Great Responses!

Posted on April 6, 2009
Filed Under Worldview |

Wow! Thank you for your great responses! They were terrific!

Here are the “buckets” they seem to fall into, beginning with the largest number of responses (you will notice some overlap):

1. Exclusivity & pluralism—What makes Jesus right and Buddha or Allah wrong? Why Christianity versus all the others? Why is Jesus the only way? Isn’t this kind of thinking intolerant? Why so many denominations? They certainly can’t all be right. It’s judgmental to say someone else is wrong. Shouldn’t I experience all of these other things before I declare them wrong?

2. Goodness of man, judgment & Hell—My non-Christian friends are so nice, how can you say they are going to Hell? Why should I change my life and be so judgmental like you? If God is really loving, then he will love me as I am & save me as I am. What about those who have never heard the Gospel? What about Jews who love God with all their heart but don’t accept Jesus? What about babies who die? If God made homosexuals the way they are, then why is it wrong?

3. Evil & suffering—If God is really good, then how could He allow such horrible suffering and evil in the world? If God created everything “good”, then where did evil come from? Didn’t God, therefore, create evil? Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Why doesn’t God punish bad people? Why does He let them continue? Why doesn’t God stop a tragedy? If He really loves us, why wouldn’t He stop it from happening? I would if I could…why won’t He?

4. God’s existence & nature—No one can prove that God exists. Isn’t this all a bunch of fairy tales? Why is God silent? How do we know that God isn’t lying to us in all of this? Where is God? Why can’t I see Him? Why does God say murder is wrong and then kills innocent babies and women? Didn’t God set up Adam and Eve to fail? Why doesn’t God heal amputees? Why hasn’t God answered Jesus’ prayer for unity? If everything has a beginning, then why not God? If God is sovereign, then doesn’t that make me a puppet, with no free will? If I have a free will, doesn’t that mean God isn’t really in control?

5. Veracity of the Bible & contradictions—The Bible is so full of errors and contradictions, why should anyone believe it? If it says “by His stripes we are healed” then why aren’t we? How do we know that the writers didn’t just put their own ideas into the Bible? Didn’t a bunch of old men select what was going to be in the Bible based upon their power needs? What’s wrong with all the other Scripture that got left out? If the Torah begins with legends from “Epic of Gilgamesh” then why consider it Scripture from God? If you can’t take the Bible literally, then isn’t it just up to me to interpret it? There are so many different interpretations of the Bible, how can anyone claim theirs is right?

6. Claims of Christ—Jesus never really claimed to be God, did He? Wasn’t Jesus just “created” by man after the fact and modeled after earlier myths and legends? Haven’t the scholars disproved the words of Jesus? Many of my professors teach that all these things about Jesus, the virgin birth, his resurrection, his miracles and most of the facts about him aren’t really true, but just religious fables. Wasn’t Jesus just a man who cleverly followed the prophecies?

7. Miracles, science & evolution—Science has pretty much disproved miracles and creation. Evolution is true and therefore we don’t need fairy tales about God creating the world. No reputable scientist doubts evolution. Christianity is at odds with sound science.

8. Relativism & absolute truth—No one can really know the truth for sure. All truth is relative. Isn’t all communication and language relative and just the product of our social context?

9. Faith & reason—What is faith? Doesn’t reason destroy faith? Isn’t Christianity just a blind leap of faith? Christians have to check their brains at the door. Christianity is a crutch for weak people.

10. Christian hypocrisy & crimes of the past—Christians are all just a bunch of hypocrites, why would I want to be like them? Christianity is the religion with the highest number of forced conversions in its history. The Crusades, enough said! My non-Christian friends are so nice and my Christian friends are so judgmental and intolerant.

These are the “apologetic” buckets, and I believe we can help students to understand that there are good answers for each of these and all the derivative questions that flow from them. However, there will be some other critical areas that will need to be addressed as well. Thank you for submitting them:

A. Campus life—The alcohol, sex, parties; this is the other half of the “sword” on campus.

B. Christian fellowship—This is critical and must be a “band of brothers” kind of fellowship, not just brownies and singing.

C. The Church—The role of the church is God’s design for us and we need its teaching and authority in our life. Wouldn’t it be great if churches that were located near universities caught a vision to become mentors to our Christian students during this fierce battle?

D. Tactics and techniques—How to handle the hostile professor; how to still get a good grade and yet stand for what is right and true; how to be attractively winsome…always; how to spot logical fallacies.

E. Encouragement—There was a great deal of expression in your responses and I have seen it as well…it is a discouragement, a hopelessness, a sense that all is lost and getting worse by the moment. Students need to be encouraged through all of this. There is hope…great hope, and they need to hear it.

