Thanksgiving and Christ

Put the fork down. You have eaten too much already. Seriously, have you noticed your pants getting tighter with each spoonful of potatoes you shove in your mouth? If not, wake up. It's happening.

Today is a day where we are supposed to be thankful. But if there were one thing that we could be most thankful for, what would it be? Perhaps you are thankful for your spouse (for some, there is great wisdom in that answer). Maybe you are thankful for your job. Maybe you are thankful for your family or community. Maybe you are like me and are thankful for your new Xbox Live router that allows you to pwn n00bs with raw skill when your stats don't reflect you as 1337 (only nerds will get that last sentence).

All of the things that I just listed, though, have one inherited flaw - those things don't last forever. Eventually your spouse will die. You will lose your job, quit, or retire. Your community will change as time goes on. Someday Xbox Live will become obsolete. While we can certainly be thankful for these things, there is something that we can be thankful for that consistently and faithfully lasts forever.

Simply put, that one thing is salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, which results in eternal life in a state of indescribable goodness. The oft-quoted verse John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life", is a verse that contains something to be entirely thankful for. In love, God gave us his son so that we would have eternal life - if you believe in him for forgiveness of sins. Nothing in this world is capable of trumping this gift of salvation, because it is inherently temporarily. The destination of salvation is not - the destination of salvation is inherently superior to every other thing in the world on the basis alone that it is eternal. In this life, there is evil and pain. Such things will not exist in heaven. A promise that we will go to a place to live forever completely free of pain and suffering if we believe Jesus is our Lord and Savior? What could possibly be greater - and should receive more thanks - than this?

I think thanksgiving will be the only holiday celebrated in heaven. After everything has ceased to exist and we find ourselves before the throne of God, I believe it will necessarily require an attitude of thanksgiving incomparable to anything else this world could deserve.

Happy Thanksgiving from Another Ascending Lark, and look forward to the second annual Albums of the Year posts coming in December!

Ponder This: An Unholy Response to a Holy Salvation

"They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us. But they went out, that it might become plain that they all are not of us. But you have been anointed by the Holy One, and you all have knowledge. 1 John 2:19-20 (ESV)"

For my daily devotionals, I have been picking apart 1 John verse by verse. Each day I move along, one verse at a time (sometimes two) and dismantle it as much as possible and then study it to apply it to my life. Today, as I was picking apart 1 John 2:20 (as quoted about with 2:19 for context), when I got down to studying it to apply it to my life, the Spirit spoke to me in a powerful way that I felt compared to share.

In my Intro to World Religions class, our teacher (who is one of the smartest Christians I know) started off the semester by defining "holy" and "profane", two words that should have great meanings to us as Christians. Profane, as he defined it, were things that were common, normal, not holy. Holy was defined as sacred, set apart, transcendent to what is profane. Those two words and their definitions came into my mind as I picked apart verse 20, when it says "you have been anointed by the Holy One". Most likely, what John was referring to by this is the inner regeneration of believers by the Holy Spirit, making an analogy to physical anointings in the Old Testament where oil was used to show outwardly an inner transformation by the Spirit.

With this in mind, a simple thought came to my mind: given what God has done in my life, a holy act of regeneration by a holy being, why does my response to that not take into account that it is a holy act? What God has done in my life and the life of every Christian is a holy act, so I am broken as to why my response to it is one that treats it as a common, normal work when it is anything but that. For the most part, my response to what God has done in my life is one that doesn't take into account how holy, sacred, set-apart of an act it was. My response to his holy act is one that is unholy.

Ponder with me: why is this the case? Why is my response, the way I live my life, so lacking? What must change in my life to where I am responding properly to God's holy work? Ask yourself the same thing.

Rick Cornish on Free Will

There is a handy dandy (but excellent) little theology 101 book called "5 Minute Theologian", written by Rick Cornish, which I have been slowly reading since the start of the summer. I have incorporated it into my morning devotionals by reading a chapter a day, which really does take about 5 minutes. I have found the following quote to be very helpful when talking about Calvinism and free will. Enjoy!

"Like a theological chicken and egg question, the central issue concerns what is logically first: God's plan or man's choice. How one approaches the issue defines the difference between two theological systems known as Calvinism and Arminianism. Calvinists begin with God's plan. Man's decisions and actions are the consequence of it. God's plan is therefore not dependent on man. Arminians, on the other hand, place man's freedom at the center. God's decisions are a response to His knowing in advance what man will choose. God's plan is therefore a response to man's initiative. A partial solution to this great paradox may be found in how we understand human freedom. Upon closer examination, we might discover that our will may not be as fully free as we usually think. But because we do make real choices, maybe we should call it "operational will" instead of "free will." Yes, I'm free to choose what I want, but I don't determine what it is that I want. Heredity, environment, and experience form my preferences long before I choose. If those earthly factors affect what I want, surely God can affect me even more. So, without hindering my ability to choose, God can influence my preferences, making it certain that I choose as He wills, while never violating my freedom. Paradoxical as it sounds, it's another part of the great mystery of God."

- Rick Cornish. 5 Minute Theologian: Maximum Truth in Minimum Time (pp. 106-107). Kindle Edition.

To Calvinists and Arminians: Have a Laugh

(Thanks to Mikel Del Rosario for the picture. Check out Mikel's blog at http://www.apologeticsguy.com/blog/)

In the midst of our intense and serious theological discussions, sometimes it is important to have a laugh at ourselves:

 

C'mon. You know this is funny. You have to laugh at this. Well, technically speaking, no you don't, because God could have predestined that...oh, nevermind ;)

The Greatest Commandment: What's Love Got To Do With It?

One time, as Christ was speaking with the Pharisees, he was asked to give the greatest commandment: 

"And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. Matthew 22:35-38 (ESV)

It's interesting to note that Christ told us that the greatest commandment is to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind (the other gospel accounts of this quote sometimes include "strength" as well). In other words, we are to love God with the entirety of our existence.

I think we can make Christianity far more complicated than it really is. Christ gave us clear and simple (though not easy) directives on how to live our lives as followers of him, and he makes clear what the greatest of commands is. Love is the greatest thing we as Christians can do.

