Why I'm Still a Christian

Why After Ten Years Of Talking With Atheists, I'm Still A Christian

Justin Brierley

• Publisher: SPCK Publishing
• Year: 2017
• ISBN:
  9780281077991
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Christian Theology

Conversations matter.Yet, recently, good conversations about faith have been increasingly squeezed out of the public sphere.Seeking to reopen the debate, Justin Brierley began to invite atheists and sceptics on to Premier Christian Radio to air arguments for and against the Christian faith.But how has ten years of discussion with atheists affected the presenter's faith?Reflecting on conversations with Richard Dawkins, Derren Brown and many more, Justin explains why he still finds Christianity the most compelling explanation for life, the universe and everything. And why, regardless of belief or background, we should all welcome the conversation.'Beautifully written, brilliantly argued, Justin's book will thrill Christians and challenge atheists.' R. T. Kendall, author and pastor'Justin has that happy knack of being able to get people of diametrically opposed opinions debating the big issues.' John Lennox, Professor of Mathematics, University of Oxford

Contents

Foreword by Alister McGrath

Acknowledgements

Introduction

1 Creating better conversations

2 God makes sense of human existence

3 God makes sense of human value

4 God makes sense of human purpose

5 Will the real Jesus please stand up?

6 Facts that only fit the resurrection

7 The atheist’s greatest objection: suffering

8 My ten minutes with Richard Dawkins

9 Choosing to live in the Christian story of reality

Notes

References

Premier at a glance

Foreword

Christianity needs to reconnect with our culture, showing that faith makes sense and is able to engage the deepest questions of human existence. That’s what apologetics tries to do. It sets out to engage the problems that many people clearly have with Christianity, set out the Christian faith in a faithful yet winsome way and translate our language of faith into our cultural vernacular. In this important and timely book, Justin Brierley explains how he developed his own approach to apologetics, and why this has generated such interest in both Christian and atheist circles.

In my view, the reason why Justin’s Premier Christian Radio show Unbelievable? has had such an impact is that he is willing to engage leading atheists and take their concerns seriously. Some might see this as risky, exposing Christian audiences to alternative viewpoints which they might find threatening. Yet Christians need to realize both that their ideas need defending and that they can be defended! Unbelievable? sets an example to the churches, helping Christians to understand why those outside the Church sometimes find their ideas difficult, while at the same time providing a winsome, informed and persuasive Christian response.

In this book, Justin reflects on his experience in his conversations with both atheists and believers, offering a rich fare to his readers. He covers a wide range of apologetic questions, always ensuring that the atheist or secularist perspective is fairly represented, while making sure his readers know that there are good answers that can be given. This book will be a valuable resource for both those who want to think about their faith and those who want to develop these kinds of conversations themselves. As Justin makes clear, there are lots of problems with an atheist worldview. And unless we have serious yet respectful conversations with atheists, those problems will not be acknowledged. As a former atheist myself, I know how important it is for wavering atheists to find sensible and informed Christians who they can talk to about their growing doubts. I hope many wanting to have these kinds of conversations will find this book helpful and encouraging.

Alister McGrath

Oxford University

Acknowledgements

Poet Audre Lorde said, ‘There are no new ideas. There are only new ways of making them felt.’ That very much applies to this book. I don’t claim to have had any new ideas about the case for God and Christianity. There are innumerable theologians, philosophers, apologists and sceptics who have had a hand in this book as I’ve listened, read and talked with them about faith over the years. My hope is to shape their ideas in a way that is accessible to ordinary people through telling the story of both Unbelievable? and my own faith journey. In the process, I hope to have created some new ways of making those ideas felt.

While there are too many names to mention that have had a background influence on this book, I must acknowledge those whose insights were a great help in the writing process. These include: Randal Rauser, whose fair-minded critiques have been so helpful; Sam Hailes, whose editorial skills are matched only by his prodigious output; members of the UK Apologetics group, especially Josh Parikh; Mike Licona for advice on chapters 5 and 6; John Buckeridge at Premier for his advice on the writing and for his helpful steering of this project; Elizabeth Neep at SPCK for her gracious guidance through the process of writing my first book, and the many others who have been so encouraging along the way too.

Much of this book was written in Pinnock’s coffee shop, in Ripley, Surrey (hands down, the best coffee shop in the world). Thanks to them for all the coffee and cake, and letting me camp out in that upstairs corner chair for so long. I also owe a debt of thanks to the Unbelievable? listening audience, many of whom have been with me on this journey for many years. By God’s grace I hope to travel many more years with you too.

Most importantly, I couldn’t have written this book without the patience, love and support of my wife Lucy and our four children. Thank you; you mean the world to me.

Introduction

Conversations matter.

Sitting in my favourite coffee shop turns out to be an appropriate place to begin writing this book. The conversations that float across the comfy sofas and coffee tables are as diverse as the customers. Students, school mums, musicians and business professionals are all within earshot. Without trying to eavesdrop, I am soon privy to several conversations which all drift on to spirituality at some point.

Two retired male friends are talking about the current form of Chelsea FC, and whether there really is such a thing as a ‘spirit world’. There are the two female students, one of whom is telling the other why she’s frustrated with hearing impressive sermons at her church which don’t seem to change the way people live. There is the faded hippy with long hair and a straggly beard. He’s impressing the young lady opposite him with tales of environmental protests and music legends he’s friends with. When their conversation turns to the power of prayer, he declares: ‘It doesn’t matter which religion you are; when lots of people pray it releases an energy which is bound to have an effect.’

