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Baker Publishing Group - Alex McFarland

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126 pages

English

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In 10 Answers for Skeptics, McFarland identifies the ten most common types of skepticism that plague doubters' minds and offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward truth. Readers will learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions, and dismantle the "spiritual bombshells" dropped by atheists. Plus, they'll find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love--the ultimate apologetic Christians can offer as witness to our loving God.

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Philosophie et théologie

Christian theology

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Publié par	Baker Publishing Group
Date de parution	01 octobre 2011
Nombre de lectures	0
EAN13	9781441266590
Langue	English

Informations légales : prix de location à la page 0,0432€. Cette information est donnée uniquement à titre indicatif conformément à la législation en vigueur.

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PRAISE FOR 10 Answers for Skeptics
It’s not an easy task to answer tough questions briefly and to the point, yet Alex McFarland does it with flair! Seldom will one find so many hard-hitting responses in a single volume. Alex takes seriously the research that indicates that many, if not most, religious doubts, questions and anger directed at God comes not from a lack of answers but from a variety of emotional hurts and other existential issues. I highly recommend this quick read that allows skeptics to survey such a broad range of issues.
Gary R. Habermas
Distinguished Research Professor, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary
Alex McFarland has written yet another volume that is both engaging and enlightening. After reading this book, you will have a better sense of why skeptics think and feel the way they do. Not only will you be able to see through the smoke screen of their objections and catch a glimpse of what’s really troubling them, but you’ll find yourself becoming more compassionate as you share the truth of the gospel of Christ. This is an enjoyable read.
Michael Licona, Ph.D.
Apologetics Coordinator, North American Mission Board
Alex McFarland is someone for whom I have unbridled respect. He is a prolific author, and one of the leading Christian apologists of our day.
Janet Parshall
Host of In the Marketplace , Moody Radio
Alex McFarland’s previous books, tireless speaking schedule and near-constant presence in the media have made him perhaps the leading figure of the rising generation of Christian apologists. Alex’s answers in 10 Answers for Skeptics are clear, direct and accessible, but they are not simple and trite. Most of all, this book is filled with compassion. Alex never forgets that the purpose of Christian apologetics is not to win arguments, but to win people.
Warren Cole Smith
Associate Publisher, WORLD Magazine
Why are some of your friends and relatives not Christians? Know your audience! Know your audience! Know your audience! 10 Answers for Skeptics will help you know your audience and show you how to reach them. Great insights from Alex McFarland!
Dr. Frank Turek
Co-author, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist
President of CrossExamined.org