Christ was not talking about a love for:

• The church
• The Bible
• The Gospel
• Evangelism
• Philosophy
• Theology
• Apologetics
• Science
• History
• Arts
• Music
• Worship
• Marriage
• [fill in the blank].

Christ was talking about a love for God himself. Not the things of Christianity, God himself. Not rational argument or critical thinking, but God himself. Not even living a life of righteousness, but God himself.

Why would Jesus make an emphasis on loving God the most important thing we can do? Because when we love God with the entirety of our existence (heart, soul, mind, and strength), everything in that bullet list above will fall perfectly into place. It is only when we are in love with God first and foremost that everything above can belong where it should be in our lives.

In short, what does love for God got to do with it? Absolutely everything.

Harold Camping Revisited: The "Actual" Rapture Date

[Sarcasm] This feels like deja vu, but it's not. Harold Camping is back, ladies and gentlemen, and according to Mr. Camping, next week is the REAL ending of the world. Yeah, May 21st wasn't quite right - it's really October 21st, and has been all along. Last time, Harold made a simple mathematics error in his computations of the end of the world, and the new answer (the correct one, mind you) is October 21st. [/Sarcasm]

It's hard to write anything new on this. On Rapture Day earlier this year, I wrote a somewhat detailed post and argument against Harold Camping, and most of what I said then stands true now (you can read that post here). There has been no media splash of his exploits this time around, unlike earlier this year when you couldn't even get away from the topic if you tried. I personally haven't checked into his actions or the actions of his followers, but I hope that the followers from the previous time around have learned their lesson and abandoned Mr. Camping to his delusions. If they still follow him...well, more power to them and their beliefs. It is nothing more than a failing faith.

Thankfully guys like Camping can be good teaching tools for showing what is true in comparison to what is blatantly false. I remember around the time of the first Rapture date, a middle school girl of the student ministry at my church was deeply bothered by the idea of the world ending, and resolved to begin praying for her unsaved mother. And while Camping is in extreme error to think in his "wisdom" that he can pinpoint a date for the end of the world, the whole end-of-the-world hullabaloo did produce a positive reminder - Christ can return at any time, and it is best we live in such a way that the world could really end tomorrow. We would want to share Christ with those who are unsaved in our lives, knowing that tomorrow they would be in hell for eternity. And if some crazy old man can produce a reaction of that kind, then perhaps the church could use another event like this - to wake us up of the true reality we face.


Please check out these other essays and posts by my fellow apologists in the Christian Apologetics Blogger Alliance:
http://www.reasonsforgod.org/2011/10/does-harold-camping-discredit-christianity/
http://www.cltruth.com/blog/2011/is-jesus-christ-coming-back-on-october-21-2011/ 
http://www.hieropraxis.com/2011/10/is-the-end-of-the-world-at-hand-reflecting-on-judgment-day-with-poetry/ 
http://lukenixblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/rapture-judgment-day-and-christs.html 
http://www.thinkingchristian.net/2011/10/harold-camping-a-failure-of-accountability/

David Platt on the Bible and Church Leaders

"The Bible is not in a church leader's hands so he or she can give people answers to every question they have and guidance for every situation they face. Instead, the Bible is in a church leader's hands to transform people into the image of Christ and to get people in touch with the Holy Spirit of God, who will not only give them counsel for every situation they face but also walk with them through those situations. And when church leaders use God's Word for this purpose, then church members develop a healthy dependance on God's Spirit and a healthy admiration of God's glory."

David Platt, "Radical Together", pg 49

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

9/11 and Religious Pluralism

"If this place doesn't make you sick, it is because you've suppressed your reflex to tell right from purely evil deeds."- Famine, "To The Teeth"

It's not hard to figure out what the buzz is today. 10 years ago a nation experienced an attack from a group of people who were zealous about the beliefs they held, zealous to the point of justifying violence. Two massive towers fell when two commercial airliners, hijacked by radical Muslims, flew straight into the buildings. The Pentagon was damaged and a fourth attempt to take out the White House was prevented by heroic men and women who - with their lives - prevented said attempt.

Recently I wrote a post on the absurdity of religious pluralism (you can read it here) and I wish to briefly revisit that subject. The motivating factor behind 9/11 was the religious beliefs of those who carried out the attacks. On religious pluralism it is impossible to condemn the attacks made in their belief because on religious pluralism, all religious beliefs are correct, and the men who carried out these attacks were justified because their beliefs would be correct.

Now, I am not suggesting that 9/11 demonstrates a falsification for all of Islam, conservative or radical. That is not at all what I am trying to say. Actually, Islam doesn't really have anything to do with the post. My beef is with religious pluralism. A consistent religious pluralist cannot condemn 9/11. If a religious pluralist does condemn 9/11, he/she is grossly inconsistent with the demands of religious pluralism and should abandon it entirely. Those who carried out the attacks did so in the name and from the worldview of their religious beliefs. If all religious beliefs are true, then the beliefs behind 9/11 are true as well.

Such is the consequence of a dangerous and irrational idea, that somehow all religious beliefs can be true. I think 9/11 and the overwhelming condemnation of the attacks should show us that truth matters, and the truth is that what happened on this day ten years ago is something that should have never taken place, and no belief could justify it. We will never forget.

Here are a few other posts concerning 9/11 that are worth checking out, from my fellow apologists in the Apologetics Blogger Alliance:

Faithful Thinkers: Atheism, Evil and Ultimate Justice
The Point: Christianity and 9/11: Guilt by Association?
The Gospel According to Erik: Did God Allow the Attacks on 9/11 for a “Greater Good”?
J.W. Wartick: On September 11th, 2001, harmless things became fearful
Sarcastic Xtian: Do all roads (and flights) lead to God?
Reasons for God: The Two Ground Zeroes
Hieropraxis: Suffering and the Cross of Christ
Take Two: Remembering 9/11: A Young Californian’s Perspective
Apologetics Guy: America After 9/11: Is Religion Evil?
Apologetics 315: Resources on the Problem of Evil
The Real Issue: The Three Faces of Evil and a Christian Response
Neil Mammen: Where was God on 9-11?
Thinking Christian: 9/11: "Full Cognitive Meltdown" and Its Fallout
Cold and Lonely Truth: 9/11: Where is God during a catastropy?
In Defense of the Christian Faith: If God, Why Evil?
Wintery Knight: Ground Zero: Why truth matters for preventing another 9/11-style attack
Possible Worlds: The Need for Moral Choices and Consequences
Tilled Soil: The Problem of Evil: Who's problem is it? Is it a problem?
Bringing Back the Tao: 9/11 Memorial: Christianity Gives Authentic Hope In The Face Of Suffering
Patheos: Are we all moral monsters?

