There are Eastern religions that deny the reality of pain and suffering. They just try to wipe it away by saying it's all an illusion.
— Lee Strobel
So much of the world's suffering results from the sinful action or inaction of ourselves and others. For example, people look at a famine and wonder where God is, but the world produces enough food for each person to have 3,000 calories a day. It's our own irresponsibility and self-centeredness that prevents people from getting fed.
Apologetics has an important place in the local church as we seek to influence our communities for Christ in an increasingly skeptical culture.
I do know plenty of atheists, agnostics and skeptics who have become Christians through the years. In fact, several of my friends were once strong atheists but are now committed followers of Jesus.
A lot of people don't give much thought to what they believe, and it's easy for them to hold what often are two conflicting ideas in their head at the same time.
It is very difficult to give a 15 second sound bite on why there is pain and suffering in this world and not have it come off as being flippant or surface level or superficial.
Christianity is a very historical religion - it makes specific claims that are open to testing.
When you are in the midst of suffering you are looking for someone to be Jesus to you. You are looking for someone to love you and help take care of you, and reach out to you.
Moral evil is the immorality and pain and suffering and tragedy that come because we choose to be selfish, arrogant, uncaring, hateful and abusive.
The Internet has helped atheists and agnostics coalesce as never before.
I certainly believe that God did create the world, yeah, absolutely I believe that.
If you define evolution as merely meaning change over time, then I don't see any problem with a person being a Christian and believing in evolution. But that's not how textbooks define evolution. They define evolution as being random and undirected without plan or purpose.
I am primarily a writer of books, and I enjoy that. But I come to realize that a lot of people prefer a visual medium.
I think it's very healthy to use journalistic and legal techniques to investigate the evidence for and against Christianity and other faith systems.
Virtually every scientist now concedes that universe and time itself had beginning. So, whatever begins to exist has a cause. The universe began to exist. Therefore, the universe must have had a cause.
All Christians should be able to articulate reasons why they believe what they believe - not just for the sake of our spiritually confused friends, but also so that we ourselves will have a deeper and more confident faith.
Nobody is beyond the reach of the Gospel.
Intelligent design is consistent with any faith system I can think of, because most faith systems believe that there is a creator.
Christians can have doubts and they can have questions, and the unhealthy way to deal with that is to keep them inside where they fester and grow and can undermine our faith. The healthy way to deal with it is to talk about it and be honest about it.
My worldview, my philosophy, my attitudes, my relationships, my parenting, my marriage - everything has been transformed by my relationship with Christ.
