I’m not at all discouraged or threatened or bothered by the one-sided commentary of the atheists. Their religion and the tenets that it embraces are fine with me, and so is their proselytizing.
The original version of Christianity was vigorous. It was stronger than the steel of the Roman Empire and tougher than their nails. Against tremendous odds a small sect of Jesus’ followers defied that empire and asserted that Jesus came to replace the Jewish Temple; and over 2,000 years later, His movement is still going. So I’m not doubtful at all.
But I do think the church needs to be willing to make changes to its approach. Many people nowadays see the version of Christianity that they grew up with is not well-suited for the sociological and scientific realities of the world in which they live. Changing times calls for changing approaches, to accomplish an unchanging mission.
And pounding people over the head with the Bible is no different than a Muslim leader pounding Christians over the head with the Koran. The Koran carries zero weight with Christians, and they don’t see it as authoritative. And at least half of Americans don’t see the Bible as authoritative either. So over half of em’ aren’t gonna be reached by an approach of “the Bible teaches” or “God’s word is clear” or “the Bible says” or anything else along those lines. They’re ineffective approaches to people nowadays.
I see the New Testament…the very words of the original texts…as an inspired collection of manuscripts documenting events that really happened, as opposed to seeing the whole Bible as a spiritual book to live by. And it doesn’t undermine anything about the Bible. It actually underscores the historicity of the events in those New Testament manuscripts. That’s why I have no doubt that Christianity’s foundation are the events that inspired different writers to document insights, conversations, and events…with the pivotal event being Jesus’ resurrection.
And even though nowadays we wouldn’t know of these events had they not been documented, they were documented hundreds of years before ‘the Bible’ ever existed, and it’s the events themselves…not the record of the events…that launched Christianity. Christianity is the reason ‘the Bible’ was created.
The faith of the first-century followers of Jesus is the enduring version of the Christian faith. The one tougher than nails and harder than steel. The one rooted in events, not a book.
