FEEL FREE TO COMMENT ON ANY OF THE TOPICS BELOW
Listen to the talks and see the preview videos at www.standys.org.au/hottopics
TALK 4: SCIENCE AND CHRISTIANITY: FRIENDS OR FOES?
Richard Dawkins thinks he can discredit Christianity by refuting the Design-Designer philosophical argument for the existence of God, sometimes called the Teleological proof, championed by Paley. But many Christians, including me, have no time for this argument ourselves, and have never relied on it when discussing the existence of God.
But what makes Dawkin’s argument unscientific is his view that, because we understand how genes work, we no longer need to say God exists to bring design into the world. Well, consider this. Scientsts working in the area of meteorology can tell us how rain develops and where it is likely to fall. And the Bible tells us God sends the rain. Are these statements in conflict? Of course not! One explains the natural causes of rain, and the other the work of the creator in his creation. Both may be true at the same time.
So then, that genes explain the building blocks of design in living creatures does not mean God has not created the world and ordered it in a particular way. The two may be true at the same time.
Science used scientifically is a wonderful gift from God to understand the world he has created and ordered. Scientists can tell us all kinds of things, but they cannot tell us, based on their observations, that God does or does not exist. That question is beyond the brief of Science, as Dawkins ought to acknowledge. Many fine Christian Scientists make this very point themselves.
On Monday, 17th August, join me at St Andrew’s Wahroonga as I speak on the wonderful way in which Science has aided Christian adn general human enquiry, but how atheistic science is not science at all.
TALK 3: EDUCATION- GOOD OR EVIL?
Some questions to whet your appetite:
How does education help us in understanding the gospel?
Can education solve problems like the poor behaviour of Rugby League players?
Who does the educating when it comes to teaching the gospel?
How can we support schools, both state and private?
I suggest that education is a very poor idol; it simply cannot solve the ills of our society. But education is a wonderful servant. Listen to the talk and let me know what you think.
TALK 2: SUFFERING- WHY DOES GOD ALLOW IT?
Now this is a biggy! And I am no stranger to suffering, for within my own family I have a disabled son who has been in and out of hospital for much of his life. I lost a family friend in the Port Arthur massacre, and someone close to me took her own life. So I can relate to the emotion behind the question for this topic.
Now God does not provide us with all the answers to this question, but what he does reveal to us has given me enormous confidence in his goodness to me. And I know God’s Son no less suffered for my sake!
And then there’s the reality that, because I serve the Lord Jesus, I will suffer when I teach his truth. In other words, because I am a Christian I will suffer! But this kind of suffering is a privilege.
If you read this before 8 pm on Monday, 3rd August 2009 then join with us to hear me talk about this; there’ll be an opportunity for questions.
From next week you’ll be able to download this talk from the St Andrew’s Anglican Church website: www.standys.org.au
TALK ONE: ONE WAY ONLY TO GOD- TOO ARROGANT?
The local press would not cover a church outreach event in the local iconic park in Wahroonga where well over 500 residents attended a Jazz concert. Nor would the press cover the fact that thousands of local residents gave generously to the Anglicare food appeal organised by 5 local Anglican churches.
But the press did run with a story that suggested the sign on a local church noticeboard: ‘Know Christ, know God, No Christ, No God” was unacceptable and arrogant.
Isn’t it interesting that the only view modern society tolerates is the view that all religions are true for their adherents, and no one has the right to suggest the claims of a particular religion are wrong or that there is only one way to God.
Is this tolerance? Hardly! Modern society allows one view only! And this results in people being less likely to check out competing claims that cannot both be right at the same time. For example, either Jesus died as the New Testament and Roman historians like Tacitus recorded, or he did not die at all as Mohammed claims in the Koran. I encourage you to investigate for yourself the claim Jesus did actually die.
In talk no. one, which can be downloaded from the St Andrew’s Anglican Church Wahroonga, (www.standys.org.au) I suggest that it is actually a humble statement for us to make that Jesus is the only way to God, for this is not my claim, or the claim of church officials, but the claim of the divine Son of God himself! We are humbling ourselves when we admit we cannot find God’s truth by our own reason or spirituality, and instead rely on God himself to reveal to us how we may know him. And we may know him by knowing and trusting in his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.
John 1:18: No one has ever seen God, but God the one and only, who is in the bosom of God the Father, he has made him known.
John 14:6: Jesus said, ‘ I am the way, and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except by me.’
Not convinced? Then check out the claims of Jesus for yourself, and weigh up the evidence.
