FIRST! Again

Sceptics is a word which is spelt differently on opposite sides of the Atlantic.  But skeptic or sceptic – the meaning is the same, and not to be confused with septic which is to do with germs!

This week we are going to do something a little different from our usual practice of blogging two or three times a week. We will have  daily posts, each covering a short extract from Rusty Wright’s apologetic article Questions Skeptics Ask. This was published in Life Indeed in 2005/2005. Some posts will be longer than others, and I am sure that you will find Rusty’s perspective very helpful as you speak to people who are sceptical about the Christian faith. Throughout, you will notice the British spelling, since most of our readers are on the European side of the Atlantic. I hope Rusty and our US readers will forgive us!

First, we begin with a general introduction  to

QUESTIONS SCEPTICS ASK by Rusty Wright

Hurting people everywhere need God. Many are open to considering Him, but they often have questions they want answered before they are willing to accept Christ. As we answer them, seeking to blend grace with truth, an increasing number of sceptics may give an ear and become seekers or believers. That’s what happened to me.

After trying as a teenager to live in a way that would be pleasing to people and to God, I was nearly expelled from high school for some problems I helped create. For some time after that, I put on hold any investigation into Christianity. In pain and anger I wondered, “Why would God allow this to happen to me after I had been trying my best to please Him?”

Later, students in the Campus Crusade for Christ group at Duke University during my freshman year helped me see God’s forgiveness as a free gift. They lovingly accepted me in spite of my sometimes-relentless questions.

After trusting Christ as Saviour, I still had questions. The local Campus Crusade director, took interest in me. At first his answers irritated me, but as I thought them through, they began to make sense. I followed him around campus for two years, watching him interact with non-Christians. Today, as I am privileged to encounter inquisitive people, much of my approach derives from my mentor. [To be continued]

Tomorrow we’ll begin with Rusty’s answer to the first 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