Archive for November 2010
Isn’t Christianity just a psychological crutch?
Today we continue our special daily series based on the article Questions Sceptics Ask by Rusty Wright.
In this post, Rusty shows how we might respond to the question:
Isn’t Christianity just a psychological crutch?
My mentor Bob Prall has often said,
“If Christianity is a psychological crutch, then Jesus Christ came because there was an epidemic of broken legs.”
Christianity claims to meet real human needs such as those for forgiveness, love, identity and self-acceptance. We might describe Jesus not as a crutch but an iron lung, essential for life itself.
Christian faith and its benefits can be described in psychological terms but that does not negate its validity. “Does it work?” is not the same question as, “Is it true?” Evidence supports Christianity’s truthfulness, so we would expect it to work in individual lives, as millions attest.
A caution as you answer questions:
Don’t offer “proof” but rather evidences for faith. “Proof” can imply an airtight case, which you don’t have. Aim for certainty “beyond a reasonable doubt,” just as an attorney might in court. Don’t quarrel. Lovingly and intelligently present evidence to willing listeners, not to win arguments but to share good news. Be kind and gentle (2 Timothy 2:24-26). Your life and friendship can communicate powerfully.
Tomorrow Rusty will give suggestions on how to answer another question that sceptics ask.
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Sceptics or Skeptics?– How do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose?
Why is there evil and suffering?
What about all the contradictions in the Bible?
What will happen to those who never hear of Christ?
How can Jesus be the only way to God?
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How can Jesus be the only way to God?
Today we continue our special daily series based on the article Questions Sceptics Ask by Rusty Wright.
In this post, Rusty shows how we might respond to the question:
How can Jesus be the only way to God?
When I was in secondary school, a recent alumnus visited, saying he had found Christ at Harvard. I respected his character and tact and listened intently. But I could not stomach Jesus’ claim that “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). That seemed way too narrow.
Two years later, my spiritual and intellectual journey had changed my view. The logic that drew me (reluctantly) to his position involves three questions:
• If God exists, could there be only one way to reach Him? To be open-minded, I had to admit this possibility.
• Why consider Jesus as a candidate for that possible one way? He claimed it. His plan of rescuing humans – “by grace…through faith…not…works” (Eph. 2:8-9) was distinct from those requiring works, as many other religions do. These two kinds of systems were mutually exclusive. Both could be false or either could be true, but both could not be true.
• Was Jesus’ plan true? Historical evidence for His resurrection, fulfilled prophecy [1] and deity, and for the reliability of the New Testament [2] convinced me I could trust His words.
NOTES
1. A summary of some of the prophesies Jesus fulfilled is at Rusty Wright, “Are You Listening? Do You Hear What I Hear?” 2004,
2. A summary of evidences for New Testament reliability is at Rusty Wright and Linda Raney Wright, “The New Testament: Can I Trust It?” 1976.
Tomorrow Rusty will give suggestions on how to answer another question that sceptics ask.
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Sceptics or Skeptics?– How do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose?
Why is there evil and suffering?
What will happen to those who never hear of Christ?
Today we continue our special daily series based on the article Questions Sceptics Ask by Rusty Wright.
In this post, Rusty shows how we might respond to the question:
What about those who never hear of Jesus?
Moses said, “The secret things belong to the LORD.”[1] Some issues may remain mysteries.God’s perfect love and justice far exceed our own. One can make a case that God will make the necessary information available to someone who wants to know him. An example: Cornelius, a devout military official. The New Testament records that God assigned Peter to tell him about Jesus. [2]
A friend once told me that many asking this question seek a personal loophole, a way so they won’t need to believe in Christ. C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity wrote,
“If you are worried about the people outside [of Christianity], the most unreasonable thing you can do is to remain outside yourself.” [3]
If Christianity is true, the most logical behavior for someone concerned about those without Christ’s message would be to trust Christ and go tell them about Him.
Here’s a tip: When someone asks you a difficult question, if you don’t know the answer, admit it. Many skeptics appreciate honesty. Don’t bluff. It’s dishonest and often detectable.
NOTES
1. Deuteronomy 29:29 NASB
2. Acts 10
3. C.S. Lewis, “The Case for Christianity,” reprinted from Mere Christianity; in The Best of C.S. Lewis (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1969), 449. The Case for Christianity is copyright 1947 by The Macmillan Company.
Tomorrow Rusty will give suggestions on how to answer another question that sceptics ask.