Pluralism + Mathematics = Plurathematics!

Imagine with me a new trend in pop philosophy called "Plurathematics". Combining the idea of religious pluralism and mathematics, the resulting philosophy would teach that all answers are the correct ones regarding any math problem. For example,

2+2=0
2+2=1,000,000
2+2=4
2+2=3.14

According to Plurathematics, all of the above answers would be correct. Never mind the fact that rationality and critical thinking is thrown out the window (or experience, for that matter: $2 plus another $2 sure hasn't gotten me $1,000,000), this new pop philosophical trend is sweeping the nation.

Now, the above was mere sarcasm to convey the absurdity of the idea of all mathematical answers being correct. Any sane person would know that is silly and irrational (although the struggling math student would be attracted to the idea, no doubt). Yet why is it that such an equally crazy idea concerning religious truth claims is so prevalent in today's society? No school system would teach Plurathematics, yet society as a whole seems to have no problem with religious pluralism.

Without going back to my sarcasm, let's consider a new set of examples, involving religious truth claims. As I was typing this part out, I remembered that Greg Koukl in his book, "Tactics", said what I was going to say, and he did a much better job at it. I will just shamelessly (and with a dose of laziness) cut and paste the passage I am referring to:

"The notion of religious pluralism, that all religions are equally true or valid, is also self-refuting. There are two different ways to demonstrate this. First, if all religions are true, then Christianity is true. Yet a central claim of classical Christianity is that other religions are false when taken as a whole. Clearly, Jesus was not a pluralist. Either Christianity is correct that Jesus is God’s Messiah for the world and other religions are deceptions, as Scripture teaches, or Christianity is false and some other view is true. In no case, though, can all religions be true and valid. Second, when you think about it, religions have very diverse pictures of what the spiritual realm is like. Most forms of Hinduism teach that God is an impersonal force. Islam, Judaism, and Christianity teach that God is a personal being. In Buddhism, the question of God is irrelevant. In classical theism, death is final, followed by either eternal reward or eternal punishment. In Eastern religions, death is a door the soul passes through many times as it works out its karma in reincarnation. Some religions teach that reprobates are destroyed while the righteous live on. Can you see the problem? When someone dies, they might go to Heaven or Hell, or they might be reincarnated, or they might simply turn to dust, but they can’t do them all at the same time."

Koukl, Gregory (2009). Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions (pp. 118-119). Zondervan. Kindle Edition.

I'll expound a bit on Greg's first example. If all religions are true, than Christianity is true along with Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and more. If Christianity is true, then Jesus' claim in John 14:6, "“I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.", is also true. Yet notice, the contents of the truth claim entails that Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, and other religions are false. If Christianity is true, then these other religions cannot be true. However, according to religious pluralism, Christianity is true alongside Islam and other religions in spite of this crucial contradiction of one of Christianity's truth claims; there are no wrong answers, and every answer is right. It is just as irrational as saying that 2+2= can have a variety of answers and none of them being false.

I don't expect Plurathematics to become a pop philosophy trend. There is no denying, however, that religious pluralism is relevant to today's society and it's results are a destructive. It is illogical, it is irrational, and it just makes no sense.

The Camping Rapture Fail

Harold Camping before an interview

 Hey, boys and girls! Guess what? It's May 21st! That means, according to this guy on the left, that the end of the world is nigh! The rapture is taking place at 6 PM tonight! Everything that Tim LaHaye wrote about in the Left Behind series is coming to pass! (Okay, so not really on that last sentence.)

It would kill me if I didn't write something about the Harold Camping hullabaloo, because not everyone realizes the kind of fallout that will come from this. We can point our fingers and laugh, but come Monday, Christianity as a whole will be held up and mocked again thanks to the exploits of this extremely misguided man who thinks he has found the secret formula identifying the day of Christ's return. I, for one, find this to be a serious issue, but I also think there are several valid lessons to learn from this. But first, let's take it one point at a time...

Let's compare statements concerning the coming of Christ...
Now, Harold Camping claims to be a Christian. If he is a Christian, then he recognizes Jesus Christ as the Lord of his life, and has put his faith in Christ alone for salvation. So let us start with what Jesus has said on His return. All of these verses are the spoken words of Christ in the Gospels.

“If anyone tells you then, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘Over here!’ do not believe it! False messiahs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders to lead astray, if possible, even the elect. Take note: I have told you in advance. So if they tell you, ‘Look, He’s in the wilderness!’ don’t go out; ‘Look, He’s in the inner rooms!’ do not believe it. For as the lightning comes from the east and flashes as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. Wherever the carcass is, there the vultures will gather. Matthew 24:23-28 (HCSB) "

“Now concerning that day and hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven, nor the Son—except the Father only. As the days of Noah were, so the coming of the Son of Man will be. For in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day Noah boarded the ark. They didn’t know until the flood came and swept them all away. So this is the way the coming of the Son of Man will be: Then two men will be in the field: one will be taken and one left. Two women will be grinding at the mill: one will be taken and one left. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know what day your Lord is coming. But know this: If the homeowner had known what time the thief was coming, he would have stayed alert and not let his house be broken into. This is why you also must be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect. Matthew 24:36-44 (HCSB)

“Now concerning that day or hour no one knows—neither the angels in heaven nor the Son—except the Father. Watch! Be alert! For you don’t know when the time is ⌊coming⌋. It is like a man on a journey, who left his house, gave authority to his slaves, gave each one his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to be alert. Therefore be alert, since you don’t know when the master of the house is coming—whether in the evening or at midnight or at the crowing of the rooster or early in the morning. Otherwise, he might come suddenly and find you sleeping.
And what I say to you, I say to everyone: Be alert!” Mark 13:32-37 (HCSB)

“Be on your guard, so that your minds are not dulled from carousing, drunkenness, and worries of life, or that day will come on you unexpectedly like a trap. For it will come on all who live on the face of the whole earth. But be alert at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place and to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:34-36 (HCSB)

There are several things worth emphasizing in these passages. Of course, these are just snippets of a much larger picture. I am not trying to provide a crash course on eschatology and it's various views, but given these passages above, let us establish a few facts:

• The coming of Christ will be instantaneous.
• The coming of Christ will be unpredictable and unexpected.
• The Body of Christ is to stay constantly alert for His coming.

