PAGE 10 PAGE 12

The Media’s Portrayal of

Christians: only “Geeks,

Freaks and Antiques”?

Christianity:

A Failed Hope?

PAGE 14

Is Christianity

just a Crutch?

R Z I M E U R O P E ’ S M A G A Z I N E

INSIDE THIS ISSUE...

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NEW Master’s Course at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics PAGE 5

Why isn’t God more obvious?PAGE 2

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THIS ISSUE...

Welcome to the tenth

issue of Pulse, the

apologetics magazine

published by our

ministry.

This includes all the latest

information about RZIM Europe

and the Oxford Centre for

Christian Apologetics, as well

as articles on evangelism and

apologetics, details about training

opportunities and much more.

Michael writes… 1

Why isn’t God more obvious? 2-4

OCCA pages 5-7:

New Master’s Course 5

The God of Immeasurably more 6

What did I gain from the OCCA? 7

Events, News and Resources 8-9

Christianity: A Failed Hope? 10-11

The Media’s Portrayal of Christians:only “Geeks, Freaks and Antiques”? 12

Dates for your diary 13

Is Christianity just a Crutch? 14-16

Report from Romania 17

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Nevertheless, in campuses across Europe, people are now questioning whether there is any space for God anymore. The gaps in our knowledge, it is argued, have become so small that no Divine being would be able to squeeze into them. This argument stems from a belief that God is always “revealed” as an answer to what we don’t know, and as what we don’t know diminishes, so must any Divine being who lives there. Yet the “God of the gaps” who is easily dismissed by almost anyone, is not the God of the Bible who has ultimately revealed himself positively in the person of Christ. So it has been a real joy for us, as a team, to speak at Universities in London, Oxford and

Washington DC, proclaiming the God who is known by what he has shown us, rather than the imagined god who exists only in the speculations about what he hasn’t.

On that note, it is exciting for us to announce that it is now possible to study for a Master’s degree at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics (see page 5).

We worship a God who reveals himself as true and real, who can be known and not just speculated about, a god not of our own devising, but rather the God in whom we live and move and have our being. He should inspire our study and devotion and that is

why we are so excited to have a new course to enable people to do that.

Finally, let me thank you

again for all your support and

encouragement which means

so much to us.

In his book, Th e Doors of the Sea, David Bentley Hart argues that many atheists take issue with a god of their own devising. Rather than the timeless God revealed in Scripture, they instead attack a god of no era at all, revealed only in human imagination.

michael

RZIM Europe was founded in 1997, as RZIM Zacharias Trust, the European arm of Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). Our mandate is to engage people’s hearts and minds for Christ in an increasingly secular Europe. Working alongside the church, the Trust seeks to address the many objections and questions about Christianity, so that lives can be transformed and renewed through the gospel message.

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Why is it that God does not seem to show himself in a much more obvious

way? One answer is that perhaps God’s existence is not a matter of reality

and facts. Isn’t it more of a faith position, anyway, as isn’t the idea that you can

prove God by reason or evidence muddled? It’s more about a leap in the dark,

isn’t it? If you have faith, then God is, but if you don’t, then he is not.

Why isn’t God more obvious?

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I would agree that God

isn’t “forcefully obvious”,

but I don’t think that this

confi nes him to being a

“take-it-or-leave-it” matter

of faith. I think it makes

more sense to see God as

clearly visible, whilst not

being forcefully obvious.

Did you know that the Bible actually recognises the validity of the question we are asking? It tends to be a surprisingly honest book. Astonishingly, the Bible even contains verses that show God deliberately hiding or obscuring himself sometimes. First we see passages that affi rm the human perception that God hides. In Job (23:8-9) we read, “But if I go to the east, he is not there; if I go to the west, I do not fi nd him. When he is at work in the north, I do not see him; when he turns to the south, I catch no glimpse of him.”

Interestingly, there are also some further examples of God appearing as darkness or veiling himself, whilst still simultaneously off ering his presence. We read that, “The people remained at a distance, while Moses approached the thick darkness where God was” (Exodus 20:21). Again, in Exodus 33:17-23 it says:

…the Lord said, “I will cause all my goodness to pass in front of you, and I will proclaim my name, the Lord, in your presence…you cannot see my face, for no-one may see me and live… I will put you in a cleft in the rock and cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will remove my hand and you will see my back; but my face must not be seen…

There are many further examples of the divine apparently hiding (Ps 10:1; 22:1-2; 30:7; 44:23-24; 88:13-14; 89:46; Is 45:15).

There are also examples in the New Testament too. In John 12:36 Jesus invites people to trust in him and then he leaves and hides himself from them. In John 5:8-13 we read the story of a paralytic man who is healed but then Jesus slips away into the crowd. Luke 5:16 records that, as news about him spread, “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Then in John 14:19 we read about Jesus telling the disciples that, “Before long, the world will not see me any more, but you will see me.” Interestingly in many of these cases God provides a clear sense of who he is, at the same time as veiling his fullness.