A couple more things before I end…

There were some misconceptions expressed in your responses that I need to clarify. This will not be a remake of the Truth Project for high school students. Its purpose is to provide the preparation students need for college in the areas of apologetics, campus life, fellowship, tactics, etc. Our hope and prayer is that this series will actually lead them into a small Truth Project group, both in high school and especially in their first week on campus. That would go a long way in establishing a “band of brothers”. So, it isn’t a younger version of the Truth Project.

Second, I need to put an arm around Mary Lou and Becky, who both expressed the heartache of so many—sons who had left for college firm in their faith, but are now walking in the other direction. This is why we are doing this.

And finally, I can’t tell you how much I appreciated your encouraging words regarding how the Lord has been working through the Truth Project. He has obviously placed His hands upon this thing and it has nothing to do with me! Also, thank you for those of your who said you would be praying for this new work. We need it desperately. So, thank you all so much: Margo; Patty; Jacob; Yvonne; Eva; Cheryl; Maria (praying); Tammy (praying); Eve; Steve called for prayer for the project; Robert; Derek; Melissa; Ryan; Elizabeth; Michele; Dave (4th group); Thomas; Susan; Cindy; Carroll; Amy; Parker; Bobette; Bob; Sherri; Bob; Kym; Kathy; Michelle (South Africa); Nora; Gray; Bruce; Jim; Kim; Josue; Ron; Mary Lou; Jack; Aaron; Pete; Barry; Lorraine; Melanie; Donna; Bryan; Beth Anne; Leslie; and everyone else that I missed!

Soli Deo Gloria!

Comments

12 Responses to “Great Responses!”

  1. Lance on April 6th, 2009 1:33 pm

    Perfect timing! My senior and all of his buddies are headed for college in the fall. I hope that “Bucket #7″ will include “Christian” colleges or professors that will attempt to offer a compromise between Darwinism and 6 day creation such as the Gap theory and others. Thanks for the Truth Project and all that you do.

  2. Pete on April 7th, 2009 6:56 am

    Dr. Tackett,

    How awesome our Heavenly Father is and how much he loves his children. “in earth, as it is in heaven” To know him is eternal life. Thank you Father God for Dr. Tackett and the entire Truth Project Staff, may the planning, preparations and excellence of materials produced for our High Schoolers pierce the hearts and minds of all so that none may be lost but come to the loving relationship you have for your children found in the eternal truth of your word. Thank you Father God for the sharp minds and gracious hearts of all those who have participated in The Truth Project, Os Guiness, R. C. Sproul, Makoto Fujimura, Reverend Robert Sirico, Gordon Pennignton, Ravi Zacharias, Wayne Grudem, and ALL those who have been working in production behind the scene whose efforts do not go unnoticed. Thank you Thank you Thank you. All for your glory Father God. Amen

    You said Dr. Tackett in tour 1, ” you can’t gaze upon the face of God and not be changed” that is emphatically the truth!

    Peace be with you all found only in Jesus Christ our Lord!

    in his grip, with a passion for his love!

    Pete

  3. Daniel on April 8th, 2009 12:31 am

    As far as #7 will you use and of Dr Russell Humpreys information concerning starlight and time?

  4. Patrick on April 8th, 2009 9:36 am

    I’m really glad to hear about this project. Ney, I’m EXCITED! My heart has gone out to juniors and seniors in high school as well as college students who face the onslaught of attacks against Christianity while in college.

    I hope that this project will be available for purchase soon. I already have several youth and college ministers I would gladly buy this for.

    I would make a suggestion for this. Students need to have a firm foundation in scripture. Youth groups aren’t doing a good job, as indicated by Barna research. Whether by this project or another, topics such as “understanding context in the bible,” “the big picture of the bible - understanding it cover to cover,” and “the role of the law - how OT Israel differs from the NT church” would be of great benefit.

    God Bless and I’m looking forward to seeing this come to fruition!

  5. Brian on April 8th, 2009 9:39 am

    Dr Tackett,

    I had never heard of ‘The Truth Project’ before but was informed of your website by one of our elders several months ago. After visiting ‘The Truth Project’ website and viewing the “teasers” I was quite intrigued and quickly signed up for one of the training conferences.

    I attended ‘The Truth Project’ Training Conference here in San Antonio and had very high expectations because of the price for admission and the CD set that came with it. An hour and a half into the conference I realized that my high expectations had already been exceeded without even viewing the CDs – that is just a small example of how powerful the material contained in ‘The Truth Project’ is.

    Since that time I have taken one group of young adults (ages 14-20) through the ‘Truth Project’ as a group leader. Three other individuals from my home congregation have taken groups through ‘The Truth Project’ and I have purchased two more CD sets on behalf of other individuals from the same congregation who plan on showing ‘The Truth Project’ in their communities.

