[asa] ASA Newsletter

ASA members,

Regarding the issues raised pertaining to Africa, my feeling is those sorts
of matters really are of concern to ASA members only.
Probably many members will disagree with me. Its just that when it comes to
strategies for outreach and mission it seems to me you have to get you
ducks in a row before starting to catch grenades.

As far as the ASA doing basic apologetics for Christianity in general, I'm
not against the ASA doing that. I'm just surprised the ASA has to do it at
all. It just seems slightly misplaced. (So if I am wrong here, please
tell me so.) Is it not true there are many many other venues that perform
that function? Would it not be more appropriate for someone with questions
or challenges to Christianity itself to go to a more appropriate venue? I
am ambivalent about that. I never had the expectation that it is the ASA
that had the answers in this area. Or the charter to develop those
answers. I suspect the enemies of Christianity do not really want answers.
Are they really trying to understand, or are they are just making trouble
and trying to distract?

My personal opinion is it is far more important for us to dialog with
Muslims, for example, than it is to dialog with atheists. We have something
in common with Muslims, and Muslims are far more likely to ask a question
that gives them insight into Christianity than is any westernized atheist.
In fact I would suspect the entire population of China and the old Soviet
Union makes for better dialog than do western atheists. The same goes for
non-believing Africa.

So, if we are going to have to regurgitate CS Lewis's moral argument for
God's existence, and that sort of thing, etc,
ad nauseum, perhaps we should do it in a form that is more likely to be
digested by those who are really trying to understand?

Dave C (ASA member)

To unsubscribe, send a message to majordomo@calvin.edu with
"unsubscribe asa" (no quotes) as the body of the message.
Received on Sat Sep 5 23:26:32 2009