So perhaps an unavoidable part of the Bible’s answer is that the reason God seems hidden is that he wants to be? Yet if true, what might be the reason for this? What about those times when he doesn’t show himself when we need it most; when he could off er us real hope in times of suff ering?

We are off ered some explanations in the Bible. When Jesus resisted the crowd, he concealed his identity until exactly the right moment in time to explicitly disclose it. This was a wise decision as the consequences of more explicit or obvious disclosure (Matthew 26:64) led fairly quickly to a successful campaign to have him executed.

God isn’t unavoidably obvious, but he is clear in a more qualifi ed sense (if understood to mean something that is easily perceived or understood

– or, in other words, very clear, plain, self-evident, or apparent). Crucially, there is also no reason why something of this nature might not require some learning to begin to be perceived or seen. For example, imagine that I said that it is obvious , but not forcefully so, that you will need your passport to fl y internationally.

Now, notice carefully that you have to learn this bit of information. It is

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certainly not like a forcefully obvious brick wall that you cannot avoid. But it would still perhaps be a case of a failure to grasp the obvious if you arrived at the airport, with your bags packed but without your passport. It’s this second sense (of non-forceful obviousness or avoidable clarity) that the case for God can be confi dently approached.

We might reasonably wonder, though, if this is just a convenient little trick for those who are too weak to walk without supernatural security? Does this idea of God hiding provide a clever way out for Christians to cling onto God in a scientifi c and evidence demanding age? But this accusation doesn’t get off the ground, because the accusation is fundamentally mistaken. Christians, do not claim that God doesn’t show himself, but rather that he reserves the right to choose how he does so, and that he may hide himself to exercise that very choice. Hiding is necessary to bring focus to the way he declares his existence, through Jesus Christ. Divine hiding creates the possibility of a more obvious disclosure, or uncovering.

The famous atheist, Bertrand Russell, famously quipped that, if he were faced with God when he died that, he would demand an explanation for why God made the evidence of his existence so insuffi cient. We might be tempted to think he was being entirely reasonable. But perhaps the evidence that we demand for God is directly related to who we think God is, and what we think God’s purposes are. A hidden God would make no sense if his aim was to simply relate to us as an object of knowledge that off ered no real relational connection or friendship. If this was God’s purpose

- that we would simply acknowledge his existence - then I am sympathetic to Russell’s demand for more evidence.

But let us suppose that God was unwilling to make his approach to human life primarily through the intellect. Instead, let us imagine that God is seeking a relationship that is based upon a deeper and more profound personal insight, or perception. The perception in question might be an individual internal recognition of a moral shortcoming and an honest request for divine assistance to begin to address this. Have you ever asked what kind of a relationship God might want with you?

God has revealed himself “plainly” in the created world (Romans 1:19). Into this category we might also place the reality of his redemptive plan and action. The gospel is described as a mystery now made known through prophetic writings (Romans 16:25-26). Many Christians can also recall moments, or even seasons spanning years, where God has been plainly and clearly at work and where life has been saturated with his presence and grace. Faith isn’t a blind faith, but a response to the evidence. It’s based on real events that can be investigated. A leap in the dark has never been on off er, as it is about stepping into the light.

God asks us to humble our wills (Matt 18:4; Matt 23:12; Luke 14:11; Luke 18:14), so that he can have relationship with us. If everything Jesus said and did is true, then who Jesus is, is clear.

God not only hides himself to allow us to choose to humble ourselves, he also hides himself in order to be able to do something else - to specifi cally reveal himself as a way to come in to relationship with him. There is a startling obviousness to Jesus, but it is not so overwhelming that people cannot refuse to believe. In Christ, God was still hidden enough so that people who didn’t want him wouldn’t have him forced upon them. He was

“deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts” (Mark 3:5) as some “will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead” (Luke 16:31). So perhaps the evidence that we demand is a consequence of who we think God is, and what we think his purposes are? If God loves you and wants you to freely chose to love him then perhaps giving his own son for you is enough to catch your attention? God has made himself clear, for those who want him to be. This isn’t forced, but is merely available.

As A. W. Tozer wrote, “God waits to be wanted.” This may demand more of us than a historical investigation, doing church, or theological refl ections, as great as those things are. But you will come to discover this clarity only through a living relationship with him. Do you know him?

Blaise Pascal: “In faith there is enough light for those who want to believe and enough shadows to blind those who don’t…”

Tom PriceOCCA Tutor

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A unique feature of the Master’s Course is the exciting combination of theological training and practical evangelistic opportunities, equipping students for future ministry. Students will participate in lectures and seminars with world-class lecturers such as Alister McGrath, John Lennox, Michael Ramsden, Amy Orr-Ewing, Ravi Zacharias and Os Guinness. Individual research interests can be pursued through supervised essays and a dissertation.

Alongside serious academic engagement, students are given the chance to develop their outreach and preaching skills, join staff on missions, support a local church through a weekly evangelistic placement and are fully integrated into the wider OCCA community for weekly worship and discipleship huddles.

