Articles for tag: Apologetics

February 12, 2017

Christian Standard

Seeds of Doubt

By Steve Carr What I”ve learned, and what I”m still asking, after conversations with those who left the faith. “It was Santa Claus.” As Bill said it, he looked me straight in the eyes without blinking. I thought he was joking. “Are you being serious,” I asked. “Santa Claus pushed you toward atheism?” Bill nodded his head. “It sounds stupid, but that guy really did a number on me.” If you”re like me, it”s impossible to reminisce about childhood without talking about church. Faith was the priority of my family”s social life. After home and school, I spent the majority

February 11, 2017

Christian Standard

After the ‘Hot Button’ Is Pushed (Strategies for Engaging Skeptics about the Faith)

By Chris Moon Imagine the following scenario: You are sitting in the bleachers at your child”s soccer game on a Saturday morning. It”s a beautiful day, and you strike up a conversation with another parent whom you have seen at several games. You find you have a lot of things in common””but not everything. When your new friend asks what you”ll be doing the following day, you casually explain that you”ll be at church in the morning. Then you remember your pastor”s encouragement, and you offer the invitation: “You are more than welcome to come with us. We could do

February 10, 2017

Christian Standard

Reply from a Believer

Editor’s note: This piece was written as a response to another post at our sight, “Letter from a Skeptic.” The author’s insights will mean even more to the reader who has read that post first. By Dick Alexander Dear Friend, Thank you for writing. You have made a concise critique of Christianity””a large part of which I wholeheartedly agree with. And you”ve asked a serious question that deserves an equally serious response. Thank you for giving me an opportunity to do that. From your original question, “Can I be a Christian and be good?” a number of other questions followed.

September 24, 2016

Christian Standard

Partnering to Teach the Bible

By Jennifer Johnson Southland Christian Church (Lexington, KY) has created a way to engage people who are interested in deeper study of the Bible, maintain their interest and involvement, and even train current leaders and discover future staff members: Southland University. “We”re trying to meet the needs of many different groups,” says Derrick Purvis, formation pastor at Southland. “Weekends are “˜bottom shelf” and designed to be as accessible as possible. Programs that go a bit deeper are the next step. “But we also knew a number of people wanted more challenge and more growth. The problem is it takes a

November 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Listen

By Jim Tune Earlier in my ministry, I viewed evangelism as almost entirely an act of proclamation. Evangelism meant “telling.” It was shaped by modernism and was largely “proof” oriented in its content and approach. A logical argument would be presented following defined lines of traditional apologetic thought. Equipped with the facts and bolstered by books such as Josh McDowell”s Evidence that Demands a Verdict, I could boldly offer “five arguments for the existence of God” or “seven reasons why we can believe that Jesus really did rise from the dead.” The problem with this approach is its reliance on

August 20, 2015

Christian Standard

Thanks, Dan

By Jennifer Johnson Thanks, Dan. It”s been 20 years since high school, and I am still so indebted to my youth minister. I was in high school more years ago than I care to remember, so long before anything Internet that information about our fall retreats, ski trips, CIY conferences, service projects, church camp, parties, and mission trips was communicated via photocopied handouts. Dan Giese arrived at our church early in my middle school career and stayed until long after my high school graduation, so he was the only youth minister my friends and I knew. And he was the

July 15, 2015

Mark A. Taylor

A Conversation with Rich Knopp and Mark Mittelberg

CHRISTIAN STANDARD Editor Mark A. Taylor speaks with Rich Knopp and Mark Mittelberg about an apologetics initiative called Room for Doubt that is designed to both reinforce Christians in their faith while also reaching non-Christians. The idea is to defend Christian faith with mercy and grace. Knopp is a professor of philosophy and Christian apologetics at Lincoln (IL) Christian University and Mittelberg is a Christian writer and speaker. Watch the interview.

June 8, 2015

Christian Standard

How to Cope in the Radical Middle

By Ian DiOrio Gone are the days in our society when Christians could hope to occupy a “moral majority.” But two biblical qualities, modeled by Jesus and taught by the apostles, offer us strategies for relating to those unlike ourselves. “United” has become an ironic descriptor for America, for if the United States is anything during the 21st century, it is divided. Divided over power. Who should have it and how should they wield it? Is the shape of society better molded by the masses, or does history show us it best moves forward if a select few wield tremendous influence? Divided over ethics. Are moral truths merely personal restrictions of human activity, like

April 4, 2015

Christian Standard

Risen Indeed

By David Faust I once had the opportunity to share the gospel with a young Hindu woman. A native of India, she was a university medical student preparing to become a physician. She was unfamiliar with the Bible and curious about what Christians believe. In response to her questions, I explained about Jesus” life and teachings, and how he was crucified. “A few days after that,” I continued, “Jesus came back to life again.” Stunned, she stopped me and said, “You know, that”s medically impossible.” I don”t remember my exact response. I wish I had said, “Yes, but without God,

April 3, 2015

Christian Standard

Resurrection Resources

By Richard A. Knopp William Lane Craig relates that a high school friend once said to him, “There ain”t gonna be no Easter this year.” When Craig asked, “Why not,” his cantankerous friend replied, “They found the body.”1 The questionable humor unintentionally reveals a fundamental truth: without the resurrection of Jesus, there is no Easter””or as Paul put it, “Your faith is futile” (1 Corinthians 15:17). But in spite of the bellows of unbelievers and the screams of secularists to make Easter an exclusive experience with the bunny, a multitude of valuable materials are available to sustain our faith and

