Evangelism - Edification - Education

International Space Station Zarya Control Module and Unity Node.
Unity Node was constructed at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Image obtained from NASA Media Library.

For over 10 years, RTB Huntsville has been building the faith of believers and demonstrating a credible Christian worldview for those who seek the truth. We have held roughly 100 monthly meetings, taught seminars, spoken in numerous churches, and conducted several radio and newspaper interviews. We hope you have shared in the blessings of these ministry events.

Who We Are

The Huntsville Network of Reasons To Believe is a local extension of the worldwide ministry by the same name in the Tennessee Valley. We believe that "new discoveries about the cosmos . . . add more evidence to the already weighty case for a transcendent, personal Creator, none other than the God of the Bible." Unfortunately, both secular society and the Christian community have, for the most part, operated under the deceptive illusion that science and faith are at odds, that they must be kept apart. This has caused many non-believers to shun the Bible and its God, and many believers to blindly reject scientific reasons to believe. Our mission is to show that science and faith are, and always will be, allies, not enemies. We endeavor to bring that life changing truth to as many people as possible, both believers and unbelievers.

Quarterly Meetings

Time: 7:00 PM - first Thursday of quarterly months
Location: Whitesburg Baptist Church, Main Campus Room 110, 6806 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville, AL
Previous meetings/events

Network News

Jonathan Fisher is the new RTB Huntsville President. He has B.S. and M.S. degrees in Physics from Eastern Kentucky University and a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Alabama A&M. He is the Director of Applied Physics and Technology at GH Systems, Inc. in Huntsville and has numerous conference and peer-reviewed publications and is an apologist with Reasons To Believe. Jon is active in several ministries at Willowbrook Baptist Church.

We thank you for your support during our first decade of the Reasons To Believe ministry and ask your participation and prayers as we continue to reach others with faith in Jesus Christ.

Jonathan Fisher, President - Huntsville Alabama RTB Network

Email

Information about the RTB Huntsville Network may be obtained by writing to:
mailto:Huntsville@reasons.org?subject= .

Relationship Between Science and Scriptures

God is not silent in this area. He speaks to us through the Holy Scriptures which were written by his special messengers who " . . . spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (II Peter 1:21). The Bible is God's instruction manual for living. "All Scripture is God breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16). While God's primary methods of communicating with mankind are His written and living Word and Spirit, he also uses His creation. "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world" (Psalms 19:1-4). And, When God speaks, He is trustworthy. God does not lie. Therefore, what He says through His written Word is consistent with what He declares in the heavens. They must agree in every detail.

Reasons to Believe developed a small group Bible Study If God Made the Universe…Why Is It the Way It Is? and created a web site for it at http://www.ifgodmadetheuniverse.com/ We recommend choosing this Bible Study to go with your group on a cosmic adventure that gives you a fresh glimpse into the heart of God. The Huntsville Network plans to continue to follow this Bible Study over our next few meetings.

The Genesis Debate by Dr. Jonathan Fisher - 5/5/11 (Sorry, audio not available)

Presentation Slides (456 KB, PDF, Requires FREE Adobe Reader)
A clearer view of the material on page 4 of this presentation is at http://www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v27/i4/TimelineOfTheBible.pdf Reasons To Believe in no way endorses Answers in Genesis. Their material is only referenced here to provide a concise summary of Usher's chronology.

Reference Material

Article by Rev. Professor William Henry Green (83 KB, PDF, Requires FREE Adobe Reader)

Reasons To Believe Statement of Faith (61 KB, PDF, Requires FREE Adobe Reader)

Word Studies in Genesis One (158 KB, PDF, Requires FREE Adobe Reader)

Dr. Jonathan Fisher gave a presentation "The Genesis Debate”, based on evidence of the Bible, history, and the record of nature.

Jonathan Fisher received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Alabama A&M University and serves as the director of applied physics and technology at a Huntsville aerospace engineering corporation. He fellowships and serves at Willowbrook Baptist Church teaching Sunday School and occasionally teaches Christian apologetics with the youth ministry.

The Basis for Christian Apologetics (MP3) by Patrick Collins - 2/3/11

Accompanying Slides (1,221 KB, PDF, Requires FREE Adobe Reader)

Mr. Patrick Collins gave a presentation "The Basis for Christian Apologetics" where he discussed the purpose, limits and scriptural basis for this topic. He is the UAHuntsville director of Ratio Christi, an international organization joining the battle against humanism by equipping university students with directions and answers to the questions of life. Christian apologetics is a tool for this purpose and the local chapter of this organization meets weekly on the UAH campus to strengthen the faith of students and reach the unsaved.