Applications are now open for 2012/13We welcome all applicants with an undergraduate degree in Theology at the level of 2:1 or above (3.6 GPA). Applicants with equivalent qualifi cations or non-theological degrees may be considered in exceptional circumstances. For more information and to apply, visit www.theocca.org

Applications for all courses are made online at www.theocca.org and the deadline is 29 January 2012.

The Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics is

pleased to announce a new two year Master’s Course

in Theology, accredited by the University of Oxford.

NEW Master’s Course

“The Master’s programme allows students to take advantage of the full scope of the worship, social, and missional life of the OCCA community, while also engaging in high-level study and research in apologetics.”

Vince Vitale, Senior Tutor

One Year Course

The One Year Course in Christian Apologetics off ers an exciting opportunity to spend a whole year immersed in the fi eld of apologetics and evangelism. The course combines serious study of the Bible and Christian doctrine with an unparalleled opportunity to experience Christian apologetics in action. An integral part of the course is the close mentoring of students to equip them according to their specifi c gifting and successful students will be awarded the University of Oxford accredited Certifi cate in Theological and Pastoral Studies.

Six Week Programme

The Six Week Programme is designed for those wishing to dedicate themselves to an intensive period of study in apologetics. It is the perfect choice for those seeking to sharpen evangelistic and apologetic skills for the workplace. The programme includes teaching on core apologetics modules, vocation and the workplace and provides an opportunity to develop preaching skills. In the fi nal week, students join the popular RZIM Oxford Summer School.

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When I fi rst heard of the One Year Course at the OCCA, I was elated and defl ated

at the same time. “A course to study Apologetics! But, I have no money, and I feel

overwhelmed by darkness.” Of the many things God taught me through the OCCA,

one of the most important was that He is able to do far more than all I ask or think.

The God of Immeasurably More

Although I was anticipating

rejection, I applied to the

OCCA. In the interview,

not only was I afraid the

tutors would sense my

hopelessness and reject

my application, but I had

to admit that I had no

fi nancial resources. All I

could say was that I was

trusting God would provide.

Only a few weeks later,

though, amazing things

started happening as God

began to show me that He

would provide.

First, I was accepted to the course. This gave me hope. Then, small fi nancial miracles began to happen. I found incredibly low prices on everything I needed for my time at OCCA. For example, only four days before I was due to leave, I found a plane ticket for just $234. The number of deals and coincidences kept racking up until I was forced to recognize God’s timely and miraculous provision. The most incredible provision,

though, came when friends informed me that people I did not know, upon hearing of my desire to study at the OCCA, had decided to pay for all of my tuition. God just outdid Himself!

At this time, God also began to heal my heart. Almost overnight I was surrounded by a whole new community of people who helped me walk out of the darkness I had been in for so long. Through prayer, fellowship, and a new found freedom in the Holy Spirit, I began stepping into a deeper relationship with Him. By the time I arrived in Oxford, I had a new peace, a stronger sense of my purpose

and identity, as well as a priceless understanding of how much I am loved by my Abba.

God provides. He is so good. His very essence is goodness. The very existence of someone so good makes life worth living. He knows what we need, and He loves to give it to us. I felt so unworthy of His provision and love, but He saw more in me than I did, and He wanted to bring it out.

As I look back on that time in my life, I realize that God was speaking to me in a language through which I could hear Him; He showed me in the clearest possible way that He loves me, and that He is going to provide for me. By stepping out towards nothing but the sound of His voice, I gave Him the opportunity to bless me - something He loves to do for all of His children. Be encouraged, wherever you are, and step out in faith towards Him, so that He may bless you far more abundantly than all that you ask or imagine.

Chelsea CarpenterOCCA 2010/11

“By stepping out towards nothing but the sound of

His voice, I gave Him the opportunity to bless me...”

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How do I summarize the year, communicate the importance of the course and

that it’s worth pursuing? Every time I’m asked about the OCCA, a myriad of

moments, conversations, and faces fl ash through my mind.

What did I gain from the OCCA

What I gained from the

OCCA and the reason

it’s worth pursuing is

summed up in the word

love - for God, the world,

and the people of God.

One of the unique blessings of the OCCA is the emphasis on learning the reliability of the Christian message as an act of loving God. It’s not knowledge for knowledge’s sake. The purpose of every lecture, seminar, and assigned task is to deepen one’s love for the Gospel and this produces a liberating transformation. Throughout the year my faith was challenged both in and out of the classroom. As I faced those challenges my

love and awe for God grew. I was drawn into a deeper understanding of, and trust in, His character and steadfast love.

Growing in love for the world through studying at the OCCA is essential. Through the diverse setting of Oxford, weekly ministry placements, mission trips, and

simply living life, one is daily confronted with the brokenness and deep spiritual hunger that consumes us all. I had the privilege of discipling new believers, exploring who Jesus is through international student Bible studies, and reading the Gospel of John with a friend desiring to know more about Christ. These blessings deepened my love for the world God came to save. I was confronted daily with the desperate need for the Gospel to reach all nations and my role in trying to meet that need.

I am regularly overwhelmed with the depth of love I was given - and learned to give - from the OCCA tutors and my fellow classmates. They are truly my family.

