Has Christianity Failed You?

by Ravi Zacharias

In 2006, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM) held an open forum at the Fox Theater in Atlanta to address the “Has Christianity Failed You?” Tickets were sold for the event and―to the complete surprise of everyone―the event was sold out with a capacity crowd of over 5,000. People lined up offering to buy tickets from folks in line for higher prices. Before the event, an RZIM cameraman walked the streets and asked people if they had rejected the faith they held at one time. One answered that, because of a Christian’s rejection of his gay lifestyle he had done just that. Another answered that she had left her faith because she had fallen into adultery and could never live it down in the church. Others had their own reasons. Some said it was just intellectually untenable in an age of reason. They chose to come to the event to judge if there were adequate answers. It is estimated that for every one person who writes a letter or attends an event, there are one thousand who agree. If the Atlanta crowd was any indication, the question is real and troubling.Why is it that many live with silent doubt, many leaving the “evangelical fold” for something else? Is there something wrong with the message, the communicator, the hearer…or is it all three? It’s time to ask the hard questions of what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ and why it seems as though God has made it so hard to continue believing. In fact, the son of a prominent U.S. Senator phoned me with that very question. “Why has God made it so hard to believe in Him?” Such skepticism is not just representative of the hostile; it also represents many honest questioners. This book attempts to lay out the response to those within as well as those outside the Christian faith so as to understand what it is we believe and why it is so hard to do so. More to the Why it is actually so hard to deny God and still make sense out of life? In the end the answers should be both felt and real, with the added truth that God is nearer than you think. He desires that we sense Him very near to us and not distant. But closeness comes at a cost just as any relationship of love and commitment does.

Genres: Christian, Christianity, Theology, Nonfiction, Christian Living, Religion, Audiobook

240 pages, Paperback

First published June 22, 2010

About the author

Frederick Antony Ravi Kumar Zacharias was an Indian-born Canadian-American Christian evangelical minister and Christian apologist who founded Ravi Zacharias International Ministries (RZIM). He was involved in Christian apologetics for a period spanning more than forty years, authoring more than thirty books. He also hosted the radio programs Let My People Think and Just Thinking. Zacharias belonged to the Christian and Missionary Alliance (C&MA), the Keswickian Christian denomination in which he was ordained as a minister. After his death, allegations of sexual harassment against him emerged, were investigated, and found to be true.

Reviews

[J.S. Park · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Ravi Zacharias, as others have opined, has a unique voice that merges both the intellectual and aesthetic. Those who prefer completely analytical works will not be pleased; those preferring lighter works in the vein of Max Lucado will be confused. The work here is a fusion of the heart and mind: a look into how we have become dissatisfied with the Christian faith. His own style is itself a critique: we've lost faith because we have treated it as either intellect or beauty instead of both/and. Most critics (perhaps) have fallen into the same trap.

Having said that, Dr. Zacharias does not say much new but renews hope in the distant believer. I'm not sure when storytelling became out of style with our countless movies and TV shows and teen novels, but yes, stories he tells with wondrous aplomb. He also tackles the tougher issues of spiritual grief, abandonment, and exhaustion. This book came to me at a time when I was "stuck" in a strange place between believing God to be true and trusting who He is. The book was a push in the right direction. Thanks Dr. Zacharias! Read with both the open mind and heart.

[Michael · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a pleasure of hearing Ravi Zacharias in person, he was so articulate and wise. The way he tackles controversial topics with ease and clarity is a gift from God. I also enjoyed how he develops stories into realities, therefore it is interesting to see his viewpoints concerning trivial and tough topics of what it means to live out authentic Christianity Additionally I watched many videos of him answering questions from the fans, always showing love without ever being evasive. Now unto the review told with brilliance and accuracy.

The beginning of this book is what pulled me in. I liked how he first defined Who is God? That fundamental question often gets overlooked in Christian books but he clearly defined who is the one that some question his existence? Then he preceded to go into the nature of his being, lastly he talked about the misconceptions about prayer and the perception of God. There were many highlights about this book that stood out to me, but the main thing was when he said humans tried to minimize God into their views, rather than the other way around. In other words, they stopped believing in God cause of who they want him to be and not who he wants them to be. Furthermore, he talked about the benevolent God who desires to have a relationship with his creation.

I read a previous book by Zacharias, however this one was much better than the last one. Ravi is one to watch, he is so honest and loving to people of different religions and doctrines. I am glad that is the last book I read this year.

This was an excellent book for church goers or the non religious ones.

[Meredith · Rating 1 out of 5]

The answer is yes it has, and this book has done nothing to change my mind. The author is extremely hypocritical. I would give this 0 stars if I could

[Jonathan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't like the style of Ravi Zacharias. I prefer clean arguments that are laid out as clearly and as economically as possible. But Ravi loves to make his points in an indirect manner by telling stories... lots and lots of stories. Illustrations are good, but in my opinion Ravi overdoes it, especially in this book. I frequently found myself getting lost as he would spend several paragraphs laying out a detailed story to make a very simple and sometimes peripheral point. Unless you like to hear stories and frequently forget what all the author is even getting at I'd suggest the person who feels like Christianity has failed them pick a different book. (I give it two stars because Ravi Zacharias always has good snippets of insight and maxims that are useful, even if his stories do get in the way of his arguments.)

[Gayle Fallon · Rating 1 out of 5]

The number of anecdotes overwhelmed me, and I found myself frustrated by his repeated assertion that atheists/agnostics don't follow traditional rules of logic when he fails to do so himself at times--especially when he makes sweeping comments or generalizations. This is the only book I've read by him, and some people here in the forums are leading me to believe that his other books aren't similar to this one.