Patrick Collins has a BS.BA-MIS from UAHuntsville and a MA in Theology from Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary, at the Liberty University in Lynchburg, VA. He is pursuing a Certificate in Christian Apologetics from Biola University. Mr. Collins is a Networking Test Engineer at ADTRAN, Inc. in Huntsville and is an active member at West Huntsville Baptist Church.

A Biblical Case for an Old Earth (MP3) by Dr. David Snoke - 8/5/10

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Dr. David Snoke gave a presentation "A Biblical Case for an Old Earth", showing how a day-age model better explains the biblical texts as well as modern scientific discoveries.

Worldviews in Tension: Can Theology Inform the Practice of Science? (MP3) by Professor Kenneth Samples - 5/4/10

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Kenneth Samples gave the presentation "Worldviews in Tension: Can Theology Inform the Practice of Science?” This was given as the keynote address in the Segerstrom Science Symposium at the Azusa Pacific University earlier this year on science and theology. He interacted with us through an Internet connection with Reasons to Believe in California.

Kenneth Samples earned his undergraduate degree in philosophy and social science from Concordia University and his master’s degree in theological studies from Talbot School of Theology. For seven years, Samples worked as senior research consultant and correspondence editor at the Christian Research Institute (CRI), and regularly co-hosted the popular call-in radio program, The Bible Answer Man, with Dr. Walter Martin. Kenneth is now a senior research scholar at Reasons to Believe, and is author and co-author of several books. He encourages believers to develop a logically defensible faith and challenges skeptics to engage Christianity at a philosophical level.

Creationism: A Historical Perspective (MP3) by Dr. Jonathan Fisher - 2/4/10

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Dr. Jonathan Fisher provided a brief overview of the Creationist movement spanning the last 200+ years. He provided key references for those interested in going deeper into the historical nature of the creation-evolution debate. The talk concluded with a statement of his position on the interpretation of the Biblical creation accounts.

Jonathan Fisher received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Alabama A&M University and serves as the director of applied physics and technology at a Huntsville aerospace engineering corporation. He fellowships and serves at Willowbrook Baptist Church teaching Sunday School and occasionally teaches Christian apologetics with the youth ministry.

The Multiverse: Who’s Afraid? (MP3) by Dr. Jeff Zweerink - 11/5/09

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Dr. Jeffrey Zweerink discussed the issues of faith related to the science and philosophy of multiple universes. Multiple Universe theory continues to gain popularity among the scientific community as an explanation for the origin of the universe. Dr. Zweerink’s presentation was based upon his book “Who’s Afraid of the Multiverse?” and explained that the multiverse is not an enemy to Christian Faith. In fact, it may be a useful ally. He interacted with us through an Internet connection with Reasons to Believe in California.

Dr. Zweerink is an astrophysicist with a PhD from Iowa State University, specializing in high energy gamma-ray astrophysics. He serves as a research scholar at Reasons to Believe and is a part-time physics and astronomy research faculty member at UCLA. He has co-authored more that 30 papers in refereed journals and as well as numerous articles in conference proceedings.

Review of Book by Hugh Ross "More Than a Theory: Revealing a Testable Model for Creation" (MP3) by Dr. Jonathan Fisher - 8/6/09

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Dr. Jonathan Fisher provided a brief review of Hugh Ross' recently published book, "More Than a Theory: Revealing a Testable Model for Creation" and discussed it in the light of a broader apologetic picture. Fisher reviewed the Ross' testable creation model and casted this in the light of working with non-believers. Fisher discussed how science can be an obstacle and as well as a path in sharing the good news of Jesus Christ.

Jonathan Fisher received a Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Alabama A&M University and serves as the director of applied physics and technology at a Huntsville aerospace engineering corporation. He fellowships and serves at Willowbrook Baptist Church and occasionally teaches Christian apologetics in his church youth ministry.

"Holman QuickSource Guide to Understanding Creation" discussed with the authors. (MP3) by Dr. Mark Whorton and Hill Roberts - 5/7/09

Dr. Mark Whorton and Hill Roberts shared from their recently published science apologetics resource, the "Holman QuickSource Guide to Understanding Creation," as well as their experience as writers. We gave away copies of the book to the first thirty attendees signing into the meeting.

Mark Whorton received a Ph.D. in aerospace engineering from Georgia Tech and serves NASA at a Huntsville aerospace engineering corporation. He teaches Christian apologetics at Whitesburg Baptist church and is also the author of the book "Peril in Paradise: Theology, Science and the Age of the Earth."

Hill Roberts holds a Master's degree in physics from the University of Alabama and serves as a chief scientist for a Huntsville-based aerospace research company. He also founded the Lord, I Believe ministry (LordiBelieve.org) for teaching people the rational basis for faith in God's existence and has lectured extensively on Christian apologetics in the United States and Russia.