We have laughed, cried, celebrated, mourned, worked through confl ict, and laughed some more together. A journal entry from our last day together sums it up well:

“I think the greatest lesson I learned this year is that Jesus knew what He was talking about when He told His disciples that people would know

they followed him by the love they would have for one another. The greatest apologetic isn’t one that can answer every hard question. Rather, the greatest apologetic for the good news of Jesus is when His people learn to truly love each other and to share that love with others, inviting them into the family of God.”

If you desire to grow in your love for God, this world, and God’s people, then the OCCA is the place for you.

Sarah AbbeyOCCA 2010/11

“Growing in love for the world

through studying at the OCCA is essential.”

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events, news Regional Training Days

RZIM Europe is pleased to announce the resumption of a number of regional training days in 2012. The fi rst of these will be in Oxford on 28 January and is entitled ‘In the beginning’. There will then be a spring event in Bedford on 24 March, followed by an autumn training day in Manchester.

Registration for RZIM’s annual Summer School is now open and “early bird” rates are available until the end of the month.

resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources•

Book your place online

The belief that people are made in the image of God has been responsible for shaping humanity and civilization for centuries, but when these “foundations are destroyed what should the righteous do?” (Psalms 11:2). What happens when the image of God is erased from the defi nition of mankind? If the value of humanity can no longer be sustained, what will the consequences be for future generations?

“Imago Dei” is an apologetics conference designed to help Christians communicate and defend their faith more eff ectively, as they seek to recapture the image of God for our society today. We will examine how, through time, people have grappled with contrasting ethical issues, opposing worldviews and a sea of rival religious thought in the hope of fi nding meaning.

The Oxford Summer School is a week-long residential course hosted at the Queen’s College from 1 - 7 July.

“Imago Dei”: Oxford Summer School

Registration online at www.rzim.eu

The opening verses of the Bible establish the bedrock upon which the rest of scripture and the Christian faith is anchored. Many Christians, however, fi nd these verses in Genesis diffi cult to digest and even harder to interpret. Over time, people’s confi dence in the text has been eroded by a combination of modern scientifi c discoveries and assaults against the authority of the Bible by groups such as the new atheists. Do believers really have to make a choice between science and religion? When it comes to philosophy, is Christianity simply “beyond the pale”?

“In the beginning” is a training day designed to help believers grapple with these diffi cult topics, so that they might be able to communicate and defend the gospel message more eff ectively and with a greater confi dence.

The event is being held on 28 January 2012 and tickets are £27.50/£22.50 (including a packed lunch) per person.

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andHelping Seekers and Sceptics Find Faith

Alister McGrath, President of the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, has a book out this month entitled, Mere Apologetics: How to help seekers and sceptics fi nd faith. Dedicated to his colleagues at the OCCA, it contains a wealth of practical advice for those seeking to communicate the gospel more eff ectively. This includes information about diff erent approaches, arguments and topics that can be used for apologetics engagement, as well as ways of relating Christianity to diff erent audiences and pointers for developing your own style of answering people’s questions.

Cross-Cultural Apologetics

Benno van den Toren, Tutor in Doctrine at Wycliff e Hall, has a book out entitled Christian Apologetics as Cross-Cultural Dialogue. The aim of the book is to provide a theological and philosophical basis for a new cross-cultural paradigm of dialogue with our postmodern and multicultural world. His earlier titles include Reasons for my Hope: Responding to non-Christian Friends.

The OCCA is a partnership between Wycliff e Hall and RZIM.

resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources• resources•

The ministry is pleased to announce the safe return of OCCA alumnus

(2008/9) Theo Brun, who has recently completed a sponsored cycle ride

from Hong Kong to Norfolk (a distance of 10,623 miles). The trip, which

required almost 250 days in the saddle, raised over £3,000 for Wellspring

International*, as well as more than £10,000 for the Harry Mahon Cancer

Research Trust. We will be featuring some of the refl ections from his

journey at a later date, but if you would like further information

about his trip or would like to contribute to the causes,

please visit www.asfaraseastisfromwest.com.

*: Wellspring International is the humanitarian arm of RZIM.

As far as the East is from the West: Hong Kong to Norfolk

BY BIKE

Alumni Update

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Has Christianity failed? Many people believe it has. Some look with glee on a diminishing church but others, whilst believing Christianity to be a relic of a bygone era, hope that they might be wrong.

Of course even the most hardened new atheist concedes that the Bible has had a massively positive impact

on western culture, whether it be the basis of our most fundamental law, much of which is drawn from the ten commandments; or the establishment of the rights and dignity of every human person, as evidenced by the suff ragettes who quoted the Bible in their campaign for votes for women; or Wilberforce whose driving motivation in the abolition of slavery was the

vision of justice he got from the Bible. That is echoed in the Civil Rights movement when Martin Luther King constantly quoted the prophet Isaiah. Wilberforce also set up the NSPCA, which still operates today, and he did so because he was inspired by what he read in his Bible. Even today the anti-human traffi cking campaign taking on the massive issue of sex

Christianity: A Failed Hope?A couple of months ago, I was in Washington DC. I had been invited to speak in various settings including at an outreach event on Capitol Hill to which all the staff ers working for Senators and Congressmen had been invited. My hosts hoped to get a showing of 50, as the attendance at the largest Christian meeting in recent memory was 100. We were all completely amazed when 319 people responded to the invitation. The topic was “Christianity: A Failed Hope?” Clearly the organisers had hit a raw nerve.

