Excuses, excuses, excuses...

The degree that I'm currently pursuing is a Masters of Divinity.  There are several core classes that are required for the degree, but also a large number of electives.  While the seminary offers a wide variety of concentrations, the concentration that I'm currently enrolled in is that of "Christian Ministry."  Sounds kind of broad doesn't it?  Well, it's meant to because it's somewhat of a "make your own concentration" concentration.  There are 30 credits of electives built into it. 

 

I'm trying to get as many of the core classes out of the way as early as possible, because I figured that it would take me a while to decide which electives I'd like to take.  I think I've decided that I'm going to take as many classes on apologetics as possible.  These classes teach you how to argue for Christianity.  For instance, it would help me be able to answer the hard questions that we ALL know middle and high school students ask eventually.  It will give me a broader and deeper knowledge of different world religions and how to share the love our Prince of Peace with them.

 

I've been thinking about this for awhile, but something i saw today solidified it for me.  There is a local pastor here of a really big, really good church called The Summit Church.  The pastor's name is JD Greear and he has a blog that I like to keep up with.  One of the church's projects lately was to find out what non-Christians are saying about-- well... why they're not Christians.  I found myself silenced by their ponderings.  These are not quotes from people who are just too lazy to go to church.  Some of them are incredibly well thought out arguments, and some of them I would have nothing to say to without a lot of research.  I don't want to have to tell everyone I have a conversation with that "I'll have to get back to you on that after i do some research..."  That does not say to anyone that I'm serious about Jesus. 

 

So with all that said, this is my prayer today:  "Father, since you've seen it fit to put me in Wake Forest, NC for the next four or so years, I'm going to do my best to spend them preparing for the conversations I'm going to have for the rest of my life.  I want to share You with those I come in contact with.  I want others to know that You are really, really, real.  Give me wisdom, give me tact, and give me opportunities... all for Your glory and not for mine, through Your Son.  Amen."

 

Here's what some of those excuses were:

 

Moreover, I am appalled by many many things that are sanctioned in the bible. So even if I believed the Christian god did exist, I would not respect him/her enough to become a Christian.

…However, Christianity is fundamentally based on the Bible, which is supposedly the Word of God. This is where my problem comes in. Man is flawed, Man sins, Man is corruptible... Man wrote the Bible. Man has rewritten and changed the Bible to suit his own needs and the needs of the leading political faction of its respective eras. So you're not asking me to believe in Jesus or Christianity, you're asking me to have faith in mankind, and that my friends, believe it or not, is much harder than having faith in Christianity

…I believe that the bible and some other sources of Christian instruction have been heavily influenced by culture through out the centuries….

…I don't see any justice or any love in the Bible anywhere. Sending bears to tear children apart, condoning and sanctioning rape, encouraging the fanaticism that says it would be OK to sacrifice your own kid. EW! Not for me, thanks….

In short, the Bible doesn't make sense. It was written hundreds of years ago when people were searching for answers; why do people die? why are there floods? why did the star fall from the sky? Today we know these answers. There is no need to fall back to a book just because we are comfortable with it….

When I got older, I read the Bible and noticed how it conflicted with itself and proven science in many ways. This made it very difficult to take the rest at face value