© 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society ® © 2011 Alex McFarland
Used by permission of International Bible Society ® .
Published by Bethany House Publishers 11400 Hampshire Avenue South Bloomington, Minnesota 55438 www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan. www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6659-0
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2011
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version ®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved
Other versions used are:
CEV—Contemporary English Version . Copyright © American Bible Society, 1995.
ESV —Scripture taken from the English Standard Version , Copyright © 2001.
The ESV and English Standard Version are trademarks of Good News Publishers.
NASB —Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible , © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
NKJV —Scripture taken from the New King James Version . Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
TNIV —Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version ® TNIV ® .
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all who truly seek truth; it is they who will find it .
CONTENTS
Acknowledgments
Foreword (by Dinesh J. D’Souza)
Section I
INSIDE THE MIND OF THE SKEPTIC
1. Responding to Someone Who Is Skeptical About God
2. The Necessity of Facing Tough Questions
3. Listening Before You Speak
Section II
ANSWERING THE SKEPTICS
1. The Educated Skeptic
2. The Wounded Skeptic
3. The Frightened Skeptic
4. The Proud Skeptic
5. The Orphaned Skeptic
6. The Tolerant Skeptic
7. The Sensual Skeptic
8. The Seeking Skeptic
9. The Syncretistic Skeptic
10. The Honest Skeptic
Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?
Appendices
Appendix 1: Making a Defense of Christianity
Appendix 2: Facts About Other Religions
Appendix 3: Conversational Answers to 40 Common Questions
Appendix 4: Understanding the Resurrection
Appendix 5: Real-World Answers to 20 Commonly Asked Questions
Endnotes
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The publication of 10 Answers for Skeptics has come about through the dedication and involvement of a number of people. I am grateful for every person involved with this special project. Special thanks are due to the great folks at Regal Books, especially Bill Grieg III, Steve Lawson, Kim Bangs and Elaine Montefu, to name just a few.
I want to thank my friend and colleague Tom Neven (whose labyrinthine knowledge of nearly everything landed him an appearance on Jeopardy ). Tom’s assistance in formatting and clarifying this material was invaluable. Also, Dr. Elmer Towns, dean of Liberty University, has deeply impacted my life as a professor, Sunday School teacher, friend and colleague. The basic idea for this book came about in a conversation with Dr. Towns.
Special thanks are also due to the following people who have graciously invested themselves in my work of apologetics: my wonderful public relations/media team at Hamilton Strategies in Pennsylvania; my friend and advisor Mr. Marshall Barnes; Chad Cannon and Gracie Lasater at Outreach, Inc.; Arline Bell and the NRB television network; Larry Patton and all the staff at TCT; and everyone at the American Family Radio Network.
For everything that true friendship includes, I thank God for Jeffrey Foskett, Ric Davis, Chris Gambos, Keith Lowder, Warren C. Smith and especially Larry and Marianne. Thanks are due to the gracious pastors of more than 1,000 American churches who have allowed me to come and speak on the very topic at hand, I thank you. Finally, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Alex McFarland
June 2011
FOREWORD
I decided to enter the world of apologetics one afternoon while watching a pastor being completely overwhelmed by Christopher Hitchens in a televised debate. The pastor insisted on using Scripture, but Hitchens had a simple response: He did not accept the authority of the Bible. Hitchens easily carried the debate with his wit and because he appealed to the shared language of the audience—the language of reason.
Since that afternoon, I’ve gone on to debate Christopher Hitchens more than eight times myself. In fact, we’ve become good friends and have had an ongoing conversation both through our debates and on a more personal level. Our conversations about faith and Christianity rely mainly on rational arguments for the existence of God and the importance of religion. Of course, I could defend these beliefs through biblical proofs, but he would not accept the arguments. Reasoned arguments are the only way I can speak with him about God and Christianity.
What is so striking about New Atheists like Hitchens is their nearly missionary zeal. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and, of course, Hitchens have become a type of “atheist pastor,” preaching to worldwide congregations and marketing bestselling books. Their work has created a wide body of atheist thinking with which we must contend.
As this New Atheism continues to grow, however, we are also seeing more books and data being written and compiled in support of belief in God. The interest in this side of the debate can be seen not only in bestselling theists on the New York Times bestsellers list but also in the number of debates and conferences sponsored by faith-based organizations. Over the last several years, such events have increased in frequency and in attendance, as believers and non-believers alike have turned out by the thousands to consider the arguments for and against God.
I met Alex McFarland through speaking at his conferences. Alex is the organizer of the National Conference on Christian Apologetics, and I quickly recognized his passion for seeing lives transformed. Alex is a dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial person. His enthusiasm is contagious not only in person, but also in his writing.
Alex’s latest contribution to the field of apologetics, 10 Answers for Skeptics , is a unique blend of reason and experience. The result is a book that offers answers to intellectual barriers as well as the experiential challenges to faith that trouble many skeptics. Alex’s two decades of experience speaking in churches and on campuses has afforded him hundreds of opportunities to understand how apologetics and evangelism work in tandem. 10 Answers for Skeptics provides a rational defense of the faith by appealing to reason—the starting place for every skeptic and a tool too often missing from the apologist’s toolkit. Moreover, with a minister’s care, he does not ask the reader to consider only the mind. He asks every skeptic to take account of the heart as well.
While skeptics may retort that the mind is supreme and the heart secondary, many of the leaders of the New Atheism are “wounded theists.” At some point in their lives, a loved one was hurt or a catastrophic experience pained them so greatly that they went on to erect intellectual barriers against God. Alex’s experience has given him the knowledge to deal with th