January 4, 2026

The New Atheist movement insisted that religion was not just useless but harmful. They painted with too broad a brush. It is true that some religious ideas are backward and damaging. This brings us to another factor which has contributed to the increase in interest in Christian faith. The rise of Islamic immigration and politicization, especially in Europe. 

We already noted the practice of female genital mutilation with Ayaan Hirsi Ali, this is just one example of the oppression of women in Islamic majority countries. Many other examples could be given. I understand there are moderate Muslims who have no interest in or desire to enforce every teaching of the Quran. Pew Research indicates that in secular western countries around 20% of Muslims are not moderates. Even among moderates’ research in France found that 70% of Muslim residents were in favour of nationally recognizing Sharia Law. Further the Quran allows for Muslims to conceal their beliefs if they feel there is some risk in sharing it openly. Further, 15% of Muslims in Britain and France believe that violence is sometimes justified in relation to faith. As with other areas touched on in this series of notes some debate could be had related to specific Muslim populations living in western countries. What is less debatable is the historical result in countries where Islam becomes a majority of the population. Most are aware of countries like Iran or more recently Lebanon or Nigeria where Islam has gained prominence. This has resulted in societal, economic, and quality of life issues as well as severe persecution of Christians. Gad Saad who teaches at McGill University in Montreal has recounted his escape from Lebanon with his family in several of his books. 

The increasing number of Muslims in western nations such as England, France and Sweden has brought some serious problems. This situation is not the primary aim of this note. But I would urge readers to get a Quran and see what it says. That aside, what can’t be denied is that a greater presence of devoutly religious people has caused some to consider religious truth and seek greater understanding. Certainly, Ayaan Hirsi Ali as mentioned above believes that in order to limit the influence of fundamentalist Muslims, Christianity needs to be embraced in greater numbers and by social institutions. No doubt the increase in Muslim immigration to the west coupled with the political action taken by some of those immigrants have caused some to look to Christianity. 

As with the other notes in this series the result for the Faithful is the same. We need to seek and save the lost. This includes both Muslims and those who are seeking greater religiosity due to the influence of Islam.

~ Kevin Cleary

December 28, 2025

In previous notes we have covered social media incidents which have been a boon to Christians faith. These have likely raised the general knowledge and perception of Christian faith in the broader culture. However, these events come at a time when other things are also impacting many people. Aggressive leftism (sometimes called Critical theory of just wokeness), notable individuals claiming Christian faith, The rise of fundamentalist Muslim influence and the waning popularity of the New Atheist movement. Ayaan Hirsi Ali is significant to both of these. Ayaan was considered part of the New Atheist cabal along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Christopher Hitchins, and Daniel Dennet. Granted Hirsi Ali was not so prominent as the so called “four horsemen.”  There is not sufficient time to fully discuss the lessening influence of New Atheism. 

For the purposes of this note it’s enough to consider that internal struggles over many of the hot button issues of the day caused division within the movement. Many atheists are strict materialists and as such they struggle to support the postmodern tone typical of many social movements. Political issues like immigration, LGBTQ plus agendas, law and order, and other matters have been divisive among unbelievers. 

Another of the key factors in the fall of New Atheism seems to be that while arguing against God the New Atheists offered little as an alternative. Science was raised as the solution for all man’s problems and the ultimate arbiter of truth. The problem is that science does not speak to most of the pressing issues of man. 

This weakening influence combined with the previously discussed growth of Christian apologetics in the public square has almost certainly been a positive for the general impression many have of faith. In other words its not a cool as it once was to be an Atheist. 

As with the previously mentioned points this creates a good opportunity for us to share the gospel. My prayer is that we will take every opportunity to connect with people and say even a few words that might get them thinking about who God is and what he had done.

~ Kevin Cleary

December 21, 2025

Rogan’s episode with Wes Huff exposed large numbers of people to Christian/ biblical apologetics. His previous episode with Stephen Meyers exposed similar numbers to the arguments for God’s existence by one of the prominent thinkers in the field. Meyers is a fellow at the discovery institute and holds a PHD in philosophy of science. He has written extensively on apologetics, his books: “Signature in the Cell,” “Darwins Doubt,” and most recently “Return of the God Hypothesis,” are well argued and have caused considerable discussion. Meyers has also contributed to many other volumes, including “Four views on creation evolution and intelligent design.” While discussing Meyers and social media another key moment should be mentioned in addition to his appearance on Rogan. Meyers has debated the famous sceptic Michael Schermer many times but in a recent debate hosted by Bryan Callen Meyers seemed to have completely stumped Schermer regarding how math demonstrates the existence of God. The moment has been cut and shared many times, but I recommend watching the whole video. 

