Intolerant?; Insights from Surviving Religion 101, Chapter 4

This post is number 5 in a series examining the book, Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger.

Our culture increasingly recognizes Christian morality as intolerant and hateful (p. 65).  This is perhaps most clearly seen when it comes to the topic of sexuality.  While a Biblical ethic teaches that sexual expression is limited to a husband-and-wife relationship, the broader culture embraces sexual expression in all forms between anyone and everyone.  This shift is likely exasperated by the epidemic of pornography that our culture has become so saturated in, ultimately normalizing a casual attitude towards sex and an embrace of hook-up culture and sexual experimentation (p. 66).

Even more significant, in our culture, sex is no longer merely something someone does, sex defines who a person is; their identity tied to their sexual preference and activity (p. 66).  The result of this is that to proclaim a Biblical view of sexuality is perceived not merely as an attack on a particular behavior, but as an attack on the people who have defined their lives through that behavior.  For instance, the Bible teaches that sex is reserved for a committed heterosexual husband and wife relationship, so that Christians who teach this Biblical view are perceived as discriminatory and hateful against those who center their identity on their same-sex attraction and activity (p. 66).

While it is the Bible that defines morality, not everyone agrees to its standards, and many outright reject its standards as immoral (p. 67).  This really shouldn’t surprise us—Christ crucified is a stumbling block to the Jew and foolishness to the Greek (1 Cor. 1:23); the Gospel message is contrary to the messages the world proclaims and the standards it calls us to.

But here is the danger: as Christians, we might begin to question the goodness of the Bible’s standards as well.  We might begin to feel that holding to the Bible’s teachings is hateful and discriminatory and that ignoring the Biblical standards would be a more tolerant, loving approach (p. 67).

last month, I preached on Acts 19:21-41.  Paul had been preaching in Ephesus for over 2 years, and many people were turning to the Lord.  The culture was being transformed!  Unfortunately, not everyone wanted a transformed culture.  As people turned to the Lord, they turned away from idolatry, and Demetrius, a silversmith, along with the craftsmen of Ephesus foresaw the logical conclusion—their business would ultimately dry up.  Their anger led to a riot that stirred the entire city; all of this because Paul simply said gods made by human hands aren’t real gods.  People quickly get upset when Christianity rubs up against their worldview and upsets their desires.

Paul did not claim that gods made by human hands were not gods to him.  He claimed that they are not gods, period.  Christians claim the moral commands of the Bible are absolute—for all people (p. 67).

Is that fair?

Could morality be relative?  We already considered truth—that ultimately a belief based on historical claims must either be true or false; it cannot be true for one person and not another?  But what about morality?  Is morality based in preference; is it more like choosing the best ice cream flavor than stating the total of 2+2?  Is adultery sinful because I prefer to see it that way or because there is an absolute, universal moral standard that states its sinful?

Many claim morality is relative.  But Michael Kruger asks an important question.  How do they know?  While they claim moral relativism is true, ultimately, they have no grounding reason for such a claim.  They aren’t all-knowing (p. 68).  Wishing something is true does not make it so (p. 69).

Beyond that, moral relativism is incredibly inconsistent.  Many who claim morality is relative are the very ones who condemn behaviors they disagree with.  They often condemn Christians for imposing a moral code on others, but become enraged when their moral code is denied (69).  We can think of contemporary examples with abortion and homosexuality/transgenderism, but Ephesus faced it 2000 years ago with Paul, Demetrius and idolatry.

If morality truly is relative, then it would be impossible to label anything as evil—the holocaust, murder, rape, slavery, sex trafficking; but we all recognize evils in this world.  This is why, in a world of moral relativism, we also have cancel culture.  Kruger says, “the fact of the matter is that most of your friends are both moral relativists and moral absolutists at the same time.  For some behaviors, they are one; for other behaviors, they are the other.”  They want to have their cake and eat it too! (p. 70).

Taken to its logical conclusion, a world with no moral absolutes would be a truly terrifying, chaotic place.  But, if we acknowledge that there must be moral absolutes, then where do they come from (p. 71)?  Christians have an answer to that.