[Chee Keong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Christian Theology / Apologetics

Page 157, this paragraph touch me:
I think the reason we sometimes have the false sense that God is so far away is because that is where we have put him. We have kept him at a distance, and then when we are in need and call on him in prayer, we wonder where he is. He is exactly where we left him.

[Dkovlak · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent book. Ravi has lots of good substance in this book. He tells a lot of stories to emphasize his points. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to defend the Gospel.

[Dawn Weaver · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this personal plea to those who have found Christianity wanting, Ravi Zacharias explores the heart of the Christian faith. Why are so many today living in silent doubt or actually abandoning evangelical churches for some other alternative? Is it the fault of the message, the messenger, or the hearer--or a composite of the three? Ravi explores these questions and challenges Christians and skeptics alike to examine the claims of Christ and not to confuse them with the way they are lived out in the modern church. His message addresses the felt needs of the heart and the intellectual basis for them, concluding that though the Christian life can feel like a terrifying adventure on the high seas without a compass, there is a Captain that can be trusted to take us through.

The reader looking for theoretical apologetics in a strictly intellectual format may be disappointed with the style of this book. In the tradition of the East, Ravi brings theory to life with the skillful use of poignant story and parable. In so doing he reaches the heart without bypassing the mind, making his intellectual reasoning both palatable and memorable.

I highly commend this book for the skeptic and the discouraged Christian alike—and for those who are connected to either of these. Ravi’s compassionate but unapologetic style is compelling. His vast and varied life experience and reading are reflected on every page. And his piercing insights are worth reading again and again. One comes away convinced that Christianity has not failed. The blame is wrongly placed. This is good news for saint and skeptic alike and leaves room for each to chart a new course, with encouraging counsel included!

---------------------------------

A more detailed review of the various topics covered follows:


The book commences logically with “Who is Jesus?” Since it is human nature to claim that one’s version of religion (or unbelief) is superior to another’s, how is what Jesus offers any different than the rest? This chapter, is no devotional read but each point made is elucidated with real-life parables that greatly aid the understanding and credibility of the theoretical. No stranger to modern skepticism about the person of Jesus, Ravi goes to great lengths to amplify on the ‘startling coalescence of contrarieties’ (J.Stewart) in the personality of Jesus. Under the heading of Jesus the Son he amplifies on the four aspects in which this is true: Son of David, Son of Man, Son of God, Savior and the implications of each for the human heart. “Knowing who he is makes the journey to a strong faith rational, even though the way is punctuated with times of struggle.”(43) When our relationship with this Jesus is broken or non-existent it will logically appear that Christianity has failed us.

The following chapter addresses the question of what it means to be a Christian. Beginning with the bold statement: ‘All religions are fundamentally different and only superficially the same at best’ he goes on to present the strength and uniqueness of the Christian worldview. He prefaces this discussion with the pertinent reminder of how easily one’s judgment can be clouded by emotionally charged or traumatic associations. Thus the special need for believers and skeptics alike to think objectively in this area. This chapter, just over 20 pages in length offers a solid apologetic for belief in God over naturalistic belief. It touches on such topics as the origin of moral values, the first cause, life purpose, religious plurality, and the uniqueness of the semi-transcendence of the Christian faith. He breaks these complex philosophical issues down so the average reader can begin to comprehend them, making this chapter particularly helpful for discussions with those of a skeptical mindset. It definitely bears reading and re-reading to absorb all that Zacharias has so concisely presented. In addition it provides a springboard for further reading by citing leading thinkers in these areas such as David Berlinski, Antony Flew (a former atheist, author of There is a God,) and Francis Collins.

In his excellent chapter titled: ‘Points of Tension’, Zacharias makes the point that no matter what system of values one chooses to live by, there will be tensions. Total skepticism is untenable as is living with no absolutes. Here then is a call to consider the value of living according to absolutes and making sure those absolutes accord with reality as expressed in God’s Word. Facing the tensions of life is dependent on believing the truth. If for instance, the lie is believed that ‘God exists for my comfort’, when this does not accord with the Christian’s life experience, God’s unchanging character is called into question, rather than the believer examining the real cause of the tension-- a lie believed. Another tension lies between what I believe and what God validates through miracle. Why doesn’t God make Himself more visible, more unmistakable? Given the human condition of fickleness, continual need, and our desire to control God, might this be a tension we are best to live with? The alternative, dispensing with god, creates even greater tension points. The paragraph summarizing these is an example of many superb and tightly worded paragraphs which make Ravi’s writing a treasure trove of noteworthy quotes to come back to again and again ( see p.78). He chooses three primary tensions we face in living out the Christian life to address individually in this chapter: our struggle for security, our struggle with pain and brokenness, and our struggle for sexual fulfillment.

An additional chapter is devoted to bringing coherence to the problem of pain and evil in the world. It concludes that ‘to walk away from one’s faith because of unanswered questions about evil is to walk into a storm of unanswered questions about good.’ (119)

Following is a chapter critiquing the book: The Reason-Driven Life by Robert M. Price, a former evangelical leader and example of one who proclaims that Christianity has failed him. Price has now entrenched himself in a vehemently hostile camp from which he lobs missiles of self-proclaimed ‘reason’. In this case, Price attacks the best-selling Christian book: The Purpose-Driven Life as a type of all things evangelical. Ravi’s response cuts through the surface rhetoric that at first sounds strangely convincing, and points out underlying prejudices and strategies that may have been overlooked. He highlights only a few philosophical points but refers the reader to the writing of Ben Witherington and Darrell Bock, scholars who have more specifically responded to attacks on the gospel narrative by such as Price.