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slavery is largely championed by Christians motivated by what they read in the Bible (about the value of every life rooted in the idea that humans are created in the image of God). Make Poverty History and the dropping of 3rd world debt was largely started and maintained by churches and Christian groups like the Jubilee campaign. The then Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown even quoted Isaiah 60 when he announced in December 2000 the cancelling of billions of 3rd world debt owed to Britain by 41 countries.

Christianity has shaped culture through the arts, law and scientifi c pursuit. Belief in God was foundational for modern science as the idea of an intelligible universe fl owed from the reality of an intelligent creator.

There are, however, dark truths too. Many believers in God colluded with slavery and the racial segregation agenda in the States, priests claiming to serve God have abused children in their care and corrupt individuals have preyed on the vulnerable to cheat them out of money in the name of God. As a consequence of those things, despite all of the good done in the name of Christ, many people feel Christianity is a total failure.When facing up to the reality of disappointment with Christians and the Church I fi nd it helpful to remember that “Christianity” is ultimately about Christ. Plenty of people may claim to represent him or speak for him and inevitably some will prove to be a let-down. Jesus himself predicted that would happen and warned people that just because they called him “Lord, Lord” and were familiar with his name, that did not mean he really knew them. It is only really when

we take a look directly at Jesus and what he taught that we will be able to determine whether it is Christianity that is failing or someone or something else.

There are many diff erent ways in which we could explore the question but the most fundamental way that Christianity could fail would be if it were untrue. There are plenty of good intellectual reasons to believe in God and to follow Christ - from philosophical arguments to historical evidence – but ultimately Christ’s claim to be the incarnation of the true God, a personal being who wants us to know him, who is able to cleanse and forgive us by his sacrifi cial love, is testable and accessible to all. The best apologetic for that kind of love is the shining reality of it in our lives as we live alongside those who don’t yet know him. Ravi Zacharias often says “There are 5 gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John and the believer – most people will only read one.”

Amidst all of the failures of the church, true evidence of the transforming power of Christ can still shine through even to the most sceptical of observers. As Matthew Parris commented in The Times on returning from a visit to Zambia where he had grown up:

“Now a confi rmed atheist, I’ve become convinced of the enormous contribution that Christian evangelism makes in Africa: sharply distinct from the work of secular NGOs, government projects and international aid eff orts. These alone will not do. Education and training alone will not do. In Africa Christianity changes people’s hearts. It brings a spiritual transformation. The rebirth is real. The change is

good. I used to avoid this truth by applauding - as you can - the practical work of mission churches in Africa. It’s a pity, I would say, that salvation is part of the package, but Christians black and white, working in Africa, do heal the sick, do teach people to read and write; and only the severest kind of secularist could see a mission hospital or school and say the world would be better without it. I would allow that if faith was needed to motivate missionaries to help, then, fi ne: but what counted was the help, not the faith. But this doesn’t fi t the facts. Faith does more than support the missionary; it is also transferred to his fl ock. This is the eff ect that matters so immensely, and which I cannot help observing.”1

Does the transformation that Christ brings jump off the pages of your life? Living wholeheartedly for him and admitting it when we get things wrong might just be the best answer to this question of the Church’s failures.

Amy Orr-EwingUK Director

1: The Times, 27 December 2008.

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The danger is that as the mainstream media in the UK has become gradually more profane and more anti-Christian, Christians have opted out altogether, and as Christians have opted out of the media, the media has become more profane and more anti-Christian. It’s a vicious cycle. There are now very few Christians working in the media and very few of us write Letters to the Editor or complain about television programmes. Why not? The answer, even if we don’t enunciate it, may be this: because the media is run by secular liberals who are hostile to Christianity, and it’s not even worth the time and eff ort to try to make them hear our point of view. The result, of course, is that the level of discourse about the Christian faith has become worse and worse and we are increasingly less audible in the public space. If a Christian is portrayed it is often as a “geek, freak or antique.” 1

RZIM Europe has therefore started a Media Unit at the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics with a

vision to proactively engage with the media. The initial goal is to build up relationships with journalists and editors in the national and regional press, as well as with commissioning editors and key decision-makers in terrestrial television. We are not expecting the media to change its portrayal of Christians overnight, but we do want to say “Hey! We’re here! We are thinking people who have something to say and we are weary of being portrayed in a negative light.”

Within the faculty here at the OCCA we have some of the clearest Christian minds in the UK. Each time one of them releases a book we have a ready-made opportunity to use it as a “peg” to open dialogue on that particular subject. We trust that as these relationships with the media develop, we can show that we are indeed engaged in the issues of our time. We trust that gradually a distinctive Christian voice will be heard more in the public space.

