I believed in Christ at a young age, and grew up in the church. Even so, around 14 years old, I began to question my faith: How do I know that God exists? Did Jesus rise from the dead? Is Christianity true? I kept these doubts largely to myself, but when I did bring them up to Christian leaders in my life, I didn’t receive satisfying answers.
I attended The Masters University out of high school. While there, I started taking classes in philosophy. I found that I wasn’t alone in my doubts, but that Christian philosophers from the past and present asked questions about their faith as well. And many of them provided good answers, as well as good methods for getting at the answers.
As I continued to read Christian philosophers, as well as theologians and biblical scholars, my doubts went away. Christian apologetics – the defense of the truth of Christianity – helped increase my faith that Christianity is true.
In I Peter 3:15, Peter says that we should always be “prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (ESV). In Genesis, God created us with minds and rational capacities and declared his creation good (1:27-31). Christ commands us to love God with all our minds (Matt. 22:37). The Gospel of John provides seven signs to show that Jesus is the Messiah (John 20:30-31).
Paul reasoned with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks from the Scriptures, “explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead” (Acts 17:3). With the Greek philosophers, he reasoned about God from natural revelation before offering the resurrection as proof of the truth of Christianity (Acts 17:16-34).
In my youth, I wasn’t prepared to defend the faith to myself, let alone others. Yet the Bible commands us to be prepared. My professors poured into me and strengthened my faith, setting me on a lifelong trajectory. Who will prepare our youth? Are there students in our youth groups across Oklahoma secretly wondering if Christianity is true? Do they believe that Christianity can speak to our times?
On March 7, Oklahoma Bapist University (OBU) is hosting the annual Generation “Why” Apologetics Conference, with a theme of “Finding Meaning Amidst the Chaos”. Gen Why exists to help students know what they believe and why, and to see the value of Christianity for addressing the human condition.
Sean McDowell, Associate Professor of Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, is one of the plenary speakers. He will speak on the objectivity of truth as well as on finding meaning in Christ. Todd Fisher, Executive Director-Treasurer for Oklahoma Baptists, is also a plenary speaker. He will give a talk called “Staying Faithful in Life’s Worst Moments.”
Breakout topics include technology and human identity, Christianity and science, Christianity and culture, cults and world religions, and evangelism. Bring your youth to the annual Generation “Why” Apologetics Conference so that they will be better prepared to give a reason for the hope that is in them.
For more information about the Generation “Why?” Apologetics conference, visit okbu.edu./events/generation-why/.