Unanswered prayer is a reason some feel that Christianity has failed them, so Ravi devotes an entire chapter to discussing whether prayer indeed makes a difference. His remarks commence with this statement: “Christianity does not promise that you will have every question fully answered to your satisfaction before you die, but the answers it gives are consistently consistent. There may be paradoxes within Christian teaching and belief, but they are not irreconcilable.”(143) Prayer is more complex than we make it out to be. Most people have at some time been frustrated over prayer. With much use of anecdote, Ravi revisits some pertinent aspects of prayer-- as conversation with God, as demonstrated in the life of Jesus, as more than a means to an end. He concludes that: “More than anything else, this is what prayer is about—training one’s hungers and longing to correspond with God’s will for us—and it is what the Christian faith is all about.” (157) A closer look at three dimensions found in the Lord’s prayer remind us of the reverent attitude expected in prayer, our essential daily dependence on God, and the reshaping of our wills that takes place in prayer. In addressing the issue of unanswered prayer Ravi closes this chapter with a very insightful section elaborating on five goals of God for us to attain through the process of prayer—humility, spirituality, faith, fellowship, and understanding.

The concluding chapter contains first, a sober warning of the ramifications behind abandoning Christianity, both on an individual level and at a society level. Naturalism, the competing worldview in the West, has an insufficient rational base to maintain human existence despite its accusation of Christianity being ‘irrational’. But this chapter’s primary aim is the modern evangelical church—for here lies the source of disillusionment for so many. Ravi salutes those churches that have demonstrated ‘theological integrity with methodological relevance’ and gently admonishes the remainder to consider their true mission. Wholesome entertainment cannot be the church’s primary aim. Producing believers with strength of character requires a different methodology. The Bible points the way to restoring wholeness and conformity to Jesus’ image. Teaching people to think correctly, not just change outward behaviors is at the heart of the Gospel, and is key to changing individuals, churches and ultimately culture. The church is called to reach out, not condemn. Our message must be based on Christ’s teaching, not merely perceived needs. Technique must not eclipse the message. The church is called to inform the world of truth, not vice versa. Lives lived to the glory of God are the true strength of the church. And ultimately, ‘the solution to the failure of the church is not found by abandoning it,’ (201) but in taking time to examine one’s own calling as a Christian and evaluate where the failure really lies.

Ravi concludes by outlining certain ‘glories’, supremacies, and excellencies inherent in the God who calls us to live in this world by faith. He calls the reader to persevere, not only for his own benefit but for the hope of religious liberty as we know it. “Only Christianity, only the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us the enormous privilege of sacred freedom without imposing faith on anyone, is strong enough to preserve our freedom and our dignity. Those who mock this faith will find themselves before long under the oppression of an ideological domination that uses religion to gain political and cultural dominance.”(208)

[Michael Locklear · Rating 3 out of 5]

In the opening pages, the author defines his book:
Many of our young people in particular are finding themselves trying to survive the terrifying high seas of their faith journey without chart or compass.
When Noah was building his ark, God gave him detailed instructions for everything: how high, no higher; how long, no longer; what species to include and in what numbers – details ad nauseum. But when all had been done according to God’s instructions and the door was finally shut, it must have been a terrifying experience to realize there was no sail or rudder on this ark. Who was in control?
Is Christianity a mindless game in which we are hurled into the storms of life with false assurances, or are the instructions we have been given so detailed that we can anticipate what the storms of belief will be like, know who is in control, and what to do when we reach solid ground? In the end, rather than it being Christianity that has failed, could it be that we will be startled to find out it is the church that has failed, not Christ?
This book is for Christians and skeptics alike... I hope the following pages will point to the rudder and the sail we have been given and, most important, to the Captain of this ship called Life (pp13,14).

[Omotola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zacharias' book is an interesting attempt to answer perhaps the most important question for those questioning the Christian tradition and especially those who have left the faith altogether. Over the course of the book, that the majority of the reason certain people have ask the question is because of misguided expectations of God, the church, and most importantly, of themselves.

One thing I found book is interesting in that he very blatantly tries to establish the origins of Christianity within an socioreligious context, which I something Christian scholars and theologians don't do often enough in my opinion. Simultaneously, he laments the decline of Christianity in the West in a way that almost makes it seem like the decline of Christianity in the West signals the decline of Christianity everywhere. Granted, he does admit that Christianity is on the rise in places like China.

Overall, I think he strikes a nice balance between given a nice balance between giving the reader superfluous rhetoric meant to be centered in logic and critical thought and defining the purpose of belief and prayer as he has come to understand it. As for answering the question of whether or not Christianity has failed the reader, it may largely depend on the reader.

[Andrea]

Up until page 180ish, I was bored and frustrated. Ravi went through his whole standard argument about why Christianity is good and right, etc. That wasn't really why I picked up this book. So I was frustrated, and ready to put the durn thing down... until he started talking about specific failures of the church. He even touched on my biggest pet peeve: church as "entertainment". So from there to the end- I enjoyed the book. The following insights were gained:

1. Some people leave the church because they don't feel safe there. Others don't receive the forgiveness and love they need.
2. The above is definitely a failure of imperfect people... and if you want to improve church, improve yourself.
3. Church is sometimes structured around entertainment, instead of community and applying the word of God. These churches grow and die based on the quality of sermons and music.

I don't know that any conclusions were reached, but it is gratifying to know that all of this annoyance with churches is not in my head. I just have to find a church that is genuinely trying to follow the Lord, and doesn't get distracted by fancy lights or the hip-est praise/worship band. Sigh. The search continues.

