20/20 on 20
This evening the Young Adults Bible Study group that I’m "leading" in the interim finished up our study over the existence of God (Why Believing in God Makes So Much Sense). The book used for the study period is titled: 20 Compelling Evidences That God Exists (by Kenneth D. Boa & Robert M. Bowman Jr.). Completion of the study topic has been met by all with a general sigh of relief; not to be taken as indicative of the quality of the book however.
My personal assessment of the book is that it’s full of useful information; I was simply challenged to find a way to deliver the information in an engaging manner. This may have been due in part to " 20 Compelling Evidences .." not being written as group study material ie; workbook, activity or exercise format. Also, the young adults (18-22 years) did on a few occasions mention that the language seemed to be a bit confusing at times, perhaps a case of the authors’ intellectual approach being intended for an older audience?
Most often what took place during Wednesday evenings was a lot of reading to the group (something that I’m not a fan of), versus having clear cut sections to pause for critical thinking and discussion of key points. Looking back over the past few months I think part of what made " 20 Compelling Evidences .." tough to teach was:
- difficulty for believers in Christ to comprehend what it is to not believe in God
- focus on disbelief or skepticism and perhaps not enough attention paid to a person’s concerns/fears regarding why they should "leap"
- there was a lack of experience to draw from (speaking for myself) in dealing with objections or even relating to them
- limited preparation time due to being equally busy with other tasks, work, church activities etc;
As time permits I do plan on going back through the book again and reading on my own, and at my own pace. I do see potential for this book as a supplement for a Christian’s witnessing efforts, and their walk in general. Below are a few snippets from the final chapter that did leave me with a warm and fuzzy feeling:
So accepting Christ doesn’t mean rejecting everything the other religions say. Of course, it does mean taking the position that where those other religions disagree with Christ, they’re wrong.. More to the point, accepting Christ means recognizing that Christ can do something for you that none of the world’s religions or their founders can. p. 176
In a sense, Christianity also is a religion - a human association based on a articular way of dealing with the most fundamental issues of life,death,and meaning. Christianity has doctrines, rituals, and other elements associated with religion. Yet, paradoxically, Christianity announces that religion is not enough. Religions are human institutions that express fallible human beliefs and values. For that very reason, Christianity points away from religion - even away from itself - to Christ. p. 177
Grace and peace be with you.