Credentials

Some people might be inclined to question my credentials, or to wonder if I have ulterior motives. Am I writing this blog because I'm a liberal Christian who hates the evangelical church? Do I believe in evolution because I'm a godless atheist who hates the guilt I feel because of Christianity? And do I so fiercely criticize the Republican party because I hate business owners and love abortion? No, no, and no. None of the above. Those questions are ridiculous, and intentionally so, but I have been asked by several people recently if my faith is slipping, if I no longer believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, or if I'm going to vote for Obama (somehow, those things have become linked in people's minds, which is a problem in itself). But I thought it might be helpful to the skeptics and the suspicious to give a bit of detail about my life or the sincerity of my so-called "evangelical" belief in Christ. So, here's some of that:

I trusted Christ as my savior when I was eight years old, after seven years of wild living, at least for an elementary school kid in the 80's (basically, I cussed a lot). The church I spent the first part of my life in proudly called itself fundamentalist, as did I, (at least through the late 90's) but what we really meant was that we held to the fundamentals of Christianity, not that we hated gay people, required women to wear dresses, or were super-legalists (although sometimes we might have been medium-legalists). We believed in the innerancy of God's word, we believed in the pre-tribulation rapture, and I'm sure the vast majority of us were young earth creationists (I actually was involved in a newspaper editorial page argument in my city about creation and evolution, in the mid 90's, and that led to my being invited to participate in the founding of an "Origin Science" organization, which never quite came to fruition, but I did go to the meetings). But that's getting ahead of myself.

I attended Christian school from 2nd-8th grade, then homeschooled with Christian curriculum through high school. I went on a lot of mission trips, beginning in junior high. The summer after my junior year, I started a Bible study among my friends, where we read the Bible and talked about how we needed to change our lives. I was on the leadership team of Campus Crusade for Christ at my community college, and I minored in philosophy because I'd found no better venue to argue for the truth of Christ, and the rightness of his principles. Then I went to a large, well-known evangelical seminary in Texas. I served on the student council and worked for the school in multiple capacities. When I graduated, I was in complete agreement with their doctrinal statement and still am. Then I got a pastoral job at an evangelical church, where I served for about 5 years. The reasons I'm no longer there have nothing to do with theology or politics (well, maybe local church politics). And now, I attend an evangelical church in Austin, Texas, which I really enjoy and appreciate. I even applied for a job there, but they had the good sense not to hire me. I'm thoroughly evangelical, and plan to stay that way, because evangelicalism is right, it just has some glitches.

I was the most fervent Republican I have ever known (wait, 2nd - I forgot someone). I planned when I was young to run for president, and fix everything we were doing wrong (read, "undo what Clinton had done"). In 1994, I read Newt Gingrich's book, To Renew America. Somewhere in there I read Dan Quayle's autobiography, Standing Firm, and I can tell you all about how the potato(e) incident was not really his fault. In college, I spent about an hour each day reading Republican political commentators - it was the best thing about the internet, which Al Gore certainly did not invent (though I later found he actually had a somewhat significant role in its development, for a Senator) When Bush Jr. was elected, I decided to do something else with my life, instead of run for President, as there were plenty of capable and competent Republican leaders, when we really only needed one. I only say all that because improving evangelicalism is going to require pointing out some issues with the Republican party and our blind allegiance to them, and when I say those things, it isn't because I don't understand or appreciate conservative principles.

I'm thoroughly convinced of the truth of Christianity, not because I've never considered other perspectives, but because I read everything I can find online by famous atheists like Daniel Dennett, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens (poor guy) and Ben Stiller Sam Harris (I honestly can't tell the difference). If Christianity isn't true, I want to know it - I don't just want to blindly cling to my faith because I like the stories or the songs. I always find they don't have more evidence that God doesn't exist than atheists did when I took Intro to Philosophy. Now, I do appreciate Richard Dawkins for getting us something to call those pictures of cats that we send to our friends (memes). But Christianity is true. Their main arguments don't actually go against Christianity, so much as they say, "There isn't enough evidence to believe such amazing claims." Anyway, I've heard it all, and can beat atheists to the punch in reciting "Russell's teapot" or claims of "no true Scotsman". But their arguments against Christianity are neither strong nor theologically informed. All that just goes to say, none of this criticism comes from doubt.

So, just to sum up and be clear, I believe every word of the Bible is completely true, I'm quite theologically conservative, and I'm not doubting or drifting in my faith. Any questions? Put 'em in the comments.