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book as soon as I saw it. The title intrigued me, and I love Ravi Zacharias, the Indian Oxford graduate who travels as an itinerate speaker, apologist, and evangelist for Christ. Also, at several low points I’ve gotten the feeling that Christianity has failed me; and certainly many other people have left Christianity totally with some story of how inadequate this religion was in one way or another. Ravi’s aim is to discuss this question with just such people.

I liked the tone of the book... [rest at http://theocentrist.wordpress.com/201... ]

[Gerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful in understanding many who have become disenchanted with Christianity.

[Ryan · Rating 1 out of 5]

In the past I have quite enjoyed and respected Ravi Zacharias. In the midst of my struggles with doubt, this book was a severe disappointment. It read as utterly dismissive and circular.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book - first and last two chapters are the best.

[Winston Jen · Rating 1 out of 5]

During his introduction, Ravi regales us with a story about his family's Border Collie, GK, named after one of their favourite authors, GK Chesterton. Immediately I was struck by their callous attitude in forcing a member of their family to suffer the ravages of a natural death from cancer rather than put it quietly and peacefully to sleep. Sadly, Ravi takes a similar stance when he addresses the readers in the greater part of this book.

The author attempts to delineate "true" Christianity from the Christianity practiced in some churches today, and blames this for the reason people are leaving it in droves. He won't even entertain the idea that Christianity is false. The superficial saving grace in his book is his call to churches to be more supportive and understanding of those who have fallen away and "sinned" (a vacuous religious concept to begin with). He criticises the liberal media for condemning the Pope's stance unequivocally condemning contraception, asking if they would show compassion to someone who had used a condom and contracted HIV. In doing so, Ravi is denying the human impulse towards pleasure, one that he believes his god bestowed upon us, and is giving tacit support to a Puritanical worldview that has made the AIDS crisis worse. Condoms reduce the rate of HIV transmission, this is an undeniable fact. Why he would lend succour to a malicious prick who covered up and perpetuated child rape and indirect murder speaks volumes about the author. Perhaps he should write a new book on his own shortcomings and failures as an apologist and evangelical preacher.

Ravi claims that although his god is sovereign, he has also blessed us with free will. Anyone who has read Exodus should know that this is nonsense. A god who would violate Pharoah's free will to shunt himself up onto a pedestal and cause further gratuitous suffering is not only a deity brimming with malfeasance, but has no respect for free will. On a related note, Ravi complains that if one amputee was cured, this would be unfair to all other amputees, and we would demand more evidence and miracles. What, you mean like what allegedly occurred in the Old Testament? This flimsy excuse holds no water, especially since his god is supposedly all-powerful and could never get weary.

Ravi holds his personal experience (a supposed visit from Jesus while he was hospitalized after a suicide attempt). A cursory examination of NDEs, OBEs and similar experiences reveals that the only religious experiences humans experience is based on the religions that they were raised in. Why don't we see Muslims visited by Buddha or Krishna? I do not doubt Ravi's sincerity when he recounts this, but as he concedes, that doesn't prove the existence of his god. I would bet my life that Ravi would not place the same credence that he places in his own experience that he would place on the personal experiences of Muslims, Buddhists and Hindus. And besides, if his god is willing to reveal himself, it would be a simple matter to replicate such revelatory experiences for everyone on the planet. But we don't see this. It is very rare for adults who have been raised in religion to break free of the religion they were brought up in. Capital punishment for apostasy doesn't account for all of this, and the benefits of Christian missions and "charities" often do more harm than good. Myths and edicts about how to deal with "witches" have caused African villages to murder their children. The baggage that burdens Christianity and its teachings often end up doing more harm than good. And as for the bible, I found it quite telling that Zacharias does not mention whether or not he is a biblical literalist or whether some verses were not divinely inspired, in his view. And he doesn't even come close to explaining why we can trust the bible, since it was written by fallible humans, rehashed and manipulated depending on the era and translators. Perhaps simply thinks that the sheer quantity of obfuscation he spews forth will be enough to convince the reader.

He initially attempts to tackle arguments for the validity of theism over naturalism. He immediately falls flat at the starting gate by appealing to the sheer unlikeliness of life arising from random chance, and mentions monkeys randomly mashing keys until they produce the works of Shakespeare. According to him, the chances are too high for it to occur naturally during the alleged age of the universe. What he doesn't realise is that incredibly unlikely things occur every day - every person, every sperm and egg combination, is one in several hundred million. Add the chances of our parents meeting, and the thousands of human generations throughout our 200,000-year history, and the odds are far more unlikely than the "astronomical" odds Ravi mentions.

He also rails against secularism and "relativism", although situational ethics would be a better descriptor for what he is decrying here. Moral differences generally stem from the plurality of upbringings and the lack of complete information available or willing to be considered by parties in a given situation. When information is more detailed and situations and players considered more deeply, concurrence towards a single moral outcome is more likely, no matter who is considering the issue. That is why, for example, support for the right to die has risen considerably in Western countries over the past few decades, even in countries that have a majority of Christians, such as Australia.

In attempting to bolster his case for the truth of Christianity, he mentions William Lane Craig. This is a feeble attempt. Anyone who has seen Craig debate should know that intellectual rigour is not his strong suit. The opposite, in fact. Craig has mentioned several times that if the evidence should go against Christianity and the "internal witness of the holy spirit", the latter should take precedence against the former. Such an apologist, who decries the scientific method as being based on "the shifting sands of evidence and argument" himself uses arguments, and has therefore undermined at least half of his own case. There is no such thing as "reasonable faith", and few demonstrate this better than Craig himself. Baseless claims such as "absence of evidence is not evidence of absence" don't help him either. There's no evidence for Zeus, Thor or the Greek pantheon, and yet we don't see shills like Craig writing long-winded apologetics for them.

