Friday, May 27, 2005

A Case For Faith - Lee Strobel

And So it begins.

My quest to find and regain my faith in Jesus Christ once again. Whether friends would rejoice, or whether they would say that i have taken the path for the weak-minded, it is for me to decide.

I always thought that religion was one for the weak minded, those would could not stand on their own two feet, think with their own brains, and solve problems with their own intellect.

Or perhaps religion is a way to connect to other people, to open your world, and to meet and greet new people you have never known or even dared to talk to before.

Skeptics might say:

1) He's doing this because he's desperate to get a girl.

I don't refute that. I mean, christian girls are "chio". and no harm getting to know more people. And of course, people who say that going to church is about "God" can look at the congregation and throw that thought to hell. People go to church to make friends, to have social lives.

They just call it "Fellowship". And frankly, some of my best friends today were friends i made back then when i attended church. Not to mention how many couples have hooked up via "Church". So yeah, the church is a good "SDU". Why not? And of course, the "God" part SHOULD come later.


2) I need intellectual discourse to solve my doubts about the Christian faith. The blurb of the book reads:

"Strobel turns his skills to the most persistent emotional objections to belief - the eight "heart" barriers to faiths."

These are:

1) Since Evil and Suffering Exist, A Loving God Cannot.
Very Buddha. Very Zen. I like. (In case you people don't know, Buddha believed he could TRANSCEND God. He didn't say there was no God, Siddartha just thought he could attain Nirvana - to be without God)

2) Since Miracles Contradict Science, They Cannot Be True
Hmmm can't wait to get to this chapter. Probably going to be some chapter on scientific facts for miracles.

3) Evolution Explains Life, So God Isn't Needed.
Total Bullshit. God is needed just as much as Air is needed. Simply because humans have a basic need for understanding and spiritual support. It's just a question of WHY should be accept and believe in a montheistic, vengeful God such as Yahweh. (When other alternatives existed before, such as Ba'al).

4) God Isn't Worthy of Worship If He Kills Innocent Children.
Right. Like the Cardinal Bernard Law "LOVES" children. WACKO JACKO, if you ask me. Fucking Paedophiles.

5) It's Offensive to Claim Jesus Is the Only Way to God.
Well, Jesus said so himself. Plus what other ways are there? Okay okay, muslims will go Mohammed. I get it.

6) A Loving God Would Never Torture People in Hell.
NOW NOW NOW, where did we get the idea that Hell=torture? Maybe it's just being AWAY/WITHOUT God. Of course, to Christians, that's a bad thing, but to the rest of the world, it's not such a bad thing after all. Also, Hell is a pretty solid place if you ask me, not that I've seen it before. Why spend eternity with Pope John Paul II when you can spend it with Kurt Cobain and Michael Jackson?

7) Church History is Littered with Oppression and Violence.
Now, this one hits the nail right on my head. Can't wait to see what arguments he has against this. After all, past sins are ALWAYS utilised against the present situation. You mean we must FORGIVE the Church? Uhmmm. Crusades. brother, Crusades.

8) I Still Have Doubts, So I Can't Be a Christian.
Bull. Ask any christian. They ALL HAVE DOUBTS.

So ends the 8 retorts to the barriers to faith. I shall get started on the book, and report on my findings. Christian friends, Pray for me. Non-Christian friends, I would like to meet up and discuss over a cup of coffee or Vodka:).
Then again, we could always talk about the history of Buddhism and Hinduism. I'm the religion guru. Cool man.


lip
ranting

1 comment:

Jesse said...

hehe good luck.

sometimes to me, evangelism is like an interrogator saying to a suspect, forcibly shining the desk lamp to him. "eh, you better confess, your 2 friends have already told everything... and if you do confess, you'll probably get a lighter sentence." all very messy.

i think people should open the windows and let in the light themselves, and if they don't want, let them spoil their eyes lah!

i know the way i think is a bit screwed up, but religion is like a home and you do get to choose who you want to live with, and you can be nice with your neighbours and all but you can't force them. because everyone has their own conception of what home is.

and sometimes home is what you grow up with.