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Sceptics or Skeptics?– How do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose?
What about all the contradictions in the Bible?
Today we continue our special daily series based on the article Questions Sceptics Ask by Rusty Wright.
In this post, Rusty shows how we might respond to the question:
What about all the contradictions in the Bible? 
Ask your questioner for specific examples. Often people have none, but rely on hearsay.
If there is a specific example, consider these guidelines as you respond.
Omission does not necessarily create contradiction. Luke, for example, writes of two angels at Jesus’ tomb after the Resurrection (24:1-9). Matthew mentions “an angel” (28:1-8). Is this a contradiction? If Matthew stated that only one angel was present, the accounts would be dissonant. As it stands, they can be harmonized.
Differing accounts aren’t necessarily contradictory. Matthew and Luke, for example, differ in their accounts of Jesus’ birth. Luke records Joseph and Mary starting in Nazareth, travelling to Bethlehem (Jesus’ birthplace), and returning to Nazareth (Luke 1:26-2:40). Matthew starts with Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem, relates the family’s journey to Egypt to escape King Herod’s rage, and recounts their travel to Nazareth after Herod’s death (Matt. 1:18-2:23). The Gospels never claim to be exhaustive records. Biographers must be selective. The accounts seem complementary, not contradictory.
Space precludes more complex examples here. But time and again, supposed biblical problems fade in light of logic, history, and archaeology. The Bible’s track record under scrutiny argues for its trustworthiness.
Tomorrow Rusty will give suggestions on how to answer another question that sceptics ask.
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Sceptics or Skeptics?– How do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose?
Why is there evil and suffering?
We continue with the apologetics series QUESTIONS SCEPTICS ASK by Rusty Wright. You may have noticed from a previous post that there are differing spellings – sceptic (British English) and skeptic (US English). I asked forgiveness from our friends “across the pond” if, in the interests of consistency, I stuck to the British spelling!
You will be interested to know that I have been in touch with Rusty to let him know we are repurposing his article for this blog, and he has given me the go-ahead to “British-ize” his spelling!
Here is something challenging that Randy said in the full version of his article:
As you interact with skeptics, compliment them where you can. Jesus complimented the skeptical Nathanael for his pursuit of truth.[1] Listen to their concerns. Your listening ear speaks volumes. It may surprise you to learn that your attitude can be just as important as what you know.
Now here is Part 2 of Questions Sceptics Ask.
Rusty responds to the question:
Why is there evil and suffering?
Sigmund Freud called religion an illusion humans invent to satisfy their security needs. To him, a benevolent, all-powerful God seemed incongruent with natural disasters and human evil.
God, though sovereign, gave us freedom to follow him or to disobey him.
Oxford scholar C.S. Lewis estimated that eighty percent of human suffering stems from human choice.[2] Lewis called pain “God’s megaphone” that alerts us to our need for Him.This response does not answer all concerns (because he sometimes does intervene to thwart evil) but suggests that the problem of evil is not as great an intellectual obstacle to belief as some imagine.
Pain’s emotional barrier to belief, however, remains formidable. Jesus understands suffering. He was scorned, beaten, and cruelly executed, carrying the guilt of our rebellion against God (Isa. 53:10).
When I see God, items on my long list of questions for him will include betrayal by trusted co-workers, and all sorts of disappointing human behaviour and natural disasters. Yet in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection[3] I have seen enough to trust him when he says he “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God” (Rom. 8:28) [4].
NOTES
[1] John 1:45-47.
[2] C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: Macmillan, 1974), 89-103 ff. The Problem of Pain was first published in 1940.
[3] A short summary of Resurrection evidences is at Rusty Wright and Linda Raney Wright, “Who’s Got the Body?” 1976, www.probe.org/rusty-wright-articles/rusty-wright-articles/whos-got-the-body.html.
[4] Romans 8:28 NASB.
For more complete treatment of this subject, see Rick Rood, “The Problem of Evil,” 1996, www.probe.org/worldview–philosophy/the-problem-of-evil.html; Dr. Ray Bohlin, “Where Was God on September 11?” 2002, www.probe.org/current-issues/current-issues/where-was-god-on-sept.-11.html .
Tomorrow we’ll continue this series with Rusty’s answer to another question sceptics often ask.
Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com
OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES
Sceptics or Skeptics?– How do you deal with questions and objections to faith that your friends may pose?