Ravi's chapter on prayer is the longest, and perhaps the worst. In this rambling, incoherent pile of flopped justifications, excuses and blame-shifting, Ravi redefines prayer, and what Jesus "really meant" when he said "knock, and the door shall be opened." Prayer isn't supposed to work "instantaneously or magically." Well, then why pray?! It would seem that Ravi doesn't seem to realise that he is making his god out to be a highly skilled huckster, by redefining his promises and covenants to suit himself.

In the final chapter, Ravi arrogantly assumes that anyone who has reached that point has understood that Christianity has not failed them, but people and/or institutions such as the church have. Well, all I have to say about this is that the actions of those who purport to act in god's name reflect either well or poorly on that deity, and any deity who would not clearly make his will and endorsements known to all is responsible for the impressions made by such believers (assuming, of course, that such a deity exists in the first place). Ravi attempts to gloss over the shortcomings of the CEO, using the employees as scapegoats. He rails against Islam and their mighty birth rate (implying that Christians must outbreed and out-brainwash them), and in a further act of incoherence and mental gymnastics, Ravi mentions the declining fish stocks worldwide. We cannot fix a perceived problem by making it worse. Woman's suffrage in the Muslim world is the only way to both stop the tide of Muslim takeover that he fears, and the scythe of overpopulation that will destroy us from within.

[Trey · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Has Christianity Failed You?'... yes. And have I failed christianity? Yes. Zacharias in his surgical, leave-no-stone-unturned style would have the reader take a sobering look at the man or woman in the mirror to answer these questions. He taps his analytical strength into one port of this spectrum and rides it from low to high, examining the beliefs and reasoning of both atheist and believer. I like how he acknowledges the pluralistic influences of our environment and helps the reader come to terms with the logic that led to the skepticism listed in the book's title. I always gain a better perspective, especially an honest one, when reading Zacharias' work and this book is another great example of his great efforts.

[Tim Baumgartner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here are SOME of my notes from this awesome book that can help those who say Christianity has failed them in some way, shape or form:
Introduction
Going against my inner calling was difficult, and in the end I realized that when one is outside the will of God, one's other commitments can also be put at risk and one's most important relationships can become dry and lifeless. To be in the place where God wants you is indispensable to enjoying the blessings God offers. (12-13)

[Compare the Purpose Driven Life with The Reason Driven Life]

Ch. 1: Who is Jesus?
Physician and author Deepak Chopra has cleverly written two books on Jesus, one he admits is a complete work of fiction, though you can be sure he has a real motive in doing so, and the other in which he says that Jesus finally gained enlightenment in his pursuit of the ultimate. (17)

…India's southern state of Kerala…Kodungallur is famous for one thing: It was here, according to tradition and even some historical references, that the apostle Thomas is said to have arrived in India in AD 53. Famed writers of early Christian history such as the Venerable Bede and Gregory of Nazianzus, among others, have made reference to Thomas's trip to India. The oldest denominational Christian church in India…the Mar Thoma Church…(After his martyrdom in India, Thomas's body was sent to Rome, but in more recent times, the pope authorized a piece of bone [about two inches long] from Thomas's remains to be sent to the historic shrine.) (21)

There may be a second reason that God has kept his face from us. Billy Graham, the noted evangelist, likes to tell of a time he was staying at a hotel in a Pennsylvania town. As the elevator door shut on him and a couple of his colleagues, another passenger in the elevator said, "I hear Billy Graham is staying in this hotel." One of Dr. Graham's colleagues pointed to Dr. Graham and said, "That's him." There was a moment of uncomfortable silence while the man looked Dr. Graham up and down, and then he said, "What an anticlimax!" (22-23)

In the Hindu faith, there is a defining story of a young man coming to a sage to inquire what life is all about. The sage asks the youth to go to a nearby tree and pick the fruit. When he has done so, the sage directs him to cut up the fruit. Then he instructs him to remove one of the seeds and break open the seed. Finally the wise man asks, "What do you see inside the seed?" "Nothing," is the reply. "Well, young man," returns the sage, "just as that tree emerged from nothing, so from nothing is this thing we call life. The more you know about it, the more you will find that life and its source are reduced to nothing." (23)

Why, when I have been wronged, do I expect everyone to accept my side of the issue? In short, we establish an "ought" from what "is" and consider those who do not agree with us to be wrong. (25)

"We cannot be at peace with others because we are not at peace with ourselves, and we cannot be at peace with ourselves because we are not at peace with God."^2 (25)

Son of David
He [Jesus] reminded his listeners, as he would later tell Pilate, that his call was not to one particular nation, nor was his kingship one of political power. Rather, it was to rule in the hearts of men and women who understood his higher call for us to be citizens of heaven and sons and daughters of God. (30)

I asked for and was granted a personal appointment with the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem. (In terms of political appointments within Islam, this position is considered the third highest: the first is the Grand Mufti of Mecca, and the second is ….of Medina.)