When we say that an action is evil, we are saying that it didn’t measure up to the standard of righteousness.  But what is that standard, and who defines it?  To define a moral absolute—a clear “this is right and this is wrong”—there likewise must be an absolute standard; an ultimate standard of what is good.  It must be stronger than mere opinion.  Opinions change.  This standard must stand above human opinion (p. 72).

Beyond that, moral absolutes must come from a personal being.  Rocks can’t tell you what is right or wrong (sorry Demetrius…they are not gods) and neither can an impersonal universe (p. 72).  That’s as ludicrous as seeking moral counsel from a dinner fork.   

What does this all mean?  Morality must be defined by a perfect and sinless God (p. 72).  Christians worship a perfect God who has told us what is right and what is wrong.

Does this mean that those who do not believe in God are incapable of doing good things?  No.  Atheists, though they deny God, can still practice moral good because God has given them a conscience. Romans 2:15 says, "They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them."   The challenge for the atheist is giving a reason for why an action is good or bad (p. 73).

So, what does this all mean for us in those moments when we are labeled as haters for the moral views we cling to.  Ultimately, remember that when you cling to God’s truth, those who criticize you and label you hateful are truly putting that label on God whom you serve.  We can strive to help them see God’s love and that his moral laws are for our benefit in the same way a parent has rules to protect their children (p. 74).

If you are labeled hateful, just remember that apart from God, no one has any grounds for making a claim on morality.  What standard are they evaluating you by (p. 75)?

In contrast, as Christians, we turn to the God who is supreme over all...and is supremely good.  He has revealed what is good through his word.

 

Questions:

How would you respond to a friend who says morality is relative?

What grounding do Christians have for moral claims?  What grounding do none Christians have?

Why is it shaky ground to anchor morality in human opinion?

Am I Right?; Insights from Surviving Religion 101, Chapter 3

 This post is number 4 in a series examining the book, Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger.

When I went off to college, I was shocked by the level of diversity I encountered.  There were people from all over the world!  The dorm would smell like kimchi one evening and perogies the next.  There were students who had never seen snow before (boy, were they in for a shock!), and those who spoke English as their second language. 

Not only was there cultural diversity, there was diversity in character, interests and quirks.  There was the guy in his trunks who would lay his towel out on a snowbank and sun bathe in winter.  The guy whose dorm room was filled with Legos and Star Wars action figures so that it felt like an eleven-year old's room.  There were those who slowly became nocturnal as the year progressed.  Those who lived and breathed sports and those who hardly ever left the library. Artists, jocks, musicians, theologians, comedians, philosophers, entrepreneurs, storytellers.  To think, all this diversity was found in a small private Christian school in rural Manitoba—my graduating class was 75 students!

Consider for a moment, the level of diversity to be found in a major university!  What drew students to my small school (from all over the world) was our shared commitment to Jesus, but in many university settings, part of the diversity is found in the student’s different beliefs.  There may be a staunch atheist in your dorm, a Buddhist in your philosophy class, and that student who isn’t religious but is very “spiritual” on your intermural team.  Christian students are likely to encounter perspectives and ideas they have never heard before (p. 52).

Surveying the landscape of beliefs, Christian students may realize they stand out.  Why?  The reality is Christian beliefs are exclusive.  We believe that there is one true God.  We believe that all people are called to worship him and him alone.  We believe that Christianity isn’t one good option among many…it is the ONLY path to a right relationship with God and eternal life with him (p. 52).

There is no denying the staunch exclusivity of the Christian faith.

Why might such exclusivity bother non-Christians?

Such exclusivity isn’t received well in a culture that celebrates relativism and tolerance as the greatest of virtues (p. 52).  What objections might Christians face for the exclusive nature of their faith, and how can they address them?

Christian “Arrogance”

One they can expect to encounter is being labeled arrogant for proclaiming Christianity is is the only right path.  The well-known atheist Christopher Hitchens said it is “fantastically arrogant” for someone to claim that they could know the mind of God (p. 53).  Is he right?  The human mind is so small, and God is great beyond our comprehension.  How can we as Christians proclaim our understanding of God is greater than any other?