There is a very important point that arises from these facts, but we will get to that in a second. Here is what Harold Camping has said about the return of Christ. This is his formula from which he was able to pin the date down for May 21st.

1. The number five equals "atonement", the number ten equals "completeness", and the number seventeen equals "heaven".
2. Christ is said to have hung on the cross on April 1, 33 AD. The time between April 1, 33 AD and April 1, 2011 is 1,978 years.
3. If 1,978 is multiplied by 365.2422 days (the number of days in a solar year, not to be confused with the lunar year), the result is 722,449.
4. The time between April 1 and May 21 is 51 days.
5. 51 added to 722,449 is 722,500.
6. (5 × 10 × 17)² or (atonement × completeness × heaven)² also equals 722,500. (retrieved here)

The Bible guarantees that you are just plain wrong.

Now, it is so very tempting to go through this argument and highlight the unproven premises, mainly in the first two premises. That, however, would simply be a waste of time, in light of what Christ Himself said on the subject of His return. For Harold Camping to think that somehow this argument can overshadow and supersede the words of His Lord Christ is nothing but the height of arrogance. He has elevated this calculation over the words of Christ, and this is nothing short of pure, raw arrogance. Unfortunately, he fits the description of the false prophet as Christ mentioned in Matthew 24:23-28 above, as his nationwide campaign for awareness of May 21st has been basically claiming "Look, here is the Messiah" (see picture above). In order for Harold's claims to even get off the ground, he must create a convincing and plausible case that Christ did not say those things - if he can't do that, his prophecy arrives dead on arrival, condemned at the very conception of the idea. As long as Christ's claims are true, Camping's are necessarily false.

Now, this is more than enough to convince the reasonable mind that Harold Camping's "prophecy" should be dismissed. However, before I move on to the damage that this campaign has caused, allow me to point out that, technically, May 21st could be the day when Christ returns. James R White wrote an excellent piece on this point in a blog post last week about how it is entirely possible that Christ returns today. If He does, however, it would not be because Harold Camping predicted it would be - it would be on God's timetable. Just because an extremely misguided false prophet claims a date for Christ's return doesn't mean that God cannot return on that date - like the verses said, "now concerning that day and hour no one knows". It is up for Christians to not say that Christ's return will not be today. We are to stay on alert and make the most of each day, knowing that Christ's return is guaranteed, just not when we expect it. Who knows? Christ could return on June 1st. He could return 10 years from today. He could return on August 7th 1000 years from now. It is not up for us to pin dates on the wall for His return - as I will explain later, it is up for us to live like His return is soon.


The fallout of this whole debacle

Allow me to copy/paste a segment from James R White's blog post concerning some of the actions Harold Camping's followers have take. 

I listened to two NPR reports on Camping's prophecy today, and it was truly disheartening to listen to these folks. One lady had been about to enroll in medical college, but did not, so that she could warn people about "Judgment Day." Another man had left wife and children behind, as they did not "believe." A couple, the woman expecting their second child in June, were interviewed. They had given up everything, and had just enough money to make it till May 21. After that…well, they will be destitute. The New York Post just reported on a man who squandered his $140,000 life's savings to buy advertisements in the New York area promoting the May 21 prophecy. (James R White, retrieved from here)

This is what separates Harold Camping from just the average doomsday guy - this guy will ruin the lives of many people who have followed him. To be sure, those who follow him are doing so out of their own free will - regardless, if there is no message, then there is nothing to follow. This guy will give Christianity a very bad taste in those who have abandoned everything for this false prophecy. This is simply inexcusable for any Christian. Camping owns an entire radio station chain called Family Radio (which has been his chief propaganda arm for decades) to which he will still have even when some of his followers have given everything to follow Him. I will pity his followers - I have little pity for Camping.

Of course, the atheist camps will take great advantage of this opportunity. I imagine the atheist organizations will have some new members in their ranks come next week, and that there will be a circus parade in the media (although it appears that the media is already calling this a failed prediction - and good for them). As my apologist friend Lauren Kimball pointed out, it is funny that a clearly misguided Christian gets a large amount of screen time, yet when it comes to Christian charities or other good things that Christians are doing (or worse, the persecution against Christians that is already well documented in other countries) gets relegated to Christian publications and news sources. Bias, much?

Of course, there is a lesson to be learned from this as well - as my apologist friend Steve Bedard, the editor of the apologetics journal Hope's Reason, wrote on his blog,if people are willing to give everything they have for a cause they believe in, even when it is a false cause, what does it say about the majority of American Christianity? Are we willing to give up our stuff and sell it for a cause which does matter? I can testify that I am not. Though charitable giving is a major part of my life, there is always more I can be doing besides giving. The American Church would do well to not write off the followers of Camping when it comes to what they have done for their belief - indeed, the American church should learn a lesson from them. I would do well to learn a lesson from them. This ultimately leads to my last point.