We hope that this kind of positive

engagement will start to change the way that the Christian faith is presented in the mainstream media. It is a wonderful challenge and there is defi nitely a window of opportunity to try and fi nd ways of expanding the reach of the work done at the OCCA and to help answer the tough, but genuine, questions that people have.

So…if you have seen a report or read an article that you think misrepresents Christians or Christianity, do get in touch with the offi ce, so that we can try to get someone at the OCCA to write about it and redress the balance.

Nancy Giff ord

Media Coordinator, OCCA Media Unit

(The media coordinator roles have been

made possible by a UK donor who has

specifi cally supported this initiative).

The Media’s Portrayal of Christians: only

1: This term was used by Andrew Graystone, Director of the Church Media Network, when he asked the Controller of BBC1 to point to Christians who weren’t portrayed as one of these.

In an age when the media increasingly dominates people’s lives, where is the Christian voice to be heard?

28 JANUARY RZIM Europe Training Day, Oxford (Team)

4 FEBRUARY Destiny Church, Edinburgh (John Lennox)5 FEBRUARY Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (John Lennox)5 FEBRUARY Destiny church, Glasgow (John Lennox)6 FEBRUARY Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh (John Lennox)6-9 FEBRUARY Gordon College, Wenham, USA (Michael Ramsden)6-10 FEBRUARY Leeds University Mission (OCCA Team)6-10 FEBRUARY Oxford University Mission (OCCA Team)8-10 FEBRUARY Zacharias Forum, Deerfi eld, United States (Os Guinness)10-12 FEBRYARY CMF Student Conference, Swanwick (John Lennox)12 FEBRUARY City Life Church, Southampton (Michael Ramsden)14 FEBRUARY St Cloud State University, USA (Michael Ramsden)15-24 FEBRUARY Veritas Tour, NE United States (John Lennox)20-24 FEBRUARY Oxford Brookes Mission (OCCA Team)26 FEBRUARY Church of Christ the King, Brighton (Michael Ramsden)28 FEBRUARY Bath University (Michael Ramsden)

2 MARCH Pornscars Conference, Hereford (Michael Ramsden)7-9 MARCH Ottawa University-Kansas City, United States (Os Guinness)11 MARCH Wycombe Abbey Chapel (Sharon Dirckx)16-19 MARCH New Frontiers Conference, London (Os Guinness)20-22 MARCH Biologos Conference, New York (Os Guinness)24 MARCH RZIM Europe Training Day, Bedford (Team)25-27 MARCH Furman University, United States (Os Guinness)28-29 MARCH Apologetics Focus Weekend, Algarve, Portugal (Michael Ramsden)30 MAR – 1 APR Seminar and Preaching, Modesto, United States (Os Guinness)

5-10 APRIL IFES, Gyor, Hungary (John Lennox)10-12 APRIL Trinity Forum, Maryland, United States (Os Guinness)14 APRIL Conservative Christian Fellowship, London (Sharon Dirckx)16-20 APRIL St Paul’s Shadwell, East London Mission (OCCA Team)

10-12 MAY Spanish Apologetics Conference, Spain (Os Guinness)18 MAY KEVE Group, Budapest, Hungary (John Lennox)19-24 MAY European Leadership Forum, Eger, Hungary (Team) 28-30 MAY Scottish Discipleship Forum (Os Guinness)

For further information about any of the above events, please contact our Oxford offi ce.All of the events listed are correct at time of print, but some may be subject to change.

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FOOTNOTES:

1. A. McGrath, Mere Apologetics (Grand Rapids, 2012), p. 167.

2. J. Humphrys, In God We Doubt (London, 2007), in J. C. Lennox, Gunning for God (Oxford, 2011), p. 24.

3. McGrath, Mere, p. 170.

4. Idem.

5. A. Sims, Is Faith Delusion? (London, 2009), in Lennox, Gunning, pp. 77-78.

6. S. Freud, Civilization and its Discontents (New York, 1962), p. 21 in McGrath, Mere, p. 167.

7. See, for example, R. Webster, Why Freud was Wrong (London, 1996).

8. G. K. Chesterton, What’s Wrong with the World (London, 1910), p. 48.

9. C. S. Lewis, The World’s Last Night: And Other Essays (New York, 2002), p. 19.

10. R. S. Baker and J. Sexton (eds.), Aldous Huxley Complete Essays, iv (Lanham, 2001), p. 369

11. C. Milosz, “The Discreet Charm of Nihilism”, in Lennox, Gunning, p. 47.

12. M. Lutz, God: A Brief History of the Greatest One (Munich, 2007) in Lennox, Gunning, p. 46.

13. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (London, 2009) in A. Orr-Ewing, But is it Real? (Nottingham, 2008), p. 47.