Kruger writes that outside of Christianity, religion is often understood as “human attempts to discover and learn things about God” (p. 53).  It is based on human effort, and therefore, inherently “flawed and fallible” (p. 54).  In such a view of religion, it is understandable that someone would conclude that Christians are arrogant.  What makes the Christian’s attempt to understand God more accurate than anyone else’s (p. 54)?

It is crucial to recognize this understanding of religion is the opposite of what Christianity claims.  Our faith isn’t a human-driven discovery, but a revealed hope by a gracious God who has made himself known to us.  It is much less humanities hide-and-seek with God—our searching for Him; it is much more God’s show-and-tell with us—God revealing himself to us (p. 54).

Recognizing this, is Christianity arrogant to claim to be the exclusively right path?

Kruger says, “The arrogance or non-arrogance of a claim depends on whether one has adequate grounds for that claim (p. 54).”  As Christians, our grounds are sufficiently adequate!  Jesus himself claimed to be the only way to the father (John 14:6) and he backed his audacious claim through revealing his authority over all things through his miracles—over the natural by calming storms, over the supernatural by casting out demons, over life by healing the sick, and over death by raising the dead and conquering the grave (p. 54). 

Is it arrogant to believe Jesus’ claims? 

If anyone could be labeled arrogant, it would be Jesus, right?  We are merely proclaiming what He said.  Is Jesus arrogant?  …Not if his claims are true (and if he did what the Bible says he did, then we can trust the truth of his claims)! (p. 55).

All religions are the same...right?

Another objection Christians often face is the claim that all religions are essentially the same.  But if we examine different religions side by side, we see very quickly that this claim holds no merit.  A religion that believes there is only one God cannot be reconciled with a religion that claims there are multiple gods (p. 55).

What sets Christianity apart from other religions?

Christianity is distinct from other religions in another significant way.  Most world religions are about striving to be a good enough person; do enough good deeds, and you secure eternal reward.  This is not what Christianity proclaims.  Kruger writes, “Heaven is not for good people but for sinful people forgiven by grace (p. 56).

Whereas good works are the means for salvation in many other religions, for Christians, good works are the outpouring of our salvation; an expression of gratitude.  “We are not saved by obedience.  We are saved for obedience (p. 57).  

While all religions attempt to deal with the problem of sin, Christians do not find the answer in simply “trying harder”; the answer isn’t in our strength but in our savior, Jesus Christ.  This is why Christianity is exclusive; because Jesus alone is our hope (p. 57). 

Therefore, Christianity’s exclusivity makes sense.  “If there were another way to heaven, then why did Jesus have to die?”.  Peter proclaimed, “There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12) (p. 57).

It's all relative

Another objection Christians often face is that truth is relative, therefore, Christianity cannot be the only true religion. 

The thought pattern goes something like this. “Sure, Christianity is true for you.  I, however, have a different truth!”  Relativism rejects objective truth (true for all) and claims personal truth (true just for me).  But can such claims stand under scrutiny?   In short, no.  Kruger writes, “if a doctor says a person has cancer, will he respond by saying, “That’s your truth, not my truth”?” (p. 58).  Common sense indicts relativism as foolishness(p. 58).

When we consider the claims of Christianity, many are historical claims—either they happened or they didn’t, and no personal belief can change the reality of what historically happened (p. 58).  Either Jesus rose from the grave or he didn’t—personal opinion doesn’t change historical reality.

Kruger points out the logical inconsistency by pointing to the statement “There is no objective truth” and pointing out that such a statement is in fact, an objective truth claim.  Relativism wants everyone to play by rules it refuses to abide by (p. 59)!

Some lean on the oft used metaphor of blind men feeling an elephant and arriving at different conclusions in their description of the creature based on their experience of it.  One believes an elephant to be like a snake as he feels the trunk.  Another concludes an elephant is like a spear as he feels the tusk.  Another, a wall as he feels the elephant’s side.  Still another thinks elephants are like pillars as he hugs the elephant’s leg.  You get the idea.  None had the full picture.  Therefore, religion is like that…no one has a full picture of the truth (p. 60).

