“Probably No God” Ad Campaign to Appear on Buses in Britain

Check out this story from the BBC.  I disagree with the claim that God does not exist, as argued by Richard Dawkins and others mentioned in this brief.  I do not deny that Dawkins is an intellectual giant worthy of engagement–he is widely accomplished in his field, apt at writing in a popular style, and is clearly passionate in his conviction that God does not exist.  Yet, I find it difficult to argue with someone whose rhetoric leaves no room for dialogue and whose sheer arrogance seems to indicate that there is no possibility he might be wrong.  Great thinkers throughout history have been theists–something that we should not dismiss.  And, there are many intelligent scientists, philosophers, and thinkers who continue to argue for the existence of God, challenging the prevailing Darwinian sentiment that remains in academia.  Philosophy in particular is experiencing a resurgence of persons who hold Christian convictions, a point to be noted at a time when a coherent understanding of truth in popular Christian theology seems to be on the ropes.

Here’s an excerpt from the news article:

Bendy-buses with the slogan “There’s probably no God” could soon be running on the streets of London.

The atheist posters are the idea of the British Humanist Association (BHA) and have been supported by prominent atheist Professor Richard Dawkins.

The BHA planned only to raise £5,500, which was to be matched by Professor Dawkins, but it has now raised more than £36,000 of its own accord.

It aims to have two sets of 30 buses carrying the signs for four weeks.

The complete slogan reads: “There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

As the campaign has raised more than anticipated, it will also have posters on the inside of buses as well.

The BHA is also considering extending the campaign to cities including Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh.

Professor Dawkins said: “Religion is accustomed to getting a free ride – automatic tax breaks, unearned respect and the right not to be offended, the right to brainwash children.

“Even on the buses, nobody thinks twice when they see a religious slogan plastered across the side.

“This campaign to put alternative slogans on London buses will make people think – and thinking is anathema to religion.”

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Gospel Tracts a Thing of the Past?

Over the past few years I’ve travelled to a handful of major U.S. cities, and during each visit, I manage to come across people handing out gospel tracts.  I’ve seen these people everywhere.  When there aren’t people to hand them out, sometimes I’ve found tracts lying in airport bathrooms.  My wife and I went on a trip about a year and a half ago where every time we had a layover I picked up a tract somewhere.  Everywhere I went these printed materials were ready to meet me.  Maybe I needed to repent and ask Jesus into my heart.  Yet, blessed assurance…

Out of curiosity I steer toward these people and take whatever they are handing out.  I can remember vividly interactions I had with two different persons while visiting New York City.  One person handed me a tract that stated “being baptized as a child” and “following the 10 commandments and basically being a good person” were not sufficient for salvation, sentiments with which I would agree.  These conditions were the foundation of the presentation which was to follow.  If you’ve seen printed materials which begin with a similar line of argument, you know that infant baptism and being a good person are portrayed as types of “salvation by works” which will be demolished by the proclamation of salvation by grace alone through Christ alone.

Again, as a Christian person I would affirm that salvation comes by grace through Christ.  I wasn’t too surprised by the basic message of this gospel tract.  What bewildered me about this gospel presentation was the fact that it assumed the majority of people reading it would have either experience baptism as a small child or have been familiar with the 10 commandments and considered the decalogue a reasonable basis for a personal code of ethics.  That day I was walking with my friend Ryan, and I told him that I thought this line of argument was no longer applicable to our culture.  The church no longer shares a common discourse or language with a nominally Christian public.  We are no longer living in a nation which intentionally engages with the texts and way of life as embodied in the Judea-Christian tradition.  Tracts like the one I received in New York City were written to another world which no longer exists.

As for that other person I can remember in NYC, he was outside Yankee stadium handing out tracts featuring Mickey Mantle.  Standing on the Subway headed home from the game, I knew I wasn’t the only one who had been handed one of these tracts.  I can recall seeing a man carefully reading through the material, then expressing his disgust to his wife who was with him.  I was saddened in that moment, but was unsure what to say.

This week I was reading a book entitled Holy Conversation: Talking About God in Everyday Life by Richard Peace.  In his 3rd chapter, “Really Good News,” he asks this question:

I do wonder if tracts are not a thing of the past?  You don’t see tractlike materials used in any other areas of life these days.

I thought this was a good question for the blog world, considering this may be one of the most prevalent forums in our culture today in which people can express their beliefs on faith, politics, religion, and public life to a diverse and broad audience.  The blog world just might be the contemporary tract, though the format and the means of engagement are quite different.

I am not someone who leaves “Tracts in my Tracks,” as one evangelist once exhorted me to do both in word and by walking the aisles of the church facility flinging tracts in the air.  My life and work are tracts which I hope point others toward a different reality called Kingdom which is constituted by a cross.

In order to open this up, I invite you to blog and link back here with your thoughts on this question: Is the tract still a viable means by which to communicate the gospel?  Or, has it ever been?  What are your thoughts on tracts?

If you don’t have a forum, feel free to leave a comment.  How effective is the tract?  What purpose does the tract serve?  Will tracts continue to be used by Christian people in the future, and will they maintain the same form?  I’d love to hear your thoughts.