14. G. K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy (Chicago, 2009), p. 143.

15. S. Guillebaud, For What It’s Worth, (Oxford, 1999), p. 171.

16. C. S. Lewis, The Christian Way (1999), p. 44.

17. D. Rodger “Is Christianity a Psychological Crutch” (from www.bethinking.org).

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In Mere Apologetics, Alister McGrath points out that “One of the most

familiar criticisms of Christianity is that it off ers consolation to life’s

losers.”1 Believers are often caricatured as being somewhat weak

and naïve – the kind of people who need their faith as a “crutch” just

to get them through life. In new atheist literature, this depiction is

often contrasted with the image of a hardier intellectual atheist who

has no need for such infantile yet comforting nonsense. This type of

portrayal may resonate with some, but does it really make sense?

Firstly, it is helpful to defi ne what we mean by a “crutch.” In a medical setting, the word obviously means an implement used by people for support when they are injured. The analogy implies, therefore, that those who need a crutch are somehow defi cient or wounded. In a sense, it is fairly obvious that the most vulnerable might need a crutch, but as the agnostic John Humphrys points out “Don’t we all? Some use booze rather than the Bible.”2 As this suggests, it is not so much a question of whether you have one, but it is more of a question of what your particular crutch is. This is an important point to make, as people rely on all kinds of things for their comfort or self-esteem, ranging from material possessions, money, food and aesthetics to drugs, alcohol, sex and tobacco. Rather than being a sign of weakness, some of these are even considered to be relatively normal in society, provided they don’t turn into the more destructive behaviour associated with strong addiction. Nevertheless, many of these only off er a short-term release from the struggles of life and they sometimes only cover up deeper problems that a person might be suff ering from.

To suggest, therefore, that atheists are somehow stronger is, to use McGrath’s phrase, “smug nonsense that runs away from reality”.3 This is because the darker side of human nature is denied, even though it is only too apparent when we look at the world around us. As McGrath explains,

…if you have a broken leg, you need a crutch. If you’re ill you need medicine. That’s just the way things are. The Christian understanding of human nature is that we are damaged, wounded and disabled by sin. That’s just the way things are.

He continues by pointing out that Augustine of Hippo compared the church to a hospital, because it is full of wounded and ill people in the process of being healed.4 As is the case with any illness, this treatment cannot begin, however, until

someone has admitted they are sick or need help.

There is even a strong argument to be made that religious belief and spirituality has an advantageous eff ect on both mental and physical health. Andrew Sims, former President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, writes that a “huge volume of research” confi rms this, making it “one of the best-kept secrets in psychiatry and medicine generally.”5 In a culture that often seems to exalt health, well-being and happiness above other things, this would seem to render religious belief a lot more appealing to both the weak and the strong of society. It was only a century ago that “Muscular Christianity” was a strong force in the church, which extolled the virtues of being physically strong and self-assertive!

Yet even if we accept that Christians may not all be dysfunctional and weak, perhaps the positive benefi ts of faith can be explained by some kind of powerful placebo eff ect?

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religious * * please note other makes are available see below:

According to Sigmund Freud religion is a crutch in the sense that it is simply a psychological projection of our desires:

We tell ourselves that it would be very nice if there was a God who created the world and was a benevolent Providence and if there were a moral order in the universe and an after-life; but it is the very striking fact that all this is exactly as we are bound to wish it to be.6

This idea of a “wish fulfi lment” stemmed from his idea that people have an innate desire to be loved by a father-fi gure. It is important to stress, at this point, that aspects of Freud’s work have been strongly criticised,7 but it seems reasonable to assume people might believe if it fulfi lled a particular need. It is undeniable that there is much in the Bible that is powerfully compelling, but what do we make of some of the rather more diffi cult verses that appear in the Bible, such as the strong moral injunctions or the promises of persecution (e.g. 2 Timothy 3:12)?. G. K. Chesterton summed it up well when he said, “The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found diffi cult and left untried.”8 As C. S. Lewis pointed out, the argument doesn’t work so well if you suggest the biblical references that refer to the fear of God are some kind of “fear fulfi lment”!9

The problem with the concept of a wish fulfi lment is that it cuts both ways. If someone can be a believer because they want God to exist, then, by the same token, someone else can be a non-believer because they want God not to exist. Some atheists have been brutally honest in expressing the motivation for holding their beliefs, such as Aldous Huxley who wrote:

For myself, as, no doubt, for most of my contemporaries, the philosophy of meaninglessness was essentially an instrument of liberation. The liberation we desired was simultaneously liberation from a certain political and economic system and liberation from a certain system of morality.

We objected to the morality because it interfered with our sexual freedom; we objected to the political and economic system because it was unjust.10

Czeslaw Milosz suggests, therefore, that, rather than the opposite being the case, “A true opium of the people is a belief in nothingness after death – the huge solace of thinking that for our betrayals, greed, cowardice, murders, we are not going to be judged.”11

These kinds of argument maybe helpful for showing why someone might want to believe or not, but, as Manfred Lutz points out, Freud has absolutely nothing to say about which position is actually true.12 It would require another article to go in to all of the scientifi c, historical, philosophical and experiential arguments for God’s existence, but, at the very least, it is clear that many people, including those who seem to “have it all” in life - do encounter God and this is often contrary to what they may once have wished for. Furthermore, many believers testify to the transformative eff ect that this can have upon them, which can include being delivered from some of the crutches they had previously relied upon.

