Dennis Chupik, Atheists for Jesus, and Christian circular reasoning.

Ah, circular reasoning. That particular monkey has been on our backs for quite a while, hasn't it? Basically, it goes like this:

The Bible is true because the Bible says that the Bible is true because the Bible says that the Bible is true. Aha. But that really doesn't mean anything, does it? If my only motivation to open the Bible is to read about how accurate the Bible says that the Bible is, then what the heck do I believe in anyway? Well, the good people from the time of Jesus were having those same questions. These were people who had listened to scribes their whole lives, who had taught them, but without any real authority (Mark 1:22) They had been taught their whole lives about there being a separation between church and state - that is, there was the Temple and the Synagogues, where you'd go to hear God's word, make sacrifices, pray, etc. And then you had your life, your regular life, where you were ruled by a pagan Roman empire, you used their coins, obeyed their laws, and you didn't necessarily think that there was much of a spillover. There was as much of a gap between their world on Saturday and their world on the rest of the week, as there is with our world on Sunday vs the rest of the week. There are so many Christians out there who sincerely believe that you can sign up to the idea of Christianity without it affecting anything you do or say. And even a great many of us in the pews would come up with the same answer of defending our faith, that the Bible is true because the Bible says that the Bible is true.

"But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear"

-1 Peter 3:15


"What reason do you have for the hope that is in you?"

-Dennis Chupik.





That was Dennis Chupik's insightful question to the confirmation class when his daughter was about to be confirmed. Right out of scripture. And really hard. All of a sudden, the entire role of confirmation class and the grilling that goes along with it, changed. We're used to getting questions about the Apostle's creed, the Lord's prayer, the 10 commandments, all that, questions that you can just spit out an answer to that you've memorized. And how do you know that all that is accurate and true? Because pastor Jim says so? Not good enough.
The teaching that Jesus gave his people was teaching that had authority. Teaching that they had to engage with. Teaching that went outside the Synagogue, outside the Temple, and met people in real life. The truth that Jesus brought, it wasn't just applicable to people in churches, in holy spots who would then have to leave it behind when they returned to their real lives. Nor was it truth that was only evident "because Jesus says so." It was good and right because it worked. When Jesus talks to people, very few of them come away with the idea that what Jesus says is isolated or off in a box somewhere. His message carries such amazing force because deep down we know that if were able to follow it, the world would be a better place. All his advice isn't fantastic and wonderful just because he says so, and he's the son of God, but it works even if you remove that element from it.

Yes, on the left, that's Richard Dawkins, celebrated anti-theist. And there he is, wearing an "Atheists for Jesus" t-shirt. Even he who loathes religion can still recognize that the teachings of Jesus, at least on moral issues are good, and worth following. You see, what Jesus did was to break so far out of the circular reasoning that we're all accused of, and to present his teachings on the poor, the weak, the meek, the oppressed, the rich, in such a way as we could test them and find them to be true. It's not "Jesus is right because he says he's right," it's "Jesus is right because he's reminding me of what I have known to be the truth, deep down, all along."
It's never been good enough for any of us to say 'the Bible is true and that's that,' but it's required of us (by St. Peter) to know what we believe, and to be prepared to engage the world with it. Why do you believe in the scriptures? Because they work. Because you trust Jesus, who has shown his trustworthiness. Because they have stood the toughest test of all, your test.

“The Christian ideal has not been tried and found wanting; it has been found difficult and left untried” – G. K. Chesterton

It takes work to know why you believe what you believe, but I can promise you that it is worth it. That's why we have Bible Study, Sunday School, Confirmation classes, and sermons, to wrestle with God, and to prevail. Knowing what you believe is such a key element in your Christian life, because it's your faith; not Dennis Chupik's (unless he's reading this right now), not St. Peter's not Pastor Jim's and not G K Chesterton's. And certainly not Richard Dawkins'. It's yours. Stand ready to give a reason for that hope.


PJ.