Do you see the faulty thinking?  The one offering the analogy sees the whole elephant!  While the analogy is used to point out the arrogance of someone who would claim to know the whole truth, that is precisely what the giver of the analogy is doing—they claim to see the whole picture!  What the person is claiming, according to Kruger is this, “Let me tell you how all religions really work” thus excusing themselves from the analogy they just gave and granting themselves omniscient knowledge (p. 60).

While Christians claim to know how religion works, we do so not based on our own feeble efforts, but on the reality that the one who truly is omniscient—the one true God—has revealed himself to us (p. 61).

Disagree, not Disrespect

In a culture that totes affirmation as love, to disagree with someone is often labeled as disrespect.  Therefore, to tell another that what they believe is wrong will often be seen as a hostile act.  It is important to recognize that to disagree with someone does not mean we disrespect them (p. 61).  As Christians, we know that all people are created in the image of God and worthy of utmost respect.  Indeed, we love people well in presenting the truth that can save them—that Jesus alone is the way, the truth and the life.

Yes, it is ironic that as you disagree with someone, you may be labeled intolerant and mocked for your beliefs (which puts you on the receiving end of intolerance for what you believe…).  This is where Peter’s dual testimony from 1 Peter 3:15 comes into play—not only do we give a reason for our hope, but we do so with gentleness and respect.  Let your firmness of conviction and gentleness of heart point people to the hope of the Gospel (p. 62).

Questions:

How would you respond if someone claimed your Christian beliefs are arrogant?

Can one religion be true for one person while another religion is true for another?  Why or why not?

Insights taken from…

Kruger, Michael J.  2021.  Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway

Intimidating Intelligence; Insights from Surviving Religion 101, Chapter 2

This post is number 3 in a series examining the book, Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger.

Stepping into the intellectual boxing ring, it can be quite intimidating for a Christian college student to face off with an atheist professor with a doctorate and a seasoned argument.  In chapter 2 of his book, Michael Kruger asks this important question, "My Professors Are Really Smart—Isn’t It More Likely That They’re Right And I’m Wrong?"

While this book is focused on a college context, this thought applies elsewhere as well. 

For instance, a public school student may be taught evolution from brilliant high school teachers while they've  learned that God created all that there is in 6 days…not billions of years...through God's word. 

They may feel foolish and simple-minded holding to the Biblical account of creation while their teacher is offering another story.  

It’s a valid question.  When we face objections to our faith from really smart people, how can we be sure that we are right and they are wrong…when it seems the intellectual odds are stacked in their favor?

It can feel quite lonely when it seems you are all alone in what you think and believe (p. 39).  How should Christians respond to the pressures of classmates who think they are strange, dormmates who think their beliefs are prejudiced, and professors who think they’ve been brainwashed by their religious upbringing (p. 40)?

Christian students might begin to wonder why it seems the smartest people around them  don’t believe what they believe.  If it were true, wouldn’t more people believe it (p. 40)?

First off, lets consider how we come to believe something?   How do we form a belief?

Most of us would probably conclude that we gather facts, and the more facts we collect the more we can know and understand the world (p. 40).  That isn’t entirely true.  We gather facts, yes, but we examine those facts through the lens of our worldview.  Kruger says, “…worldview is not so much determined by the facts as it is controlling of what a person accepts as a fact in the first place.”   No one is neutral; we all filter what we see and experience through our worldview (p. 41).

Kruger compares worldviews to looking through different colored glasses that alter our perception of the world.  “…a worldview is not so much something you look at as something you look through."  Considering worldview is very important, because if someone is starting with a faulty worldview, they will arrive at faulty conclusions no matter how smart they are.  For instance, If someone’s worldview denies the possibility of miracles, they will ultimately deny the resurrection.   If their worldview holds to the belief that people are intrinsically good, they’ll likely deny their need for a savior.  If they deny there is a God, they will likely also deny that there is any moral code they must submit to (p. 42).