Christian don't get to choose how they want to live

There are valuable lessons to learn from all of this. Christians should not waste the time that they are given here on Earth. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, so how we live out lives is not a matter of personal preference, but of unquestionable importance:

"Besides this, knowing the time, it is already the hour for you to wake up from sleep, for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed. The night is nearly over, and the daylight is near, so let us discard the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk with decency, as in the daylight: not in carousing and drunkenness; not in sexual impurity and promiscuity; not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no plans to satisfy the fleshly desires." Romans 13:11-14 (HCSB)

"Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts.They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts.They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more.But that is not how you learned about the Messiah, assuming you heard about Him and were taught by Him, because the truth is in Jesus.You took off your former way of life, the old self that is corrupted by deceitful desires;you are being renewed in the spirit of your minds;you put on the new self, the one created according to God’s ⌊likeness⌋ in righteousness and purity of the truth.Since you put away lying, Speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another.Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger,and don’t give the Devil an opportunity.The thief must no longer steal. Instead, he must do honest work with his own hands, so that he has something to share with anyone in need.No foul language is to come from your mouth, but only what is good for building up someone in need, so that it gives grace to those who hear.And don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by Him for the day of redemption.All bitterness, anger and wrath, shouting and slander must be removed from you, along with all malice.And be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving one another, just as God also forgave you in Christ". Ephesians 4:17-32 (HCSB)

"Therefore, with your minds ready for action, be serious and set your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires of your former ignorance. But as the One who called you is holy, you also are to be holy in all your conduct; for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy." 1 Peter 1:13-16 (HCSB)

This whole event can serve as warning for Christians that we don't get the luxury of living life for our own benefits, and that we are called to live differently from the ways of this world. Christ has given us the directive of the Great Commission, to make disciples of all nations and baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19-20). That is not an optional call for Christians to take up when they feel like doing so - for those who call themselves Christians, they are acknowledging Christ as the Lord of their lives (or as my former youth minister Ryan told his daughters, "Jesus is Boss"), and that Lord has commanded that disciples be made over the world. The focus of my life is to make disciples - Christ has commanded me to do so, and as someone who has surrendered my life to Him acknowledging that without him I am an object of God's wrath that is due my sin, I am to obey in that calling wherever I am located (and guess what? If you are a Christian, that last sentence applies to you as well).American Christianity is great at communicating a lukewarm commitment to Christ, and while I am certainly guilty of being a lukewarm Christian at times, it is not acceptable for any of us. And at the end of today, if Christ has not returned today (again, if He does return today, it is not because Camping called it), it does not diminish our call to "be holy in all your conduct, for it is written, Be holy, because I am holy". His coming is certain, so let us be faithful servants until that time.

The Dual Nature of Apologetics [pt 2]

The other day I wrote on apologetics as a discipline and apologetics as a form of evangelism. If you didn't read that post, you can read it here. Today, I want to expound upon apologetics as a form of evangelism. Since I used the football analogy last time, I will use it here again.

If you watch football (and shame on you if you don't), you know that there are two parties involved in the game - the teams. At any given time, one team is on offense, and the other is on defense. Both teams cannot be on offense at the same time or defense at the same time. When it comes to apologetics in evangelism, there is usually two parties involved: yourself and the person/group of people you are talking to. If you are talking to a person, hopefully you are being gracious and having a conversation about God and salvation through Jesus Christ and not preaching in a monologue to them. If you are speaking to a group of people (i.e. giving a Gospel presentation at an event or something), then you have greater control whether you play offense or defense when it comes to apologetics. But what exactly do I mean when I say "offensive" or "defensive" apologetics? Let's look at defensive apologetics first.

Defensive Apologetics

In football, the defense prevents the other team from advancing the football to the endzone (or close enough for a field goal) to earn points and win the game. When it comes to defensive apologetics, sometimes someone will raise an objection to Christianity to which, depending on the objection, can call Christianity on the carpet as whether or not it is true or not. Defensive apologetics invalidates those potential defeaters, or to put it another way, defensive apologetics shuts down objections to Christianity being false. The goal of defensive apologetics is to make sure that Christianity cannot be rightly condemned as being untrue - it isn't to explain why Christianity is true (per se - I will explain that in a bit), but rather explain why Christianity cannot be claimed as false on the basis of the objections given.

Offensive Apologetics

It would be important for me to point out that when I use the words "offensive" and "defensive", I am not referring to your attitude. 1 Peter 3:16 gives the ethic for how we are to conduct our apologetic efforts: "However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscious clear, so that when you are accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame". It is guaranteed that people will reject Christianity. However, if the person you are conversing with rejects Christianity, it had better be because of the beliefs of Christianity and not because you presented those beliefs with an unchristian attitude.

Offensive apologetics, contrary to defensive apologetics, are given to establish Christianity is true. I can think of at least 5 such offensive arguments for the existence of God (not necessarily Christianity): the Cosmological argument family, the Teleological argument family, the Moral argument, the Ontological argument, and the Argument from Reason, which is quickly becoming one of my favorite arguments against naturalism and materialism. Those arguments are positive arguments that establish the existence of a theistic God - however, they do not necessarily prove that Christianity is true. When it comes to establishing Christianity is true, like I wrote in a post on Easter Sunday, giving evidences establishing the historicity of the Resurrection, along with the reliability of the Gospels, help establish Christianity specifically as being true. Of course, for the Christian, the icing on all this cake is talking of the transformation of his/her life as a result of putting their faith in Jesus Christ for salvation. Your personal testimony is equally powerful as any argument - yet if your personal testimony is marred by your conduct, you are crippling your efforts. Your life, in it's entirety, should reflect the work Christ has done in your life, and if it doesn't, congratulations on shooting yourself in the foot.

Fumbles and Interceptions

Fumbles and interceptions, in football games, are always a highlight. They are unexpected, they are the last thing the offense wants, and in a single instant the roles of the two teams switch - the defense becomes the offense, and the offense goes on the defense. The losing team could have just turned the game around to possible win or solidify their loss. A good apologist will create as many fumbles as interceptions as possible - taking an objection to Christianity (defense) and turning it around into a positive case for Christianity (offense). Skilled apologists will look for these opportunities, and just like I talked about in the first post of this series, it required a lot of training and practice with apologetics as a discipline. If you do not train and practice for interceptions, it will hardly happen.

I taught my last lesson for First Baptist Youth this past Wednesday, and I couldn't have asked for a better last lesson - it was on apologetics and learning more about your faith. I left my students with a small list of "getting started" resources so that they can begin learning more about their faith (apologetics as a discipline) so that they can use it when sharing their faith and dealing with doubt (offensive and defensive apologetics as a form of evangelism). Underlying this whole thing, however, is a desire to fulfill what Jesus listed as the greatest commandment of the Law: to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength" (Mark 12:30). If you do not have a desire to love the Lord your God, then you should not consider any of what I have said until you have that desire to love God - your relationship with God is the most foundational piece of information that is assumed in this entire discussion. If you lack this, then everything I've talked about becomes secondary - learn to love God first.

