Friday, July 15, 2005

Keller and Bono

Okay Tim Keller, enough. Way to spoil it for the rest of us. This essay of his contains a brilliant litany of responses to objections to Christianity that robs me of the excuse of not sharing the Gospel because I'm trying to come up with the best phrasing.

I recommend reading the essay... but if you're in a rush:

Continue...

What about the problem of evil?
"If God himself has suffered our suffering isn't senseless."
But doesn't Christianity breed violence?
"We are the only faith that has at its heart a man dying for his enemies, forgiving them rather than destroying them. This must be presented to our culture as an unparalleled resource for living in peace in a pluralistic society."
Aren't all religions at root really the same?
"Inclusivism is really covert exclusivism."
But isn't everything relative?
"Individual creation of truth removes the right to moral outrage."
But isn't the God of Christianity angry?
"On the cross God does not demand our blood but offers his own."
What about the hypocrites?
"The solution to injustices is not less but deeper Christianity."
Sure, but the Bible is unreliable, right?
"The gospels' form precludes their being legends... Their timing is far too early for them to be legends... Their content is far too counter-productive to be legends."
And for those of us who are Christian and are wondering about which is the legitimate Church...
"There is a radical difference between religion - in which we believe our morality secures for us a place of favor in God and in the world - and gospel Christianity - in which our standing with God is strictly a gift of grace. These two different core understandings produce very different communities and character. The former produces both superiority and inferiority complexes, self-righteousness, religiously warranted strife, wars, and violence. The latter creates a mixture of both humility and enormous inner confidence, a respect for 'the Other', and a new freedom to defer our needs for the common good."
Regarding that last point, Bono is quite good as well. Quite good indeed.

So Bono can preach... can Keller sing?