The Bible teaches that because of our sin, we are born this way.   We are naturally opposed to God.  We don’t merely have the wrong lens to look through, we are altogether blind! 

1 Cor 2:14 says,

“The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.”

Here, Paul was writing to the church in Corinth, who found themselves in an environment not too unlike a secular university.   It was a city where intellectual thought was lauded, philosophers were esteemed, and new ideas were explored.  It would not be hard to imagine some in the Corinthian church struggling with the same question:  These philosophers are brilliant!  Isn’t it more likely they are right and I am wrong (p. 46)?

Yet, Paul makes it clear that unless the Holy Spirit opens our eyes to the truth of the Gospel, we will not believe.  Pounding people with facts will not transform their heart.  They need the Holy Spirit to convert them.   While we still share our best evidence, offering the reason for the hope that is in us (1 Peter 3:15), we also must pray for our unbelieving friends, recognizing it is God alone who can open their eyes and transform their hearts (p. 46).

As Christians, this should produce humility within us.  We are not Christians because we are smarter than others.  We are Christians because we’ve received the astounding grace of our loving God who opened our eyes and called us to himself.  1 Cor. 1 26 says, “For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth” (p. 46).

While in an environment where we find ourselves in the minority, it is easy to conclude we are all alone in our beliefs.  Elijah came to this conclusion before God told him there were 7,000 in Israel who had not bowed the knee to Baal.  We can remember that in the US alone, 41% call themselves evangelical Christians while only 3% call themselves atheist (p. 47).  We are not alone.

Secular universities often lack Christian professors because the universities tend to hire those who hold to their worldview.  This means that the Christian worldview is rarely presented in a positive fashion.  Kruger says, “It is not so difficult for a professor to argue that their views are mainstream when they get to decide what is mainstream” (p. 49).

Remember Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.  While the masses bowed, they stood tall.  They didn’t say, “look at everyone else bowing…maybe they are right and we are wrong.”  No.  They stood fast.  “Truth is not determined by majority vote” (p. 49).  God proved them in the end.

“Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”—Josh 1:9 (p. 49)

Questions:

Why is it that really smart people can still arrive at really wrong conclusions?

Can you think of any specific areas that world view shapes a person's interpretation of evidence in different directions?

Insights taken from…

Kruger, Michael J.  2021.  Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway

Facing Opposition; Insights from Surviving Religion 101, Chapter 1

This post is number 2 in a series examining the book, Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger.

 

Stepping onto a college or university campus for the first time can fill a student with a level of anxiety.  All is new.  There are questions of what major to choose, the challenge of getting along with roommates, and what will classes be like.  Michael Kruger, shares one other way in which Christian students may experience anxiety:  what challenges might their faith face?  We all can likely bring to mind students whose faith crumbled after leaving for college.  This can leave new college student wondering if their faith can weather the storm that lies ahead (p. 28). 

Students (and their parents) need not develop a Chicken Little complex; looking toward college with dread.  Kruger writes, “Please know that your non-Christian professors are not Darth Vader, and your fellow students are not part of the Inquisition looking for evangelical Protestants to string up” (p. 29).

At the same, it is wise to approach an environment like university with eyes wide open. Kruger says, “if unbridled suspicion is a problem on the one side, then a naïve overconfidence may be a problem on the other” (p. 29).

Students might discover that their self-proclaimed atheist professor is extremely intelligent and incredibly likeable.  This creates a challenge for the unprepared Christian student.  This professor—a bunch of letters after their name as a hallmark of their brilliance—is throwing out intellectual challenges toward Christianity that the student has never heard before.  It is not hard for the student to conclude that this professor (this brilliant, likeable professor) could be right and they wrong.  All of this is compounded by the immense weight of social pressures to conform from Christian beliefs that professors and fellow classmates label “narrow minded, intolerant, arrogant, and even hateful” (p. 30).