To every question I asked, his answer was one of two: "Jesus came to the Jews," or, "If it's in the Quran, it's true." But the core of his belief was that only those who spoke Arabic could really understand the Quran and that only a Muslim has the right to quote it. (31)

The Bible makes a remarkable comment about the allegiance of an animal: "The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner's manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand" (Isaiah 1:3). Surely it must as least mean that if even an animal can recognize its master, we must also see ourselves in a relationship to the author of our lives, who gives us the distinctive of personhood that transcends all race and ethnic barriers. (33)

…why cruelty to the animal world is seen as inhumane, because as humans, we are supposed to value the created order, and the weakest among us who cannot speak for themselves must be spoken for. (34)

The gospel writer in Matthew 26, reminds the reader that David himself in Psalm 110:1 referred to Jesus as his Lord when he said, "The Lord said to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.'" Here comes the contrariety: The Messiah is called the Son of David when, in effect, David's greatness lay in the fact that he recognized the lordship of the Messiah. It was not that Jesus was the Son of David but that David, by faith, was Jesus' son. (34)

Son of Man
Of all the titles that Jesus could have selected, the one he used most of himself was 'the Son of Man" (eighty-two times in the New Testament)…Clearly this was a title Jesus considered to be very significant. Understanding this term, then, ought to be taken seriously and distinctively from the definition given by secular humanism of what it means to be human. [See ^5] [(34-35)

Son of God
No illustration will ever fully capture this…But let me make one more attempt. The Bible describes marriage as the sacred coming together of a man and a woman in a consummate and exclusive relationship: "and they will become one flesh" (Genesis 2:24). When the consummate sexual act is completed and the woman is impregnated, at that moment of conception (whether she realizes it or not) there are actually three persons within one being-the woman, the seed of her husband, and, between them, the third person, the child. The woman is no longer responsible only for herself, for she is carrying her husband's distinctive DNA that, joined with her DNA, will engender the distinctive third person with his or her own DNA. In a strange and mystical but factual way, there are three in one. (39-40)

Savior
It is always someone else who is the problem. In his existentialist play No Exit, Jean-Paul Sartre described hell as "other people"-I'm all right; you are the problem. (41)

In a recent tragedy of enormous proportions, India's fifth largest tech company was dealt a blow of foundation-shaking news. The CEO and founder disclosed that the company books had been doctored for years to misrepresent the true picture. The billions the company claimed in profit were simply not there. The founder had engaged in a monumental game of deceit, and in his letter of confession and resignation he wrote, "I felt like I was riding a tiger, not knowing how to get off without being eaten."^7 His company is called Satyam, which, ironically, means "Truth." (41-42)

On November 26, 2008, a gang of Islamic terrorists stormed the historic Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai…took two hundred innocent lives ended, one of the guests who had been at the hotel for dinner that night was interviewed by the media. An Indian-born English actor [was drug under the table after they heard gunshots]…When the interviewer asked him how it was that everyone at his table and in the room was dead and yet he was alive, his answer was sobering: "I suppose it's because I was covered in someone else's blood, and they took me for dead."
This is a perfect metaphor of God's gift through Jesus to each one of us. (42)

This rupture of serious ramifications often leaves us saying that our faith has failed us. Rather than pausing to see what we have done to the content and object of our faith, we lay blame at the doorstep of God. (43)

Ch. 2: What Does It Mean to Be a Christian?
…the question of what it means to be a Christian-a person who believes what Christianity teaches. (45)

In Isaiah 1:18 the Bible records God's words: "Come now, let us reason together." (47)

If there is no reality against which to measure truth, these people are correct. But I would ask them: Is it legitimate for me to argue that whether the theory of gravity articulated by Newton applies to a person depends entirely on how that person has been raised to think? Why must I accept the theory of gravity that Newton stated and that science has accepted? Why can't I come up with my own theory of gravity? The answer, the scientist would say, is that Newton's theory best reflects reality. And I would say that the existence of God best reflects the reality of the world we see and live in.
Now if we grant that objective moral values do exist, why does that necessarily point to a personal God as Jesus taught? Consider the following: Every time a question with moral implications is raised, it is raised by a person or about a person, or both. Animals and plants do not raise questions about morality. This must at least mean that personhood is indispensable to moral reasoning. But if the notion itself of personhood is essentially worthless-which is the position to which naturalism is ultimately and undeniably driven-is there really any point in any discussion about morality? Such a discussion just for the sake of discussion is circular at best, and no condition can be sustained apart from an acknowledgment of an ultimate spiritual reality. (48-49)

Moral categories must exist with certainty; otherwise the very critique of God as being "immoral" is a self-defeating argument because if there is no morality, God cannot be immoral-no matter what he does. (49)

In his book There Is a God, [Antony] Flew reflects on an argument regarding the probability of human origin that he had to deal with in his younger days. The argument runs like this: How long would it take for an infinite number of monkeys pounding on an infinite number of typewriters to compose a sonnet by Shakespeare? (Believe it or not, this argument was based on an experiment by the British National Council of the Arts.) A computer was placed in a cage with six monkeys, and after one month of hammering away at the keys and using the computer as a bathroom, the monkeys produced fifty typed pages-but not a single word. This is amazing, considering that the shortest word in English could be a one-letter word such as the letter a or I. But a one-letter word is only a word if there is space on either side of it. Flew points out that if one considers that there are thirty keys on a keyboard, the possibility of getting a one-letter word is one in 30 X 30 X 30, which is one in 27,000. If these attempts could not even result in one one-letter word, what is the possibility of getting just the first line of one of Shakespeare's sonnets, let alone a whole sonnet? Flew quotes scientist and author Gerry Schroeder on the sheer improbability of the random existence of the universe:
If you took the entire universe and converted it to computer chips-forget the monkeys-each one weighing a millionth of a gram, and had each computer chip able to spin out 488 trials at, say, a million times a second; if you turn the entire universe into these microcomputer chips and these chips were spinning a million times a second [producing] random letters, the number of trials you would get since the beginning of time would be 10 to the 90th trials. It would be off again by a factor of 10 to the 600th. You will never get a sonnet by chance-let alone the complete works of Shakespeare. The Universe would have to be 10 to the 600th times larger. Yet the world just thinks the monkeys can do it every time.^1 (52-53)

