBearApologetics.com, personhood, Science and Technology, Techies
A TikToker programs himself a virtual AI girlfriend and decides to “euthanize” her when she becomes less responsive, and he falls into depression. Entire porn sites are dedicated to stealing the images of female online influencers (specifically Twitch streamers) using AI to create “deepfake” pornography. And creative things that we typically perceive as uniquely human, like art and music, are being generated by AI . . . and they are impressive, to say the least. There’s no denying it. Things are getting really weird. Artificial Intelligence (AI) is all the rage in 2023, and why shouldn’t it be? We just got over a pandemic. Time to bring in the free-thinking robots. We’ve got to keep things exciting! If the world isn’t about to end, is it even worth living? No…
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What If I Don’t Like Either Candidate?

Apologetics, Christianity, cultural apologetics, Gospel, Harris, How should Christians vote, How would Jesus Vote?, John Ferrer, Legislating Morality, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Trump, Who Should I vote for?
If you’re like me, this upcoming election feels like a choice between which electric outlet to jab a fork into. I’m not a big fan of either candidate. It may be tempting to just sit-out this election. But we shouldn’t give up that easily. This November, you won’t be voting for a pastor, or a personality. You’re just voting for a president either. You’re voting for a package deal. We’re going to get the president and everything that comes with them. So, we owe it to ourselves to look past their personality and consider the rest of the caravan that’s coming along with them. Here are eight reasons why you and I should still vote in this election even if we don’t like either candidate. If You Won’t Vote for…
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Voting as a Kingdom Ambassador

abortion, Apologetics, Christian Nationalism, Christianity, cultural apologetics, FreeThinkingMInistries, Gospel, How should Christians vote, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, Politics, Tito Santiago
During the presidential elections there are many voices “crying out in the wilderness,” as it were, proclaiming all sorts of weird ideas. One of those ideas is the thought that within this seemingly hostile and divided political and cultural climate even within the church, Christians who hold to a particular view are looking to crown a new political messiah and usher in some sort of a new kingdom. Voting for President, not a Messiah I cannot speak for all who claim to follow Jesus Christ. Perhaps there is some odd and rare breed of believers who sees the presidency as salvation. I do not! So I will speak for myself as to how I view the privilege and honor of voting not only as an American citizen, but more importantly…
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A Compassionate Response to Alistair Begg’s ‘Bad Advice’ on LGBT Weddings

Alistair Begg, Apologetics, Christian Ethics, Christian Marriage, Christianity, cultural apologetics, gay marriage, Gospel, Jason Jimenez, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, LGBTQ, Sexual Ethics, Stand Strong Ministries
Some time has passed since controversial advice resurfaced from popular preacher Alistair Begg on his radio program, “Truth for Life.” The controversy revolves around Pastor Begg shocking a grandmother with the advice to not only attend her grandson’s transgender wedding but also to buy them a gift. To reinforce the grandmother attending the trans wedding, pastor Begg prefaced it by saying, “Well, here’s the thing: your love for them may catch them off guard, but your absence will simply reinforce the fact that they said, ‘These people are what I always thought: judgmental, critical, unprepared to countenance anything.'” Days following the backlash Begg and his ministry received, a spokesman for “Truth for Life” published this statement: “Alistair’s advice to the inquirer was that of a grandfather [Mr. Begg] seeking to…
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Our Children: The Greatest Mission Field

Apologetics, Big Government, Christianity, cultural apologetics, family, Family law, Gender Pronouns, Gospel, Government overreach, Indiana, Legislating Morality, Culture & Politics, LGBTQ, Parental Rights, Parents, Phil Ginn, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Be assured that when the knock comes at your door, it will be unannounced, it will be warrantless, and it will come at the most inconvenient time. The social service worker will be polite, but cool and business-like. Despite your confusion, fear, and even anger, you dare not lose your poise because that will ultimately be used against you. You will learn in short order that your refusal to cooperate will be futile; the social worker will just return with whatever government force is needed to remove your children from your home. They’re Coming for Your Children… After initial pleasantries, your children will be sent to a separate area where they will be questioned individually outside of your presence. You will not be told who made the accusation, only that…
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The True Meaning of ‘Headship’ and ‘Head Coverings’ for Women: A Theological Perspective of 1 Corinthians 11:2-16

1 Corinthians 11, Apostle Paul, Christian Marriage, Complementarianism, cultural apologetics, Culture and Politics, Egalitarianism, Ephesians 5, Feminism, Gender Roles, Head Coverings, Jason Jimenez, marriage, Patriarchy, Stand Strong Ministries, Submission, Theology and Christian Apologetics, www.standstrongministries.org
In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, the apostle Paul addresses the topic of head coverings for women, a subject that has sparked much debate, confusion, and substandard interpretations throughout history. In order to truly understand Paul’s meaning, my goal is to provide a proper exegesis and interpretation that upholds the purity of the text and lends itself to how we are to show unity and equality among men and women. Respect the Context Contrary to misconceptions, Paul’s intention was not to demean women or diminish their role in the home or society. Instead, he addressed the issue of proper respect within marriage and worship. Before delving into 11:2-16, however, it is only appropriate to set the stage before turning back to the previous chapter. In 1 Corinthians 10:31-33, Paul writes, “So, whether…
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A Trendy New Breathing and Meditation Technique… and it’s Odd.

cultural apologetics, Culture CrossExamined, idolatry, meditative breathing, Melissa Dougherty, mysticism, New Age, spirituality, Theology and Christian Apologetics, witality breathwork, World Religions
I was scrolling through the Gram one day, and since I look up a lot of New Age things, the almighty algorithm put in front of my face something it thought I would enjoy. My eyes fell upon people rolling around, screaming, laughing hysterically, crying, convulsing, and rocking back and forth. I, no kidding, thought I was watching something from a Holy Spirit night at Bethel Church or something. It took me a hot second to realize that I was looking at a growing trend called Witality Breathwork. Growing Trend As time went on, I saw this strange practice pop up all over America, including in my own hometown. Immediately, I wanted to investigate, so I looked into actually going to the conference to observe, so I emailed them asking…
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