Since tomorrow is the end of the world (according to Harold Camping), I figured I would write a post on all this May 21st hullabaloo. Don't worry - if the world doesn't end tomorrow, it isn't because this guy predicted it would be. Trust me on that one.

The Dual Nature of Apologetics [pt 1]

The field of apologetics is a very misunderstood field. It is a pity, I think, that Christians have no real idea of what apologetics is. Allow an analogy to help.

If I were to ask the question, "Is football an exercise or a game", the answer one would expect would be "both". It is an exercise that takes place as a game, and the game provides a form of exercise. If you are practicing for the game, you are working out for the game. While you play the game, you get a workout. Yet if you do not practice, you will absolutely fail at football. I could insert a really bad joke about the Dallas Cowboys, but I will refrain from doing so.

In the same way, apologetics is a discipline (exercise) and a form of evangelism (a game). Let's look at each:

Apologetics as a discipline

1 Peter 3:15, easily the bedrock verse for the practice of apologetics, gives a twofold directive for apologetics. The verse reads, 

"But honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you." - 1 Peter 3:15

The basis for apologetics being a discipline is derived from "But honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts" and "Always be ready to give a defense". Notice, the first basis of the first is putting God in His proper place. The only way to practice Christian apologetics is when the Messiah is honored as Lord of your life. If Christ is not the Lord of the Christian's heart, then his/her apologetic efforts will be greatly lacking. They will be going out to play a game of football without even doing warm ups. That is the first step of apologetics being a discipline. The second step of apologetics being a discipline is taken from "Always be ready to give a defense". To be ready to give a defense, one must know what defense he/she will give. Here, apologetics shines as a study of knowledge. If you are going to give a defense of your faith (which is the subject of the verse), you have to be familiar with what you believe and why you believe it. Can your beliefs hold under to scrutiny? Is there evidence that undermines your beliefs? Are the objections against your beliefs powerful? For the Christian, I can confidently say that the Christian belief can withstand scrutiny and that the objections against it, though convincing to some, are not powerful enough to discredit it. That being said, the Christian must learn more about what he/she believes, and this comes through the training of the mind in the disciplines of philosophy, science, history, theology, ect. For the discipline aspect, the mind is getting the workout - studying apologetics is like learning the plays and techniques necessary for playing football. Few things are more satisfying than the deep study of one's faith - whenever I am increasing my apologetic knowledge, my confidence in God increases, and my desire to be more connected with Him goes up as well. Sometimes, the things I learn in the study of my faith carry over into my worship. Though it can seem daunting at first, practicing apologetics as a discipline is vital for the sake of one's intellect.

Apologetics as a form of evangelism.

Apologetics, though it is a robust and fulfilling mental workout regime, is also a form of evangelism. Evangelism is the practice of telling others about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. On my left arm I have a series of bandanas wrapped around my wrist in 5 colors: black, red, white, green, and gold (in that order). These bandanas I have tend to strike up conversation with people, and when that happens, it allows me to give into a presentation of the Gospel. When conversing with people about Christianity (which is something that should be done according to 1 Peter 3:16, with gentleness and respect), there will be those who bring up objections to Christianity. If these objections are not answered, then it will hinder that person's desire to become a Christian. It is up to us to be well-equipped to remove these objections that hinder people from putting their faith in Christ. Yet, we must know the answers to objections (or know what to do/where to go when objections come up) beforehand - if we don't, we will not be successful in our evangelism. This is why the discipline portion of apologetics is crucial to the evangelism portion - the discipline portion is the exercise that prepares you for the game. Football players who practice hard are the ones who win. In the same way, Christians who practice apologetics as a discipline will have much better success in evangelism.

When talking about apologetics as a form of evangelism, this can be broken down into two more ideas: offense and defense. Just like football, you must have an offense and a defense in order to win. Implied in 1 Peter 3:15 is that once you have given a defense, you make an offense (without being offensive in attitude, mind you) for giving reasons why Christianity is true. Next post, I will explain the offensive and defensive portion of apologetics as a form of evangelism.

As a shameless plug, the one book I can think of that prepares you for both natures of apologetics is a book I reviewed earlier in the year by Greg Koukl called "Tactics". If you are looking for a place to start, I would start there.

 

James Spiegel on Love in Apologetics

The book that started it all for me - James Spiegel's controversial book "The Making of an Atheist". I remember listening to a podcast from the Apologetics.com radio show while hiking the Palo Duro Canyon that was all about this book. Shortly after checking this book out, I got involved in the Pray for an Atheist campaign, and that was God throwing me headfirst into an intense apologetics experience.

Book Review: Reasonable Faith - Christian Truth and Apologetics

Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics by William Lane Craig

4 out of 5 Stars

Buy it: www.amazon.com


It's no secret that I am a fan of William Lane Craig. He is one of my heroes as an apologist, and one of the main apologists that inspired me to take up the field. While I don't see eye to eye with him on everything, it is his dedication to the subject of defending the faith in a Christlike manner that has inspired me to study philosophy, theology, science and history.

Yesterday, I finished reading his signature work, "Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics". It took me about 6 months to read this work, and while there were some parts that were over my head, the things that I learned from it made this book a very worthy read

First and foremost, this is not a suitable book to read for an apologetic newbie. To read this book, you will need to be at least casually acquainted with the fields of philosophy, science, and history. I consider myself to be a more-than-novice-yet-not-quite-intermediate apologist, and there were are few times when the subject material went right by over my head without a care in the world. This book, while it claims to be usable amongst laymen, is more for someone who is already involved in these fields. In other words, I would not give this book to someone who was just now getting their feet wet; I would give them something easier to digest. This is a pretty technical book, and it can be pretty difficult to read at times.

