Teaching Activity

Need an engaging activity for your next small group or Sunday school class?  Print this Newsweek interview with Rick Warren and Sam Harris and give each group member a copy.  Begin reading it together, stopping throughout to ask the following questions:

1. What is Harris' claim or argument?
2. Does Warren give an adequate response? Why or why not?
3. How would YOU respond?  Or, what might be a better response?

Or create your own questions.  This piece should give you enough material to fill a couple of meetings and force your people to engage the arguments for themselves.

Comments

[Michael Speers]

After clicking over, My first thought was, "why have a pastor and not a William Lane Craig?"

I was pleasantly surprised. I thought Rick did a very good job overall. There are a few things I wish he'd have added. Perhaps he did and they didn't make it in the transcript or perhaps the interviewer steered the conversation away before allowing a rebuttal.

[Kevin W]

Warren

>>"No, let me finish. I let you caricature Christianity. If life is just random chance, then nothing really does matter and there is no morality—it's survival of the fittest. If survival of the fittest means me killing you to survive, so be it. For years, atheists have said there is no God, but they want to live like God exists."

Okay; I admit it, I pumped my fists with this one.

[tony montano]

Kevin,

I totally agree with that paragraph. Living without God is scary meaningless and sucks.

For those reasons alone, I can see why someone would want to stay Christian. Sometimes I even feel that those three reasons are enough for me to convert back - which I plan on doing before my death.

But, notice, they don't have much to do with the question as to if Christianity is TRUE or not.

I wouldnt get too excited Kevin. The best Warren can philosophically hope for in that pragraph is convincing the audience that if Harris is right then lifes sucks.

[Kevin W]

Tony,

Harris kept relying on the fact there are different religions, which is, of course a different debate entirely.

All Warren had to say was, “Okay, everyone knows there are differing views, but people have differing views about ‘what’ love is. It's never been tested. Does this mean love does not exist?”

See, Harris kept going back to Zeus, Muslims, etc. I say, grant that to Harris and move on. It would have served the debate well.

Harris made a very weak case in my biased opinion.

[John Willis]

Tony wrote: "Living without God is scary meaningless and sucks."

I don't know if we're reading the same bible, but living with God as He's revealed Himself, without accpeting the pardon He's offerred through Jesus Christ is worse then that my friend!.

"And be not afraid of them that kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Ref:Matt 10:28)

It is not a comforting thing to come to grips with what God truly thinks of unregenerate human beings. Does He labor to bring us to reconciliation with Him? Clearly He has and does, although He owes none of us anything but justice.

I don't think that once a person comes to understand the reality and consequences of our position in reference to a perfect, holy and just God that they "de-convert".

What did you de-convert from? What did you de-convert to?

Regards,
John