Having conversations is one the most important things we do in life.

I like listening to conversations and, as the host of a radio discussion show about faith, I’m lucky enough to make a living from listening to them every week. The best sort of conversations spark creativity, deepen relationships and help us to see things from another person’s point of view.

Despite the frequent surveys telling us that UK churchgoing is in terminal decline and Christianity is withering away, the conversations I overheard in the coffee shop show that people are still open to talking about spiritual matters. To borrow a line from Mark Twain: ‘Rumours of God’s death have been greatly exaggerated.’ Nevertheless, the increasing secularization of the UK and Western society in general has seen a tendency for good conversations about faith, belief and spirituality to be increasingly squeezed out of the public sphere.

From the start of the new millennium, a wave of popular books proclaiming that faith is a delusion and religion is bad for people, and how science has replaced superstitious thinking, led to the coining of the phrase the ‘New Atheism’. That movement, unofficially headed by biologist Richard Dawkins, the late journalist Christopher Hitchens, and public intellectuals from the USA such as Sam Harris and Daniel Dennett, has been widely chronicled and their influence continues to be widespread.

Much of my professional career has been spent debating the ideas and objections levelled at Christian faith by these men and their sizeable audience. However, the tone of their books has been so dismissive of religion it’s no surprise that many people who read them end up being persuaded that sensible conversations with people of faith are a non-starter. As Peter Boghossian, a philosophy tutor and minor star of the New Atheist fraternity, has tweeted: ‘Being published in the philosophy of religion should disqualify one from sitting at the adult table.’1 The message is: being an intelligent individual and a person of faith are mutually exclusive.

This mean-spirited characterization of religious people is not universal across the spectrum, of course. Part of the joy of my job has been to meet many atheists who are lovely, open-­hearted people who are delighted to engage in conversation. Nevertheless, the prominence of the New Atheism has led to a dramatic dip in the overall quality of conversation in both directions. If we aren’t talking to one another any more, it means we stand little chance of understanding one another.

The Internet was supposed to change the world for the better. Here was a tool to open up a world of new possibilities and global harmony as it enabled the free flow of ideas on the information superhighway. But the main gateways of today’s Internet, such as Facebook, Google and YouTube, have worked out that they achieve their best results (i.e. advertising revenue) by feeding ­people what they want to hear and watch in their news feeds. Rigged algorithms perpetuate a feedback loop – the right-winger only hears from those with the same views as himself, the radical feminist exists in an online world largely sympathetic to her own perspective. The same goes for the average religious or anti-religious web user. It allows people to live in an echo chamber where they can be protected from people who disagree with them.

The increasingly bipartisan nature of the online world tends to make the problem of having good conversations worse. Visit any Facebook group dedicated to discussing religion and you’ll find things can get vitriolic very quickly. Many conversations descend into the equivalent of verbal hand grenades being lobbed over the barricades of our carefully erected worldviews.

Atheists attack ‘faith-heads’ while believers respond in kind by demonizing their opponents. It’s not helped by the fact that online interactions are devoid of the tone, emotion and body language from which we take so many clues in our face-to-face conversations. A smiley ‘emoticon’ isn’t quite the same as actually smiling at someone.

I’ll begin this book by telling you how, by hosting the Unbelievable? radio show and podcast for over ten years, I’ve tried to reboot the concept of good conversations, and the effect it’s had on me and those who listen in. In the process, I’ve aimed to put the God discussion back into the public sphere and get so-called opponents listening to each other again. There have even been some minds changed along the way, including mine.

In the following chapters, I’ll be explaining what lessons I’ve learned about science, faith, philosophy and Scripture, and why I still find Christianity the most compelling explanation of the world we inhabit. Don’t expect a comprehensive treatment of every sceptical question or disputed doctrine that exists. I won’t be addressing questions around sexuality, the nature of the atonement, or which denomination you should belong to. Rather, I’ll be seeking to defend the ‘mere Christianity’ of converts like C. S. Lewis and Alister McGrath. Is there a God? And if there is, why should I believe he has been revealed in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ? If we can establish those core truths, then we can work the rest out later.

If you are a Christian reading this book, I hope it gives you the opportunity to examine your faith critically and the courage to share it with others confidently. If you are not a Christian, first, thank you for being open-minded enough to pick up this book. Second, I don’t know whether you will be persuaded by what you read, but I hope it will at least give you a window into what I believe and why. And finally, whether you are Christian, atheist or something else altogether, I hope it gives you the desire to go and have a conversation with someone about it too because, as the ideas and debates in this book show, conversations really do matter.

1 Creating better conversations

It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.

Joseph Joubert

I grew up in a Christian family and attended church throughout my childhood. Like so many kids, Christianity was initially something inherited from my parents, but in my teenage years I had an experience of the love of God which transformed my faith from a general set of beliefs in God and Jesus into a living relationship.

Various people played a part in the events that led up to that conversion moment – a loving and wise youth pastor, peers in my youth group, my parents and friends at the Evangelical Charismatic church we were part of. But the experience itself was unique and not something I’ve ever been able to reproduce. In that moment, I knew that Jesus loved me, and I felt a new love for him myself. I felt the reality of the forgiveness of my past mistakes. Now I wanted to pray, read Scripture, and worship him in a way I had never felt th...

Table of contents

• UNBELIEVABLE?