July 29, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

Speaking the Truth, Showing the Truth

By Mark A. Taylor Today I”m remembering insights about faith-sharing in last month”s Beyond the Standard online interview. Plan to tune-in to this month”s discussion, “Ministry Today” with CHRISTIAN STANDARD columnist Eddie Lowen, this Thursday, July 31, 11 a.m. Eastern. My eye fell on a small tract, propped against the mirror on the shelf above the sink in the public restroom I was using. “Where Will You Spend Eternity?” the leaflet asked. And I remembered my own tract-distributing phase many decades ago. On one occasion, with fevered prayers, I had slipped a salvation tract into the magazine pocket behind the

July 11, 2014

Mark A. Taylor

A Conversation with Lee Strobel

Lee Strobel talked about his love for the Christian Church movement and the need for apologetics teaching today in his interview with CHRISTIAN STANDARD Editor Mark Taylor at the 2014 North American Christian Convention. See it here.

June 24, 2014

Christian Standard

Room for Doubt””Reason for Hope

By Mark Mittelberg “Mom, Dad . . . I don”t want to hurt you, but you need to know that since moving away from home I”ve started to have a lot of doubts about spiritual stuff you taught me growing up. I”ve been thinking about it quite a bit and, well, the whole idea that there”s a supreme being who made everything and who hears all our prayers and is trying to guide our lives””I just can”t accept it any longer. . . .” I can”t tell you have many times I”ve heard words like these when I talk with

June 23, 2014

Christian Standard

Where Will We Go Without God?

By Richard Knopp Those who refute the possibility of cosmic intelligence””they won”t allow that God created the universe””make several demands on those who do believe. Are their demands reasonable? And do they abide by them themselves? Many Christians are aware that apologetics involves “defending” the faith. Peter says we are to be ready always to “make a defense [Greek, apologia] to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15, New American Standard Bible). The need for apologetics is illustrated by the disturbing number of churched young people who are wandering

June 21, 2014

Christian Standard

This Is MY Story

By Casey Tygrett I remember walking through the double doors onto the well-worn rose carpet of our church”s foyer. There were smiling people wearing suits and ties, or at least dress shirts, and the smell of perfume was strong enough to cause numbness if you inhaled too deeply. Two handle-free, faux-walnut doors swung open into a wood and white sanctuary. Inside, we sang familiar melodies with well-worn lyrics: “This is my story, this is my song.” “I heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory.” Then we heard about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And Jesus, who stepped

June 20, 2014

Christian Standard

Failure to Convince

By Jonathan Williams “I don”t need your God to make me good.” I was having lunch with Tom, a close friend and devout atheist. I ordered the Reuben. He went light with the salad. The topic was heavy. “Then what”s your foundation for goodness and morality?” I asked him. “What stops you from being a compulsive liar or a career con artist?” “Morality and goodness are biological,” Tom replied, “they”ve been with us from the beginning. That”s how our species not only survives, but also thrives.” I brought up the late Jeffrey Dahmer, a convicted murderer and sex offender, who,

June 16, 2014

Christian Standard

Postmodernism & Apologetics

By Bob Mink As postmodernism”s influence continues to grow, many wonder what impact it is having on Christian apologetics. Does it require an approach different from what Christian apologists have been saying for the past 500 years? The short answer (given in a way postmodernists might appreciate) is yes and no. Three relatively recent books directly and indirectly address the issue.   Direct Answer Ironically, the oldest of these books most directly answers the question. Christian Apologetics in the Postmodern World (IVP Academic, 1995) is a collection of essays edited by Timothy R. Phillips and Dennis L. Okholm. The 11

June 15, 2014

Christian Standard

An Interview with Ravi Zacharias

By David Faust Why have you devoted so much of your life and ministry to Christian apologetics? I come from India, where the Christian faith is clearly a minority.1 When you believe something out of deep conviction that has cost you quite a bit and is not in the mainstream, then you have to answer the questions that arise. There is no escaping it, internally or externally. You are constantly surrounded by deep-seated questions of truth. I myself had many questions as a young person, and came to Christ on a bed of suicide at the age of 17. Thus,

June 14, 2014

Christian Standard

A Day with Ravi Zacharias

By David Faust Visiting someone in the hospital doesn”t seem like a big deal. For many of us, it”s a routine part of ministry. About 50 years ago in India, a Christian named Fred David visited a forlorn 17-year-old in the hospital. The young man David visited was hospitalized because he had tried to end his own life by drinking poison. Fortunately, the attempted suicide failed and the teenager was going to recover. Fred handed a Bible to the patient”s mom, showing her the page containing John 14:19, where Jesus says, “Because I live, you also will live.” The young

June 12, 2014

Christian Standard

John Polkinghorne: A Bottom-Up Thinker

By C. Robert Wetzel   It must have been sometime in the mid-1980s that I saw the notice that Dr. John Polkinghorne would be giving a lecture at the University of Birmingham. What I did not know when I set out for the university that day was the special occasion that brought John Polkinghorne to Birmingham. He was to give an address on the topic of science and religion to the Joseph Priestly Society, the national professional organization of chemists. Polkinghorne was himself a nationally recognized mathematical physicist who had shocked his colleagues at University of Cambridge when he announced

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