Reasonable Faith covers a wide range of issues. While notable absences include any discussion on the problem of evil and the creation/I.D./evolution debate, what it includes justifies the purchase of this book. Topics include how we can know Christianity is true, the absurdity of life without God (probably my favorite chapter in the book), the 4 classical theistic arguments and their objections, the resurrection of Christ, miracles, and more. It is all laid out in a systematic fashion that starts with basic theistic arguments (the various Cosmological arguments, the Teleological argument, the Moral argument, and the Ontological argument) and then moves to demonstrate Christian theism by focusing on miracles and then the radical self-understanding of Christ and the evidence for His resurrection. Each chapter opens up with a historical examination of past thinkers on this subject, which I personally found to be very enjoyable. He then moves on to discuss the subject and it's objections, and then ends each chapter with a practical application of how to put into practice what you just read.

I've already mentioned that the material in this book, while certainly worth reading, can be technical and difficult at times. This isn't a bad thing, but when it is tacked on to what I believe is the biggest problem with the book, it makes the book a more difficult read. The biggest flaw that I find with Reasonable Faith is the length of the chapters. These are easily some of the longest chapters that I have ever read from any book- especially the first chapter on the existence of God. You should expect that it will take you a few sittings to get through a single chapter. While I can understand wanting to keep all the information under one heading, I wish he had broken down the chapters into various sections or something, because these chapters are so big that it is not feasible to read them in one sitting. That being said, that is really the only flaw that I can find with the book. Everything else about the book is presented in an excellent manner, and the material contained in each of these massive chapters is enlightening, stimulating, thought-provoking, and high-quality food for you intellect.

Craig's book is definitely a testimony to his passion for the Christian intellect, and his desire to equip the church in apologetics is certainly contagious - just look at me. Still, if you are looking for a easy introduction into apologetics, this is not the place to start looking. That being said, if you are an apologist and you haven't read this book, you will definitely want to add this to your reading list. This is a great work written by a great Christian thinker, and the impact that this book has had on the Church has been nothing short of incredible.

4 out of 5 Stars

Greg Koukl on 21st Century Ambassadors for Christ

Greg Koukl is an incredible guy. One of his teachings that has stuck with me is the concept of the 21st century ambassador for the Christian faith. In January I wrote a review for his book "Tactics", which is a book I wish every Christian would read, especially those who are mission/evangelism minded. I think Greg hits it perfectly when he describes three basic skills for being a modern-day ambassador: knowledge, wisdom, and character.

"Representing Christ in the new millennium requires three basic skills. First, Christ's ambassadors need the basic knowledge necessary for the task. They must know the central message of God's kingdom and something about how to respond to the obstacles they'll encounter on their diplomatic mission. 

However, it is not enough for followers of Jesus to have an accurately informed mind. Our knowledge must be tempered with the kind of wisdom that makes our message clear and persuasive. This requires the tools of a diplomat, not the weapons of a warrior, tactical skill rather than brute force.

Finally, our character can make or break our mission. Knowledge and wisdom are packaged in a person, so to speak. If that person does not embody the virtues of the kingdom he serves, he will undermine his message and handicap his efforts.

These three skills - knowledge, an accurately informed mind; wisdom, an artful method; and character, an attractive manner - play a part in every effective involvement with a nonbeliever."      - Greg Koukl, Tactics: A Game Plan for Discussing Your Christian Convictions, pg.24-25  (underlines mine)

Apologetics in Youth Groups

As I write this from the youth ministry's media computer, I sit in (what I would somewhat arrogantly label as) my youth group's main youth room. Two lamps and a projector give a striking atmosphere of elegance. A table complete with mommy's homemade cookies, a 2lb bag of Sour Patch Kids, Skittles, chips, crackers and room for sodas sit by the entryway. A small table opposite the snack table contains approximately 20 folded over pieces of paper with pens attached, for those interested in taking notes. Demon Hunter's newest album is blasting over the awesome speakers, and both parts of William Lane Craig's recent debate with Richard Carrier are being downloaded on the slower-than-average Internet connection.

Before I stepped down from the volunteer position that I hold, I was going to make a push for apologetics in the youth group. It needs to be done. We are losing students at unreasonable rates (some surveys show that upwards to 70%) when they arrive at college, precisely because we do challenge them intellectually. We expect them to succeed and do well in college and in high school, but when it comes to learning about the faith they hold, we balk. And it is precisely the reason why most Christians have a hard time in secular universities; they are never intellectually challenged or educated in church, and as a result, the best that they can offer in response to detailed critiques of their faith is a Bible verse or, worse, religious pluralism.

I am an exception to that rule, because I consider myself to be intellectually-driven as a Christian. I go to a secular university, and yet whenever someone (be it a teacher or a student) challenges my faith, it does not threaten me. I know how to assess and respond to challenges to my faith, and it was the most invaluable lesson that I learned in my senior year of high school, when I supplemented my other classes with self-training in basic apologetics. And it has paid off - I am thriving at school because I know that I can confidently answer objections brought against my faith.

Church, we must start including apologetic training in the part of youth group functions. They need to know things like:

• The Christian worldivew.
• How to address the problem of evil.
• The various natural theology arguments for God's existence (the Cosmological argument family, the Teleological argument family, the Axiological argument, and the Ontological argument)
• The accurate historicity of the Bible.
• The historicity of the New Testament
• Dealing with popular objections to God.
• An education into other worldviews.
• Conversational tactics for effectively and compassionately presenting the truth for Christianity.
• Logic and basic philosophy.
• The fundamentals of Christian theology.

It is time to start moving beyond emotion driven worship services, 5 minute devotionals, and celebrity-studded events, and start equipping our kids for war. We must stop sending them out with VBS-level educations in Christianity and begin showing them, in the safety and security of the church, how to handle doubts, address challenges, and think and reason with logic, and the things mentioned above. These kids are smart. They can handle it. And even if they don't use it right away, they will be challenged someday. And it is up to us to prepare them for that. If we don't, those of opposing worldviews will gladly continue to do so for us - and the results are always unfortunate.



This debate that I am showcasing is a push for apologetics in youth groups. It is a test to fine-tune my personal approach of integrating apologetics into youth groups. While I am stepping down for the summer, it is possible that I will return afterwards and resume a role of authority. If this happens, my focus will be nearly exclusively apologetics driven. I will push for it with all my might. The benefits are well worth the price of refusing to equip our kids intellectually for the intellectual war that is already going on.

