c l a s s i c a l
From the book, Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists, Douglas Groothuis, Professor of Philosophy at Denver Seminary, explains that answering the atheist criticism that religion, especially Christianity, is dangerous matters immensely. (Visit his blog The Constructive Curmudgeon.)
As a former, zealous opponent of Christianity, Dr. Groothuis explains why he still thinks Christianity is the most dangerous religion in the world. He writes the following.
As a former, zealous opponent of Christianity, Dr. Groothuis explains why he still thinks Christianity is the most dangerous religion in the world. He writes the following.
__________
As a freshman in college, I imbibed a heady brew of modern atheism served up by Sigmund Freud, Karl Marx, and Friedrich Nietzsche. Freud claimed that religion was a projection, a figment of wish fulfillment. We desire a heavenly Father to make life tolerable, but the heavens provide no Father. Marx thundered that religion pacified and placated the desire for social justice, since lasting goodness could only be found in a heaven that did not exist. Nietzsche insisted that Christianity was the attempt by the weak to get revenge on the strong and that the truly free can live "beyond good and evil" by creating their own values in the godless, gladiatorial theater of nature.
Having little understanding of Christianity and no awareness of apologetics (the rational case for Christian truth), I viewed traditional Western religion as dangerous to the intellect, while I became attracted to Eastern religions in a vague sense. I stopped praying, tried to meditate, and fancied myself an aspiring intellectual who needed to oppose Christianity. But something strange happened that first year in college: Christianity began to speak to my condition, despite my antipathy toward it.
A philosophy professor assigned some readings by Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish Christian philosopher. After having dismissed Kierkegaard in a paper, I decided to actually read the primary text, The Sickness unto Death. I found a profound assessment of the human condition before God. Much to my surprise and dismay, the book began exposing both my rebellion against God and God's offer of grace through Christ.
In addition to my reading, I came to know the loving and courageous witness of two Christian women who were involved in the Navigators, a campus group focused on discipleship and evangelism. Through various providential events, many conversations with Christians, and Bible reading, I confessed Christ as Lord in the summer of 1976.
After a difficult summer of trying vainly to believe Christianity without evidence, I discovered the words of Francis Schaeffer, James Sire, C.S. Lewis, Os Guinness, St Augustine, Blaise Pascal, and many more high-caliber thinkers, who demonstrated that the Christian worldview has nothing to fear in the world of ideas.
I eventually switched my major to philosophy and began a grand intellectual adventure that continues to this day. Now, as a professional philosopher, I find some of the best philosophers alive defending Christianity through rational arguments.
In a sense, I have spent the last thirty-three years trying to disprove Christianity -- not as an atheist, but as a philosopher who has investigated all the major religions and philosophies on offer. I found that the anti-Christian arguments of Freud, Marx, Nietzsche, and others missed the mark.
I have tackled the toughest challenges to Christianity and investigated the case for other worldviews. My years of study, teaching, and writing have convinced me that Christianity is objectively true, rational, wise, and pertinent to all of life. But I still believe it is dangerous -- not to the intellect, but to any other worldview that attempts to refute it.
Having little understanding of Christianity and no awareness of apologetics (the rational case for Christian truth), I viewed traditional Western religion as dangerous to the intellect, while I became attracted to Eastern religions in a vague sense. I stopped praying, tried to meditate, and fancied myself an aspiring intellectual who needed to oppose Christianity. But something strange happened that first year in college: Christianity began to speak to my condition, despite my antipathy toward it.
A philosophy professor assigned some readings by Søren Kierkegaard, the Danish Christian philosopher. After having dismissed Kierkegaard in a paper, I decided to actually read the primary text, The Sickness unto Death. I found a profound assessment of the human condition before God. Much to my surprise and dismay, the book began exposing both my rebellion against God and God's offer of grace through Christ.
In addition to my reading, I came to know the loving and courageous witness of two Christian women who were involved in the Navigators, a campus group focused on discipleship and evangelism. Through various providential events, many conversations with Christians, and Bible reading, I confessed Christ as Lord in the summer of 1976.
After a difficult summer of trying vainly to believe Christianity without evidence, I discovered the words of Francis Schaeffer, James Sire, C.S. Lewis, Os Guinness, St Augustine, Blaise Pascal, and many more high-caliber thinkers, who demonstrated that the Christian worldview has nothing to fear in the world of ideas.
I eventually switched my major to philosophy and began a grand intellectual adventure that continues to this day. Now, as a professional philosopher, I find some of the best philosophers alive defending Christianity through rational arguments.
In a sense, I have spent the last thirty-three years trying to disprove Christianity -- not as an atheist, but as a philosopher who has investigated all the major religions and philosophies on offer. I found that the anti-Christian arguments of Freud, Marx, Nietzsche, and others missed the mark.
I have tackled the toughest challenges to Christianity and investigated the case for other worldviews. My years of study, teaching, and writing have convinced me that Christianity is objectively true, rational, wise, and pertinent to all of life. But I still believe it is dangerous -- not to the intellect, but to any other worldview that attempts to refute it.
__________
Douglas Groothuis, "Christianity, Truth, and Danger," in Is God Just a Human Invention? And Seventeen Other Questions Raised by the New Atheists, eds. Sean McDowell and Jonathan Morrow (Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 2010), 146-47.
"...I still believe [Christianity] is dangerous -- not to the intellect, but to any other worldview that attempts to refute it."
ReplyDeleteHA! Best line ever.
:^)
DeleteThat last line just made me feel all warm and gooy inside.
ReplyDelete:^) hahahaha ... it did me too!
Delete