Where's Your Faith this Holy Week?

Last Friday I went to see The Case for Christ. It's the conversion story of one man's journey from atheism to faith. Lee Strobel, a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, decided to try to prove that Christianity was false because he was angry when his wife converted. As an investigative reporter with a legal background he pursued his research as though he were putting Christianity on trial. Where did the evidence lead? What did the witnesses, the forensic evidence, the documents, etc. show and how did they impact the verdict? He was a man looking for the truth with the hope it would uphold his atheism. It didn't. Ultimately, he had to follow the evidence to its conclusion and accepted Christianity.

That got me thinking about another man, the so-called scientist Richard Dawkins who wrote The God Delusion. I'm always intrigued by atheists like Dawkins who mock Christians by talking about the "great Teapot in the sky" and use other disparaging and dismissive comments to discredit Christian belief. I've seen Dawkins ridicule a college coed who had the audacity to ask him, "What if you're wrong?" He can't fathom such a thought and, yes, responded by mocking her. Unlike scientists who question and test their theories and answer objections by re-examining the evidence -- Dawkins knows and believes with a maniacal and fanatical faith. Yes, faith!

The Case for Christ Opens April 7th: I'm Going!

Jesus never asks for blind faith. The evidence is compelling!

I read The Case for Christ several years ago after I picked it up at our family lawyer's office. An out and proud Christian, he had a whole stack of the books he was giving away. I took one, read it, loved it, and bought a six-pack to give away myself. The author, Lee Strobel, isn't a Catholic. He was originally an atheist, an investigative reporter and began his search to disprove Christianity. In the course of his research, however, which he conducted like a court case, the evidence overcame his disbelief.

Looking for Something for Your Bookclub?

I'm reading an interesting book that I happened to pick up in our lawyer's office when were refinancing a property we own. He's a committed Christian and we always enjoy our conversations, but what interested me in this book was one of the promotional blurbs in the front. It was by Peter Kreeft who teaches philosophy at Boston College and is a favorite writer of mine for his "Socrates" series. Here's an interview where he talks about it. 

The book getting thumbs up from Kreeft is Lee Strobel's, The Case for Christ. Strobel is an investigative journalist who traveled a personal spiritual journey from atheism to faith. He approaches the "case for Christ" like a detective/lawyer examining the evidence. Each chapter begins with a real-life criminal case examining evidence. Among the subjects examined are the eyewitness evidence, the documentary evidence, the physical evidence, etc. He even looks at evidence that rebuts the case. He interviews experts in each area who present their proofs for the case. And it's interesting to see that there is more eyewitness and documentary evidence for the existence of Christ than for historical figures like Alexander the Great, Herod, and even Pontius Pilate.

I'm halfway through and am so impressed I just ordered two dozen copies of the book to share with others. It's that good.

What makes it especially useful for book clubs is that every chapter ends with discussion questions and suggestions for further reading. I really recommend The Case for Christ. I plan to give one to my pastor and our deacon. And who knows, if someone expresses curiosity about Christianity, it's a great resource to have on hand.