Both Huff and Meyers have seen significant growth in their exposure due to their appearances on Rogan and now many other platforms. This has done a great deal to restore the cultural credibility of faith. This is key especially given the current social climate. These however are not nearly the only individuals who have contributed to the cultural awareness of Christian truth. Several public intellectuals and social media personalities have recently expressed interest in Christianity. This adds a practical element to the discussion especially as we consider the reasoning given by these same public figures and intellectuals. I would encourage you to do some research and see who some of these are and why they changed their minds about Christianity.

To see the Stephen Meyers interview on Rogan search “Stephen Meyers Joe Rogan” To see the Meyers Schermer debate search “Meyers Schermer Byan Callen”

These videos may help you share faith with a friend or co-worker or family member especially if that person has some familiarity with the Joe Rogan Podcast. 

~ Kevin Cleary

December 14, 2025

Certain recent social media moments did a lot to bring Christian faith into the social consciousness. 

We should acknowledge the influence of Charlie Kirk but his primary emphasis was not on faith but politics. When he did speak of faith, he shared some truth, but a great deal of error. It was enough however to point many people in the right direction. Especially near the unexpected end he gave greater emphasis to faith, if only it had been more biblically accurate. His clips are still heavily featured on many platforms and are still having an impact.

Some of the credit for raising the profile of faith also has to go to the podcasters. While I will admit, at this point podcasts have become somewhat oversaturated, everyone with a following larger than 3 seems to have one. Their popularity is undeniable. The undisputed king of the podcast space is Joe Rogan who regularly speaks to larger numbers than even prime time television shows or news broadcasts. Rogan’s success is impressive especially given his relatively limited fame. Rogan featured two guests within the last year Steven Myers, and Wes Huff. Providing both with a platform far greater than either the Discovery Institute or Apologetics Canada could have possibly given. Huffs story is worth recounting as the sequence of events is truly remarkable. 

Wes Huff is a PHD candidate at the University of Toronto and vice president of Apologetics Canada. A few years ago, Wes made some content responding to a popular religious content creator named Billy Carson. Carson made frequent claims about his in-depth knowledge of ancient languages and esoteric history promoting various pseudo spiritual ideas about human capacity and religion. Wes having the much smaller audience was not gaining much traction and was not on Carson’s radar screen at all. That is until Carson was invited to debate Huff on Mark Minard’s podcast. The debate was hardly fair as Carson repeatedly demonstrated almost complete ignorance about the subject matter. I have included the link to the discussion below. The response to this discussion generated so much attention that Wes was invited to be on the Joe Rogan podcast. That interview exposed millions of people to key evidence for Christianity presented by a well reputed and highly articulate scholar. This is made all the more notable by Rogan’s previously anti-Christian stance. 

If you want to watch the Rogan interview or Billy Carson debate you can search “Wes Huff Joe Rogan” or “Wes Huff Billy Carson”

~ Kevin Cleary

November 30, 2025

I can remember when I was a kid I couldn’t wait to use the riding mower to cut the grass. When my dad was doing it I would see him and think I could do that but when I suggested it I would be told that I could when I was older. After a while I reached the age where I was able to safely operate the mower and I was not just allowed but expected to cut the grass. What happened? 

As I matured the expectations my parents had for me changed. Anyone with children knows how this works. We would not give an infant steak, and we expect a 12 year old to be able to cook if needed. Just as there is a reasonable expectation of growth for children there is also one for Christians.

The author of Hebrews wanted to make some points about Jesus priesthood as it connected to that of Melchizedek in the fifth chapter of that book. He stops short though and instead of making his point (which he will do later) he addresses a concern he has with the recipients of the letter. In verses eleven through fourteen the author expresses his frustration at the fact that the Christians he was writing to would not grasp his point. He says by this time they should be teachers but instead still need someone to teach them the basics of Christianity. 

This reveals that God has expectations for us to mature at a certain rate. It’s hard to tell how long the recipients of Hebrews had been Christians but however long it was they were not maturing at a pace that was acceptable. This is a hard passage to face since it challenges us to grow. It implies that it is not okay to remain at the same level of development in our Christian lives. Just as my parents reached a point where the expected a certain level of maturity. God expects certain things of us as we go through our Christian lives. 

This begs the question, how old are you spiritually? Are you meeting the reasonable expectations God has for you based on your time spent as a Christian? Are we doing so as a Church? Let’s make it our goal to press on to mature manhood to the level of the stature of the fullness of Christ.

You may say, I want to grow I’m just not sure how. 

There are some simple things that may help. 

First we can develop better study habits. Notice I said better, you may already have good habits but the question is not how can I do more, but how can I be better? This may mean reading some new books, or taking a different approach than your usual. 

Second, this one is much harder. We can spend some time each day in prayer and reflection. We can ask honestly what sin do I struggle with? What good do I neglect? What habit takes me too close to compromise? The point is not to anxiously overanalyze every second of our day. Rather it’s to look to the areas we have neglected maybe even purposely and submit them to God.

May God help us all grow into his likeness in all things.

~ Kevin Cleary