William Lane Craig on the Urgent Need for Apologetics

If I can credit any one person to inspiring me to take up apologetics, it would be William Lane Craig. This guy has inspired me and motivated me to study apologetics and to share what I learn with others. While I have learned from several apologists, I have learned considerably from Craig. I am showcasing his recent debate with atheist historian Richard Carrier on "Did Jesus Rise From The Dead?" to my students and college friends this Saturday. In anticipation of this, I post this quote today (I wish I could post the whole introduction - every pastor, youth minister, and church leader needs to read the intro of Craig's book "Hard Questions, Real Answers) to show that it is incredible vital and urgent that churches embrace apologetics across all spectrum (especially youth ministry and college ministry) as soon as possible - i.e. today!

"Indeed, the single most important institution shaping Western society is the university. It is at the university that our future political leaders, our journalists, our lawyers, our teachers, our scientists, our business executives, our artists, will be trained. It is at the university that they will formulate or, more likely, simply absorb the worldview that will shape their lives. And since these are the opinion-makers and leaders who shape our culture, the worldview that they imbibe at the university will be the one that shapes our culture.

Why is this important? Simply because the gospel is never heard in isolation. It is always heard against the background of the cultural milieu in which one lives. A person raised in a cultural milieu in which Christianity is still seen as an intellectually viable option will display an openness to the gospel which a person who is secularized will not display. For the secular person you may as well tell him to believe in fairies or leprechauns as in Jesus Christ! . . . .

It is part of the broader task of Christian scholarship to help create and sustain a cultural milieu in which the gospel can be heard as an intellectually viable option for thinking men and women. Therefore, the Church has a vital stake in raising up Christian scholars who will help us to create a place at the university for Christian ideas. The average Christian does not realize that there is an intellectual war going on in the universities and in professional journals and societies. Christianity is being attacked as irrational or obsolete, and millions of students, our future generation of leaders, have absorbed this viewpoint. This is a war we cannot afford to lose."

 William Lane Craig, "Hard Questions, Real Answers", pg 14-15

Constitutional Clauses and the Persecuted Church

Last night, another good atheist friend of mine named Stetson (not the same atheist that I spoke of a few days ago) asked about the Bible's stance on the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. Since it was such a long reply, with his permission, I copied/pasted it below (with a few edits). I have slightly deviated the focus in this blog post to what I was originally replying to - in particular, I want to note the relation of the two clauses to the current situation of the Persecuted Church in other countries.

Alright, about the Bible's take on the Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause. First I will give a few Scriptures that would apply to this, and then I will give my thoughts on it.

First, one of the most important texts for dealing with the government comes from Romans 13:1-8. It is a very important passage for dealing with how Christianity should relate to the government:

Everyone must submit to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are instituted by God. So then, the one who resists the authority is opposing God’s command, and those who oppose it will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Do you want to be unafraid of the authority? Do what is good, and you will have its approval. For government is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, because it does not carry the sword for no reason. For government is God’s servant, an avenger that brings wrath on the one who does wrong. Therefore, you must submit, not only because of wrath, but also because of your conscience. And for this reason you pay taxes, since the ⌊authorities⌋ are God’s public servants, continually attending to these tasks. Pay your obligations to everyone: taxes to those you owe taxes, tolls to those you owe tolls, respect to those you owe respect, and honor to those you owe honor. Romans 13:1-7 (HCSB)

This passage, while it commands Christians to submit to the authority of the government, when taken in together with what Jesus said about the government, it establishes a very important directive that we should follow.

Tell us, therefore, what You think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” But perceiving their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing Me, hypocrites? Show Me the coin used for the tax.” So they brought Him a denarius. “Whose image and inscription is this?” He asked them. “Caesar’s,” they said to Him. Then He said to them, “Therefore give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” When they heard this, they were amazed. So they left Him and went away. Matthew 22:17-22 (HCSB)

Christ is saying here that when it comes to matters of the government, then we are to obey the government. However, if the government is seeking to do something that is to be done against God or if the government is asking for it's citizens to do something immoral or something wrong, then it is the duty of Christians to stand against the government. Taking a stance against the government is not the default stance. That is a much larger subject to dive into, however.

Now, to the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause. Time for a little church history. Prior to the founding of America, we have the Protestant Revolution, beginning when Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the church in Wittenburg. At the time, the Catholic Church was the religion of the state - and because it was the religion of the state (for the majority of the European nations at the time) it was able to use the power of the state - it's resources, governing bodies, enforcement forces, ect - to suppress what it openly deemed to be a heretical movement within the church at the time, and it openly persecuted, sometimes through violent means, to try and silence the Reformation. This was only possible because the Catholic Church was established as the official religion of the government, and therefore was able to use the government's powers to accomplish it's will. Had the Catholic Church not been established as the official religion, they would not have been able to do anything.

America was colonized for several reasons, but one of the most important one was for those that were seeking religious freedom - the pilgrims. Among other things, they were seeking to escape the religious persecution that was taking place through the government. The founders knew what they were doing when they included the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause - it was to prevent history from repeating itself and from Religion A from being able to beat up Religion B because Religion A was the official religion.

I believe those two clauses are what makes this country incredible - I believe that no religion, even Christianity, should be adopted to be a government established religion, and here is why: I am very involved with watchdog groups that inform about the persecuted church in other countries, and the persecution I speak of it only possible because of a lack of (either in the countries' constitution, or in enforcement) of these two Clauses. If there is one fact that the media continually wishes to suppress, it is the well document, very frequent, very common, (sometimes) very violent and very disturbing amount of persecution that takes place against Christians in the Middle East, China, N. Korea, and elsewhere. This is only possible because in those places, things like the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause do _not_ exist - in fact, in these countries where persecution of Christians take place, it is precisely because a specific religion is established (most of which is Islam) and because you are not free to practice anything else! America is a great nation because of those two clauses, because it allows people to believe whatever they want knowing that they will not face persecution from the government.

Questions? Comments? Leave your thoughts below!