They will say that just because it is improbable, it doesn't mean that the universe didn't happen this way-a view that vehemently resists both human limitation and the humility required to follow reason where it leads. Instead, they will wax eloquent, like Watson, on endless categories of convoluted descriptions of what "might" or "could" have happened, all the while ignoring the most obvious deduction or conclusion before them as to the origin of the universe-that it was a deliberate act of creation by an intelligent being. Stubbornly and deliberately ignoring that "the tent has disappeared"… (53)

…summarizing the argument of Kevin Favero (an electrical engineer by training), provides a syllogism that gives a remarkable clue to the difference between how the mind works and how mere intellect works:

If matter/energy is all there is, then there is no free will.
There is free will.
Therefore matter/energy is not all there is.^2 (56)

Both pleasure and pain have therapeutic and debilitating sides to them, for, as C.S. Lewis wrote, "God whispers to us in our pleasures,…but shouts in our pains; it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world."^3 (57)

As I heard him speak of his situation and his fears, I couldn't help but think of the Broadway play Phantom of the Opera. The words of the song "Music of the Night" speak volumes of how the darkness of night intensifies temptation. Under the cover of darkness not only are nefarious schemes hatched and implemented, but strange justifications are invented. In the darkness, the song says, it is easy to pretend that the truth is what we think it ought to be. (58)

False religions have at least one redeeming aspect-those who follow them do so because they understand they have not found the answer within themselves. (58)

How do we know that what we know is true? Let's look at this set of statements Reid Monaghan put up on his website:

A plurality of persons and ideas is good.
A plurality of religions is a brute fact.
A plurality of gods is an idolatrous fiction.
A plurality of contradictory "truths" is an impossibility.^4 (59)

As one former Hindu said to me, "If every birth is a payment for the previous birth, and I have had only a finite number of births, what was I paying for in my first birth? Even the bank tells me how much I owe them. My karma tells me nothing." (60)
Kevin Favero's syllogism (see above) would read:

God is absolutely sovereign.
There is no free will.
Therefore man is absolutely determined.

Islamic apologists, trying to convince themselves of some freedom in their belief while also retaining their belief in the absolute sovereignty under which they live, would write a syllogism as follows:

God is sovereign.
Just submit to Allah.
You will be weighed in the balances.
You will be held accountable as if you are sovereign over yourself.
A sovereign God will judge you. (60-61)

Sheer Determinism
…in a scathing look at evolutionary determinism Berlinski, a secular writer, declares the following:

A successful evolutionary theory of the human mind would, after all, annihilate any claim we might make on behalf of human freedom. The physical sciences do not trifle with determinism: It is the heart and soul of their method…
When [experimental psychologist and cognitive scientist] Steven Pinker writes that "nature does not dictate what we should accept or how we should live our lives," he is expressing a belief-one obviously true-entirely at odds with his professional commitments.
If ordinary men and women are, like Pinker himself, perfectly free to tell their genes to "go jump in a lake," why pay the slightest attention to evolutionary psychology?
Why pay the slightest attention to Pinker?
Either the theory in which he placed his confidence is wrong, or we are not free to tell our genes to do much of anything.
If the theory is wrong, which theory is right?
If no theory is right, how can "the idea that human minds are the product of evolution" be "unassailable fact?"
If this idea is not unassailable fact, why must we put aside "the idea that man was created in the image of God?"
These hypotheticals must now be allowed to discharge themselves in a number of categorical statements:
There is no reason to pay attention to Steven Pinker.
We do not have a serious scientific theory explaining the powers and the properties of the human mind.
The claim that the human mind is the product of evolution is not an unassailable fact. It is barely coherent.^6 (62)

Total Transcendence
[autonomy]

Semitranscendence
I recall that Malcolm Muggeridge once said that human depravity is at once the most empirically verifiable fact yet most staunchly resisted datum by our intellectuals. (64)

[See the rose window from York Minster Cathedral in York, England.] (65)

[Then see Dr. Francis Collins' speech and cross section of human DNA.]
http://storiesforspeakers.blogspot.co...
As I sat entranced by what I was seeing, the thought came to my mind that it was because of the DNA strand I was seeing that I could see what I could see what I was seeing. That which held me in awe was the reason for which I could be awestruck. In other words, mine was a meaningful response in recognition of meaning, enabled by that which made my meaning meaningful. Only a semitranscendent point of reference makes that possible. (65)

Ch. 3: Points of Tension
If you can trust nobody, you would never use any public transportation, never go to a doctor, never deposit money in a bank, never eat any food, never step foot outside your door-and on and on goes the list. In fact, you might become so paranoid that you're afraid to even trust yourself. (71)

There is an old adage that asks, "If a Cretan tells you that all Cretans are liars, can you believe him?"

…why are we convicting top executives of financial institutions for their relativism in financial matters when we have taught our students for years in all our colleges, including Ivy League schools, that ultimately there are no absolutes. (72)

During that time [1960s] and in the decades since, voices from both inside and outside have sounded our demise. Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn warned that the West is on the verge of collapse. "Between good and evil there is an irreconcilable contradiction, he said, but he was dismissed as being an anti-communist ideological dinosaur.^1 (73)

…because the church has not always lived out the truths it claims to believe, doubt has been cast on the unchanging character of God. (74)

[Think of the student who tried to challenge the establishment in his institution. He wanted to quote random people and not write it down for his PhD, but his advisor didn't like it. Eventually the guy graduated, but they said to him:]
"There is only one small exception we would like to make," they said. "We are granting you your PhD but will not be giving it to you in writing. You'll just have to take our word for it." (75-76)

Suppose God restored the arms of an armless man, what do you think would happen? Of course, the person with new arms would run around showing off the miracle, and the miracle would become the point of conversation on every talk show. But what if he was so excited that he grew careless and stepped in front of a speeding car while he was trying to cross the road to show someone his new arms? What if he were crushed by an oncoming vehicle? Would he ask for another miracle, or would he be content to know that at least he had experienced a miracle once? And what about other armless people who hadn't been given new arms-wouldn't they begin to demand that if God is really who he says he is, he would do the same miracle for them out of fairness? Ah, so just one miracle wouldn't be enough. We would need multiple irrefutable miracles, and I also suggest that a few generations later, no one would believe the story, even if it were written down. (76)

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not His Best Work, But Still Challenging!