Reconciling Faith and Science (MP3) by Dr. James Spann - 2/5/09

Dr. James Spann of the NASA Science and Exploration Research Office gave a presentation on "Reconciling Faith and Science," relating his pilgrimage as a believer in the scientific community.

Jim Spann is head of the NASA MSFC Science and Exploration Research Office. He has a BS in Math and Physics from Ouachita Baptist University and a PhD in Physics from the University of Arkansas. His research interests range from aerosol chemistry, interaction of micron-sized particles with radiation and plasmas, auroral physics, and far-ultraviolet imaging technology. Recently he has been engaged in articulating strategic astrophysical, heliophysical and Earth observing science that can be done from the Moon. He is actively engaged in various ministries at Willowbrook Baptist Church in Huntsville.

The Theological Meaning of Genesis Chapter 1 (MP3) by Dr. Lynn Neergaard - 11/6/08

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Dr. Lynn Neergaard gave a presentation on "The Theological Meaning of Genesis Chapter 1." The first chapter of Genesis tells us much about the beginning of the Cosmos and says important things about Jehovah, His nature, and His continuing action in the world. However, Genesis's primary purpose is not to change the way we investigate the Universe we live in, but to change the way we live in the Universe we investigate. This talk does not focus on the ontological implications of Genesis 1, but on the theological, Christological, and soteriological implications.

Dr. Neergaard has a BS in Materials Science from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology and a PhD in Ceramic Science from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Previously he was in materials testing and is now a structural analyst using FEM software. He serves at Willowbrook Baptist Church as Sunday School teacher and deacon.

Sixth in Six Impossible Things: The Measure of a Man (MP3) by Hill Roberts - 6/7/07

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Mr. Hill Roberts speaks on the topic "The Measure of a Man" as this final presentation in our series of "Six Impossible Things." Viewing the unique humanity of man created in the image of God, the talk addresses how it is not possible to portray multidimensional man to be solely the outcome of 3.8 billion years of evolution on earth.

Seven Dubious Reasons to Reject an Ancient Creation (MP3) by Hill Roberts - 2/1/07

• The Reasons to Believe Huntsville Alabama Chapter met from 7:00 to 8:30 PM, Thursday, February 1, at Whitesburg Baptist Church, North Campus, 6806 Whitesburg Drive, Huntsville, Alabama.• This meeting had scheduled Dr. Mark Whorton to give the first of a two part series on the topic "Seven Dubious Reasons to Reject an Ancient Creation." This talk was to be a point by point rebuttal of an article by Dr. Terry Mortenson of Answers In Genesis on "Seven Reasons Why We Should Not Accept Millions of Years." (You may review the article at www.answersingenesis.org/docs2006/0717seven-reasons.asp ) The reasons given by Mortenson include that the Bible teaches a six 24-hour day creation, Noah's flood denies old creation, Jesus was a young-earth creationist, old creation undermines the Bible and is not scientific and radiometric dating does not prove millions of years. Also Mark Whorton and Hill Roberts addressed this article while hosting the August 1, 2006, RTB webcast, Creation Update. This webcast may be re-played at Hill Roberts & Mark Whorton serve as 8/1/06 Creation Update scholar team.Mark Whorton was not able to be at the February 1, 2007 meeting, so Hill Roberts spoke instead. He used an interesting twist on the "Seven Reasons" idea, passing out copies of Mortenson's article. He wrote on a whiteboard rather than using Power Point projection. On one side he listed the "seven reasons." Rather than refute the reasons, he approached some background and theological positions and listed them on the other side of the board. These points were taken from the last two paragraphs of Mortensen's article and are listed as follows:* God's word - final authority, authority of scripture* Character of God* Doctrine of death* Genesis is literal history* Faith in the rest of the Bible - salvation - morality

The presentation was quite thought provoking.• Hill Roberts has BS and MS degrees in physics. He is Chief Scientist at SRS Technologies, a local aerospace/defense company, and has numerous peer reviewed scientific publications. He has extensive experience in scientific based Christian apologetics as the leader of the Lord, I Believe ministry. Hill is a former elder at Weatherly Heights Church of Christ where he worships.

Stem Cell Research (MP3) by Larry Scarborough, MD - 12/7/06

Dr. Larry Scarborough spoke on the topic "Stem Cell Technology and Christian Ethics." This new medical break-through has advanced faster than most of us have been able to follow. Lifesaving applications have been found and still more wonderful uses are foreseen. But political and ethical debates rage over how stem cell research should proceed and Dr. Scarborough presented some Christian perspectives.