And so, Kruger invites the student, on the one side not to be fearful, but on the other side, not to be unprepared.   Students must take their spiritual-wellbeing seriously.  Paul writes in 1 Cor. 16:13-14, "Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.  Let all that you do be done in love (p. 30). 

I broke my ankle slipping on ice this past month.  It was because I wasn't watchful.  I hadn't expected the ice so I quickly lost my footing and crumbled.

It is reasonable to anticipate that students will encounter questions they don't have answers to about God and the Bible.  When this happens, Kruger advises they extend themselves some grace--there are not many first-year college students who can face off with university professors who've spent years honing their arguments.  But this is the important thing: One's inability in the moment to defend their belief does not mean there is no defense! (p. 32). 

Your belief can be correct even if you don't know how to defend it.  Kruger gives the example of defending the moon landing to a denier.  Some conspiracy theorists have some pretty sophisticated and well-crafted arguments, but that doesn't mean they are right and you are wrong (p. 31).  Kruger says, "Don't confuse not having an answer with their not being an answer" (p. 32).  Though we may not have the answer, Christians for the last 2000 years have formulated responses to the challenges being raised against the faith.  There is an answer.  "...Yow are not going to be able to answer every objection to Christianity that you hear...It's not a reason to doubt your faith" (p. 32).

In our youth group are a few brilliant future engineers who are honing their skills as participants in the Robotics program.  In their meets, they’ve come across other robots that were challenging to face.  But those challenges served to highlight the weaknesses in their own designs so that they could create  stronger robots that would perform better the next time around.  They were watchful.

Kruger says, “the pain of resistance can actually create more strength and endurance” (p. 33).  Facing new objections to your faith is an invitation to seek the answers that will serve to strengthen it.

Any objection to God’s word is a lie.  Lies are fought with truth.  Soldiers fight.  That means you and I are soldiers.  2 Timothy 2:3 says, “Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus” (p. 33).  Christian students have an amazing opportunity to enter the battle, seeking answers, and becoming a resource both to other Christians in the struggle as well as to unbelievers trapped in the deception of their lies (p. 34).  By seeking the answers to objections brought against the faith, student’s faith muscles grow.  They become better “theologians, better defenders of the faith, and better evangelists” (p. 35).

As their minds are sharpened, so is their character.  Trusting in the Lord through the struggle, students grow as a Christians, build up their fellow believers and show non-Christian friends the hope they have in Christ (p. 35).

But, soldiers don’t do battle alone.  How important that students plug into a Gospel preaching-Christ-exulting-authority of Scripture proclaiming, church!  How valuable to plug into a campus ministry with fellow soldiers right on campus (p. 37)!  Going it alone in the face of opposition can be very discouraging, and it isn’t how God has designed us to operate.

Hebrews 10:24-25 says,

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

Yes, students will receive opposition to their faith; questions they don't know how to answer.  That doesn't mean their isn't an answer.  this is their opportunity to find it, pressing into the questions and becoming a resource to other believers.  Perhaps, by God's grace, students will lead those who once opposed the Gospel to saving faith.

But students cannot go the battle alone.  they must find their band of brothers and sisters, fellow soldiers in the fight--a good church and if available, campus ministries--spurring one another on in the faith.

Questions:

When facing a question about the Bible or your faith you don't know how to answer, how would you respond?  Where would you look for answers?

Why is it so important to become a faithful and fruitful member of a church family?

How could God use you in the life of another Christian facing opposition for their faith?  How could God use you in the life of an unbeliever who rejects Christianity because of their unanswered questions?

Insights taken from...

Kruger, Michael J. 2021. Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on                 Keeping the Faith in College. Wheaton, IL: Crossway

 

Intro to Surviving Religion 101

This post is number 1 in a series examining the book, Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College by Michael J. Kruger.

 

Throughout this year, looking on faces of the students at youth group has been bittersweet.  We have a significant number of seniors, many of which have been attending NJC Youth group for several years.  I love each of these seniors dearly and will sorely miss them come next year.