    I know that this next project will be equally powerful, if not more so, because God has truly blessed you and your endeavor to help people to gaze upon His face. You are right when you say, “you can’t gaze upon the face of God and not be transformed”!

    Even thought you have done a fantastic job with capturing and grouping all the questions you have received (and I’m sure it was a daunting task) and even though I know you can’t include every single question that you receive, I really do wish you would have been able to include the one I sent in because it seems to undermine the creation story and has sent some of the people I have come in contact with into such a tail spin.

    If it is not too late, maybe you could still include it in one of these two categories:
    “5. Veracity of the Bible & contradictions”
    “7. Miracles, science & evolution”

    The question restated and shortened in length is as follows: “How can we answer some of the apparent holes in the story of creation? For example, in the beginning it seems that the only way for God’s command to “be fruitful and increase on the earth” to be carried out is for the offspring of Adam and Eve to engage in incest. Then later on in man’s history, God reveals to us through the law that incest is wrong – How can this be?”

    Thank you for using your gifts from God to further His Kingdom!

    For His Glory,
    Bri-

  6. Jim on April 8th, 2009 10:10 am

    Del, This isn’t realted to High School students — but given the post-modern reaction called the Emerging Church, I’d be anxious to see a lesson regarding the Biblical role of the under-shepherd, the man on the watchtower, the man of God… I’m talking about the Pastor. Very interested in your remarks regarding this movement. Good intentions, but perhaps violating and tearing down precious thing? Throwing out the baby with the bath water? Curious about Del’s take on the Emerging Church.

  7. Nate on April 8th, 2009 10:47 am

    When will the high school edition be available for purchase? Do you still need to go through the Truth Project to be a facilitator for it?

    I’m glad you are working on this. It is very much needed.

  8. Harold on April 9th, 2009 6:13 am

    Dr. Tackett,

    Glad to see you are putting this material together - this is a great need today.

    I believe you are familiar with Greg Koukl and Stand to Reason, http://www.str.org. STR has gone down the apologetics road and has produced some great training products. Perhaps you could join forces with or use Greg or some of their materials.

  9. Martha T. on April 9th, 2009 1:01 pm

    This will be a really excellent course! I have a suggestion for one more thing to include. Teach the students how to be civil even if they disagree with someone passionately.An example where this is needed: in my state of Iowa, we will soon have “gay marriage” and some of the comments on our local paper’s website about it from those who oppose it(I oppose it) have been terribly nasty in their tone.

  10. John on April 11th, 2009 2:28 pm

    Dr. Tackett,

    I can’t tell you how excited I am that this project is forthcoming! I hope to be able to lead a group of our church’s teens through this series when it available. My wife and I are currently halfway through leading our second group through the Truth Project, and praying through who to invite to a group that will begin in June.

    Thank you for your work on these projects! They truly are a blessing, and I am a life that has been and is continuing to be metamorphed by attempting to gaze upon the face of God. I look forward to the opportunity to thank you personally at the Truth Project training conference in Nashville this summer!

  11. Jill on April 13th, 2009 11:57 am

    The Truth Project has been an amazing study. I wish our country’s leaders/all of congress could listen to the #9 and #10 studies. I wish the truth in these two lessons were taught in our schools. I think the US of A would be a different country if everyone could take this course. May God continue to bless you and this study. Thank you for putting this out there for us - it’s been a blessing indeed!

  12. mel on April 13th, 2009 6:08 pm

    Del

    Our adult Sunday School class just finished the final tour of the Truth Project. I’m disappointed - that the end came! My wife and I SO much looked forward to what was coming each week.

    Someday, might you look into a sphere called ‘Insurance?’ If you did, what would be in there? I find it astounding that in this area, I can see little or no difference in the worldview of believers and unbelievers. Shouldn’t there be?

    For example, after the breathtakingly dramatic account of what happened when King Solomon dedicated the temple in II Chronicles 6 and 7, the question I ask is: After the presence of God filled the temple, how necessary was it for Solomon to take out an insurance policy on the place, with their equivalent of AIG?

    Or, was the prophet Ezra out to lunch when he turned aside the practical help of the king’s troops and horsemen for protection, choosing to rely on God alone instead? (Ezra 8:22)

    In II Chronicles 16:7, why was King Asa reprimanded so severely for hiring the King of Syria to help him in battle, instead of depending on the Lord as he had done previously in II Chronicles 14:11?

    Dr. Tackett, this sphere has consumed my thoughts for years, and my Bible is full of notes on the subject. If you EVER had time to talk, I would be thrilled at the prospect…

    During this morning’s Bible reading, I stopped dead at Isaiah 31:1.

    Do you feel yourself going into another cocoon?

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