Yet, the idea that coming to faith is somehow either liberating or empowering is, of course, anathema to many of the new atheists. Christopher Hitchens, for example, speaks of the totalitarian nature of Christianity that keeps its followers in a state of constant subservience.13 G. K. Chesterton saw it diff erently, however, as he suggested that the “dignity of man” and the “smallness of man” was held in perfect tension, allowing people to have a sense of self-worth, but without becoming big-headed.14

Yet God clearly off ers much more than this. In 1 Corinthians 12:9 it says “My grace is suffi cient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” The idea of strength fl owing from human powerlessness may seem a

totally alien and counter-intuitive concept in today’s risk-averse culture, but as Simon Guillebaud points out “Paradoxically, our waving the white fl ag of submission to God’s right over our lives is the key that unlocks the gate to many future victories in his name.”15 Yet in spite of this, as C. S. Lewis observed, people still choose to cling to their crutches, even if it means missing out on something much greater:

We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infi nite joy is off ered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the off er of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.16

Even if we are believers, it can be helpful to refl ect on what we rely upon other than God and whether there are areas of our own lives that we have not fully submitted to his authority. As the blogger and former atheist, Daniel Rodgers, reminds us, we do not want to miss out on the fullness of life that God off ers all of us, whether we think we need it or not:

The truth of the matter is that Jesus never off ered a crutch, only a cross; it wasn’t a call to be a better person with high self-esteem or a plan to help us scrape through our existence. It was a call to acknowledge that the forgiveness we all seek is to be found in him by following him onto the cross… It’s because Christianity is true that it has something to off er every person in every circumstance, regardless of their background or intellectual capabilities.17

Simon WenhamResearch Coordinator

ys y ”

Evangelism has been

the word for the past

year. In 2010 Ravi

Zacharias and Michael

Ramsden spoke at an

unprecedented event

that drew leaders from

all of the denominations

together to discuss

how to reach the

country for Jesus.

The answer was,

as it will always be,

evangelism. One of the

immediate results of the

event was a list of more

than eighty invitations

on which to follow up.

Ravi Zacharias International Ministries has offi ces in the following places:

HEAD OFFICE

Atlanta, USA

CANADA OFFICE

Toronto, Canada

EUROPE OFFICES

Oxford, UK (Head Offi ce)Arad, Romania

MIDDLE EAST OFFICE

INDIA HEAD OFFICE

Chennai, India

ASIA PACIFIC OFFICE

Singapore

HONG KONG OFFICE

Hong Kong

Having such a demand provided the

opportunity to speak in all sorts of

settings. One of the extraordinary

events was a continuing partnership

with a church in Timisoara, Romania

for a series of six apologetic events

over six months. The results were

great and people were not only

convinced of their call to evangelism

but many came to faith for the

fi rst time. We started with training

and fi nished with evangelism.

The people who make up the

Romanian diaspora (those in other

countries) are also starting to

understand how important they are.

Immigrants are always referred to in

derogatory terms, but they have an

enormous potential for evangelism if

they are correctly trained. We believe

that RZIM Romania is able to help that

happen and it is possible that Eastern

European Christians may well be the

evangelists of the future in Western

Europe. In Spain, for example, one of

the largest Evangelical churches is

a Romanian one – what a potential

and what a responsibility! I have

preached at three Romanian churches

in London on several occasions and

as well as seeing many come to

Christ, we are hoping to train the

new believers to reach their friends

and families with the gospel.

We have been involved in the “One

Passion” tour, which is a series of

events to reach Romanians across

Europe. In December I spoke at a

weekend meeting in London to

approximately 500 in the audience

and more than 1000 online. The Lord

really blessed our meeting and over

100 came to Jesus during those two

days alone. We believe many more

will do the same at future events.

Not only do we see Jesus blessing

our work with the churches, but

doors are also opening in the

business and political arenas.

This year we hope to have Michael

Ramsden and Os Guinness

addressing the Romanian Parliament

and several businesses around the

country. We also have partnerships

with a number of churches and

we want to hold events tailored

for specifi c groups. I believe that

hundreds of people will meet Jesus

in 2012 and some of them will

become evangelists! Please pray

with us that Jesus will bless our

ministry as we pray blessing on you

through your continuing support.

Vlad Criznic

Director, RZIM Romania

around the world . . .

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lism has been

t

Having such a demand provided the

opportunity to speak in all sorts of

settings. One of the extraordinary

ts was a continuing partnership

i Timisoara, Romania

tic events

Christ, we are hoping to train the

new believers to reach their friends

and families with the gospel.

We have been involved in the “One

Passion” tour, which is a series of

events to reach Romanians across

Europe. In December I spoke at a

eeting in London to

the audience

Lord

RZIM Europe

76 Banbury Road

Oxford

OX2 6JT

T: +44 (0)1865 302900

F: +44 (0)1865 318451

www.rzim.eu

RZIM Europe (RZIM Zacharias Trust) is a Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee

and Registered in England and Wales.Company No. 3449676. Charity No. 1067314

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