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Book Review :: Timothy Keller’s Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism

Everyone likes a good book that provides tools for apologetics, right?  Tim Keller, pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, has provided an articulate, readable, and helpful book for thinking people who seek to better understand and explain Christian belief.  In this work he provides answers to some of the most common objections raised concerning the existence of God, and the ”reasons for faith” found in the Christian tradition.

In his introduction, Keller begins by saying:

There is a great gulf today between what is popularly known as liberalism and conservatism.  Each side demands that you not only disagree with the other as (at best) crazy or (at worst) evil.  This is particularly true when religion is the point at issue.  Progressives cry out that fundamentalism is growing rapidly and nonbelief is stigmatized.  They point out that politics has turned toward the right, supported by mega-churches and mobilized orthodox believers.  Conservatives endlessly denounce what they see as an increasingly skeptical and relativistic society.  Major universities, media companies, and elite institutions are heavily secular, they say, and they control the culture.

Which is it?  Is skepticism or faith on the ascendancy in the world today?  The answer is Yes.  The enemies are both right.  Skepticism, fear, and anger toward traditional religion are growing in power and influence.  But at the same time, robust, orthodox belief in the traditional faiths is growing as well. (ix)

Following this acknowledgement that both religious and secular outlooks are gaining adherents and are at an impasse, he recognizes the need for an alternative to the increasing polarization between these two extremes.  Keller’s own ministry has found that what may be emerging is a “spiritual third way.”  He believes younger Christians, who have wrestled with doubt and come out the other side, “are the vanguard of some major new religious, social, and political arrangements that could make the older form of the culture wars obsolete”(xix).

The book has two major divisions.  The first part, titled “The Leap of Doubt,” addresses these concerns:

• There Can’t Be Just One True Religion
• How Could a Good God Allow Suffering?
• Christianity is a Straighjacket
• The Church is Responsible for So Much Injustice
• How Can a Loving God Send People to Hell?
• Science Has Disproved Christianity
• You Can’t Take the Bible Literally

In this portion of the book, Keller draws from philosophy, theology, and examples from his ministry to address these objections to religious belief.  Each chapter begins with a quotation from persons expressing these objections–presumably persons that could be met on the streets or in cafes in New York City (and perhaps your community).  Keller is not afraid to engage leading atheist thinkers, including Ricard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens.  His responses to these objections are well-reasoned and invite conversation.  Because many of these objections are so common, I found Keller helpful.  At the very least his answers provide a platform from which one might develop their own responses to thinking people who may have objections to the existence of God.

In the second part of his book, entitled “The Reasons for Faith,” Keller presents reasons one might at least consider the existence of God, and whether the truth concerning that God might be found in the Christian story.  Here are the chapter headings:

• The Clues of God
• The Knowledge of God
• The Problem of Sin
• Religion and the Gospel
• The (True) Story of the Cross
• The Reality of the Resurrection
• The Dance of God

As I hinted above, this book is good.  Throughout the book you hear excerpts from Keller’s story and ministry, largely drawing from his experience of planting a church in an area thought to be devoid of hope for the proclamation of the Gospel.  When Keller told others of his desire to plant a church in NYC, people scoffed.  Over time, Keller’s church has reached over 5,000 persons.  When Keller tells his story, it makes sense.  He is an intelligent, thoughtful person. 

Dr. Keller, in his preaching and in his ministry, has sought to create a welcoming space for thinking people and provide them with reasoned, compelling answers for believing that the Christian story was true.  The worship services which take place at Redeemer have no frills, and are simply composed.  In his book Keller describes the impressions of church gurus who visit Redeemer and are surprised at the lack of flash. 

Substance seems to drive Keller’s ministry at Redeemer.  He knew that citizens in New York are thoughtful, creative, energetic, and inquisitive people.  Therefore, Keller made it a practice to remain in their worship space following services so that people could ask questions about the sermon.  Sometimes discussion would last over an hour following the conclusion of the service.  In these spaces Keller could provide answers, allow his heart to be made known, and challenge his interlocutors when they raised objections.  These conversations also allowed Keller to better understand the city in which he was conducting his ministry.

Keller is Presbyterian, though he does his best to make this book accessible to persons from a broad range of the Christian tradition.  I appreciate Keller’s book because it is open, thoughtful, and articulate.  His telling of the Christian story does not shy away from categories of sin, the need for repentance, and an understanding of the atonement which includes belief that Jesus’ death is more than illustrative of the sacrificial type of life we ourselves should lead.  Keller asserts that Jesus’s death and resurrection possesses a cosmic significance affecting our redemption.  In the death of Christ we are justified, as Jesus has paid the penalty for our sins. 

I found this book helpful and would recommend it.  It includes both philosophical and theological treatments that are intellectually engaging, as well as personal stories which illustrate his key points.  If you’re seeking to improve your own ability to articulate your faith, or perhaps are seeking a resource to help you engage non-Christian friends, family, or persons in your community, you may find this a helpful resource.

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