Episodes

  • Does the Constitution Require a "Wall of Separation" Between Religion and Government?

    Does the Constitution Require a "Wall of Separation" Between Religion and Government?
    Jul 4 2025
    The phrase "wall of separation" is not in the Constitution. It comes from a letter written by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association, in which Jefferson congratulates the Baptists, and by implication all Christians, and people in other religions, on their ability to freely run for office, and participate in all governmental activities in the United States. Host Martin Tanner provides many proofs that religion was not prohibited, but encouraged in the U.S. government. Examples: The Supreme Court in several opinions said the U.S. is a Christian Nation. Congress always opens and closes sessions with a prayer. Benjamin Franklin wanted the Bible to be a textbook in public schools.
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    36 mins
  • Is God the Father described as a Man, or a Spirit, in the Scriptures?

    Is God the Father described as a Man, or a Spirit, in the Scriptures?
    Jun 27 2025
    Evangelical Christians, other Protestants, and also Catholics, say God is a Spirit only, quoting John 4:24 "God is spirit[,]" and, John 1:18 "No man hath seen God at any time[.]" In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner goes through many Bible passages which which say not only is God a man, he has been seen many times.
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    27 mins
  • Four Puzzling, Difficult to Understand New Testament Verses Explained

    Four Puzzling, Difficult to Understand New Testament Verses Explained
    Jun 20 2025
    Why does Matthew's Gospel begin with Jesus's genealogy, traced through Joseph, who is not Jesus's biological father, and includes an adulterer, a gentile and two prostitutes. Other options for tracing Jesus's genealogy were available. Why start a Gospel with a genealogy? Why trace Jesus's genealogy through a gentile, an adulterer and a prostitute? Martin Tanner gives the explanation, which makes perfect sense. Next, Martin tackles Matthew 22:44, in which Jesus says about the promised Messiah, "The Lord said to my Lord, 'Sit at my right hand . . . ." Who are the Lord's spoken of, Jesus, God the Father, the Messiah? Martin explains who the Lords are and why this comment baffled his critics. Next, Martin explains what "Hell" in the New Testament translated from the word, Gehenna, actually means. Jesus's surprising comparison of sin and Hell to a garbage dump. What does the phrase "abomination of desolation" in Matthew 24:15 actually mean? Martin explains.
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    32 mins
  • Important Lessons from the Dead Sea Scrolls

    Important Lessons from the Dead Sea Scrolls
    Jun 13 2025
    Host Martin Tanner describes a few of the many ways the often neglected Dead Sea Scrolls are a treasure trove for all Christians, and especially Latter-day Saints. The DSS show there were ancient writings on metal which were hidden in the ground for future generations. The DSS show how dramatically the Old Testament has changed. The DSS were written by a Jewish sect which called themself the "Latter-day Saints" meaning they were the saints in the last days before the Messiah was born. Martin describes many other amazing details about the DSS.
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    22 mins
  • Was There an Apostasy?

    Was There an Apostasy?
    Jun 6 2025
    Critics of the LDS Faith claim there could not have been an apostasy because virtually all Christian denominations believe in the Bible, in Jesus, and can trace their history back to the first century AD. But Religion Today podcast host Martin Tanner explains that the core doctrines of Christianity have all dramatically changed since the first century to the point they are unrecognizable. A few of Martin's most notable examples include: (1) the nature of God and Jesus; (2) What it takes to be saved in God's Kingdom; (3) Whether the Canon of scriptures closed; (4) Whether baptism is necessary, what kind of baptism and at what age; and (5) the ultimate potential of mankind. These dramatic changes strongly indicate an apostasy has taken place.
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    41 mins
  • Was Jesus Married?

    Was Jesus Married?
    May 30 2025
    In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides information from scripture, early Christian writings and tradition, Jewish writings and traditions, and other sources, to lay out a compelling argument for the idea that Jesus was, in all likelihood, a married man with children.
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    30 mins
  • Palestine and Israel - Conflicts and History

    Palestine and Israel - Conflicts and History
    May 23 2025
    In this episode of Religion Today, host Martin Tanner provides a brief history of Israel, from 120,000 years ago to the present, showing that Israelites or Jews, have continuously occupied the land of Israel from at least 1,202 BC and likely much earlier, to the present. Since 1947, the internationally accepted and designated name for that land is the Country of "Israel." The name "Palestine" comes from a cruel joke made by a Roman General in circa 120 AD, renaming Israel to "Phlistinia" after the extinct Philistines. The current Palestinian chant "From the [Jordan] river to the [Mediterranean] sea, Palestine must be free" is a thinly disguised call for the genocide of the Jewish people and termination of the State of Israel.
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    27 mins
  • The Origins of the Four Gospels

    The Origins of the Four Gospels
    May 16 2025
    In this Religion Today episode, host Martin Tanner describes the original oral sources that were apparently used by John Mark, the author of the Gospel of Mark, which was likely the first written of the Gospels. Martin describes when, how, for what purpose and by whom the other three Gospels were written.
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    37 mins