We began a new series this month with these seniors in mind.  I will be basing my lessons on the book Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping their Faith in College by Michael Kruger.  For the next several months, I will base my lessons on the various chapters of the book with themes like, ““There are a lot of different views out there—how can I say that Christianity is the only right religion?” or “My Christian morals are viewed as hateful and intolerant—shouldn’t I be more loving and accepting?”

You might think, “Well, that sounds all well and good for those who are graduating this year, but what about the students who have 4, 5 or 6 years until college or university?” 

I trust that whether in 7^th grade or 12^th, this book and its themes, through its Biblically informed and theologically rich considerations, will be of value to all of us. I intend to share those themes in a way that each student can grasp and apply.  While today’s university environment can sometimes be exceptionally hostile to the Christian worldview, the reality is, we will all face objections to our faith.  No matter what our circumstance or how old we are, it is important that we consider what we believe, why we believe it, and how to share our hope with others. 

1 Peter 3:15 says, “but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect…”

We are called to defend our faith; to give a reason for our hope.  None of us will have all the answers or defend our faith perfectly.  There will be questions that stump us.  There will be thoughts we’ve never considered.

Yet, as we make our faith our own, we seriously consider why we believe what we believe, and that sometimes means seeking out those answers…because they are there, even if we don’t yet know them. 

Peter highlights of equal importance that not only do we give a reason for our hope, but we do so with gentleness and respect.  This is encouraging.  While we may not know the right things to say in response to objections to our faith every time, even in the face of hostility, the way we respond becomes a testimony in itself.  Our Character in our response is just as much a testimony as the defense we present.

Michael Kruger, president of Reformed Theological Seminary, is the author of the book I am drawing from.  When he was heading off for university, he felt that many had sought to prepare him for the moral challenges he’d face as a Christian in university—sex, partying, drinking and drug use—and many had sought to prepare him for the practical issues—how to get along with a roommate and balance a check book.  In these ways, he felt prepared (p. 17).

Yet there was one area he was not.

Intellectually. 

He was not ready to defend why he believed what he believed (p. 18).

While there had been a great deal of focus on personal conversion (was he saved?) and personal piety (a big fancy word for how he lived), he hadn’t been prepared to consider what it is that Christians believe and why they believe it nor how to respond to non-Christian thoughts and arguments (p 18).

In his first year in university, he took a class called Intro to the New Testament.  Sounds pretty safe, right?  It will be like Sunday School for College students!  Not quite.  The class was taught by an atheist named Bart Ehrman who has gone on to become one of Christianity’s most prominent critics.   He watched as his fellow Christian classmates crumbled under the pressure (p. 20).

The goal of many universities is to get students to think in ways they haven’t before; to question beliefs and arrive at new conclusions.  They want to give students the opportunity to be set free from the religious “indoctrination” of their youth (p. 21).  While many universities might think they are setting students free from the indoctrination of their youth, they are merely flipping the script, indoctrinating from the other side (p. 23).

Michael gives this example.  The top major universities in our country are overwhelmingly Democrat in their political affiliation; the majority of the professors being Democrat.  In some of the most liberal schools, if we were to compare the ratio of Democrat professors to Republican professors, it is 120 to 1 (p. 22)!  You can imagine that with those statistics, a student probably isn’t going to hear conservative perspectives…

Putting politics aside, if many of the professors are also atheist or antagonistic to Christianity, we can also reasonably assume that they wouldn’t present Christian perspectives in their classes.  They will tell you every reason to doubt God’s word…and will not tell you that the arguments they raise against Christianity have been addressed by Christians for the last 2000 years (p. 32).

When it comes to matters of the Bible and Christianity, many professors are not going to present both sides—only the one they have come to believe.

This book will help us recognize the firm foundation of our faith in such an environment.

Question:

Why do you believe the things you believe?

Can you defend your beliefs?

Considering 1 Peter 3:15, why do you think Peter addresses the tone we and manner  with which we respond to opposition to our faith  and not just the content of our response? 

 

Insights taken from…

Kruger, Michael J.  2021.  Surviving Religion 101; Letters to a Christian Student on Keeping the Faith in College.  Wheaton, IL: Crossway

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