There’s a tendency on the part of some followers of Jesus to apologize for their faith and for the church. Such persons don’t like the terms “Christians” or “Christianity” and they’re doubly embarrassed about things the Church has done, especially in our modern world. There’s a place for apologizing, though I think both those who do lots of the apologizing do too much of it and those who criticize them tend to be insensitive to some things that really do deserve apology: like racism and sexism and doctrinaire insensitivity to how some kinds of evangelism or how some make truth claims.
What do you think we need to apologize for today especially? Do you think we’ve gone too far down this road?
Having said that, though, one of the things we need more of today is apologetics. We need more folks who can stand up and explain the Christian faith with clarity, and with proper sensitivity, and with a robust philosophically-appropriate apparatus. (Who do you think is doing this well today? I do think David Bentley Hart does dimensions of this well: Atheist Delusions: The Christian Revolution and Its Fashionable Enemies
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But there’s another side to apologetics, and it’s the more popular side where lay folks can read something that is written for them about the things they ask. Fred Von Kamecke has written just that book: a lay level apologetics. It’s called: Busted: Exposing Popular Myths about Christianity
. So what will you find in this book?
. So what will you find in this book?
What are the Top Three questions you are hearing today?
He “busts” myths about:
The Bible: translated too many times, not reliable, science has proven miracles don’t happen, political powermongers decided which books were in the Bible.
Jesus: another guru, never claimed to be Messiah, did not die on the cross, didn’t rise from the dead, and never claimed to be God.
God: Trinity was a late invention, all worship same God, all religions teach basically the same thing, the Old Testament view of God is one of wrath, too much evil in this world.
Christian Faith: no orthodoxy until the 4th Century, it is hateful and judgmental and intolerant, it is anti-Semitic, and who needs the Church?
All in all, I’m willing to say this book covers most, if not all, of the biggest questions many people are facing today. Fred is reasonable; he’s traditional; but he covers the ground and I hope many read this book. It would make a truly wonderful Sunday School textbook, and I can see it for young adults and for (well) older adults too!
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