Although I appreciate Ravi Zacharias’s books and speaking style, the book seems somewhat poorly titled in relation to its content. It does not seem to be written for the target audience alluded to in the title. Also on the negative side, Zacharias sometimes piles illustration onto illustration onto illustration without explaining why they are significant until the end. Basic questions which the author raises do not always seem to be clearly answered. Somewhere near the middle, a response to another book in which a former evangelical scathingly condemns the Christian faith seemed unnecessarily harsh and lengthy. To be frank, at several points I wondered if this book was simply a compilation of messages the author had previously given which had yet to find their place in print. But eastern ways of speaking are different from westerners so what I felt was sometimes a rambling style may simply be my cultural bias.

On the plus side, as mentioned above, I typically enjoy books written by Dr. Zacharias, and this book is no exception. I really liked listening to the author’s personal narration of the audiobook. I appreciate how his mind works and his God-given intellectual ability to defend the faith. I appreciated his critiques of churches which have compromised in order to “be relevant”. And I appreciated the penetrating yet disturbing insight in his concluding remarks, which I relate to the reader below for your own consideration (pp 207-208):

Let me say this as gently but as seriously as I can. Secularism will not win the day. Atheism will not win the day. Radical Islam is gradually pushing down the walls of secularism in the West, because secularism has no foundation. Its walls are built from inferior materials. They may look good on the outside but on the inside they are hollow and have no staying power. Radical Islam knows this. We may think our enlightened culture or our technology will withstand their onslaught, but it will not. One of the leaders of the Middle East recently said in a cavalier manner: “Why are we resorting to terrorist attacks? We don’t need to. Give us another thirty years or so, and the West will be ours. We will take it without an army.” This is not a hollow boast.

Do you remember when the Soviet Union made a similar boast that they would not need to fire a shot to win the west because our decay would weaken us so much from within, that our walls would crumble and they would be able to just walk in? It is interesting that both these worldviews have recognized that our greatest weakness is ourselves. Fortunately for us, time ran out for the Soviet Union. And it was built on secularism. Islam has all the time in the world. They are prepared to wait. They have been waiting for almost thirteen hundred years since they were turned away by Charles Martel at the Battle of Tours. What are a few more years?

… It is Christianity that has kept the Western world intact, that has created the environment and the impetus for the success the West has known…

In any situation when Christianity is evicted, I have absolutely no doubt that a radical form of totalitarian religious belief will take over. I have sat with leaders in other parts of the world who have voiced their perplexity that we in the West don’t see this reality staring us in the face… The handwriting is on the wall. Only Christianity, only the gospel of Jesus Christ that gives us the enormous privilege of sacred freedom without imposing faith on anyone, is strong enough to preserve our freedom and our dignity. Those who mock this faith will find themselves before long under the oppression of an ideological domination that uses religion to gain political and cultural dominance.

[Reva · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve spent years thinking I should read some apologetics, and this book has sufficiently cured me of that longing; I’ve fulfilled my craving for at least the next several years. Zacharias writes with passion, oh so much passion, and with an excessive number of references to his upbringing in the all-important East. Now, to be fair, I’m writing this review over a month after having read this book, and I remember very little of the content, other than not being especially convincing. He emphasizes the “failure” of Christianity as being a “failure” of the Christian – namely, of having unrealistic expectations of the religion. He encourages approaching the Word of God from a new perspective of freshness, craving the deeper lessons of Jesus’ teachings rather than consistency in detail (138). In general, he suggests perfectly admirable advice: living one’s faith daily yet with an eternal mindset, allowing oneself to be carried by God in prayer rather than vice versa, and forgiving those who repent with sincerity (163, 151, 191). As with many Christian authors of late, Zacharias teaches this commendable, likeable faith of love and anti-literalism; but unfortunately, he drowns his message in a style of writing focused on storytelling and tangents.

[Warhammer Grantham · Rating 1 out of 5]

TBH reading this book felt a little like reading 'The God Delusion' by Richard Dawkins because of the weirdly condescending narrator. Spoilers, Ravi Zacharias says Christianity hasn't failed you, but people in Christian churches may have. This is basically a book of Zacharias telling how he's traveled all around the world, listening to many wealthy and powerful people confess their insecurities to him in one matter or another, and then he says God is the answer. I really think Anne Lamott or Rachel Held Evans writes with a better understanding of what it is to be human than this guy. I know I'm not being very generous to this guy, especially since he confessed he nearly committed suicide at one point, and I'm happy he decided to live; but he also had a like WebEx affair with some woman while he was married so, it's hard for me to hold grace for a dude who wrote a wholeass book with such a determined lightly condescending tone.

[Wendy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

AWESOME BOOK...Ravi has a real relational way of explaining deep philosophical truth to the everyday mind like mine....he is also very transparent and empathizes with those who have felt christianity or the church has failed them-and who of us has not truly felt that at some level, but makes a case that God has not. He also challenges us as individual and corporate members of the church to truly look at how we "do church" and what that is saying to nonbelievers and de-churched believers....I left the book feeling validated, yet challenged with the truths in a non threatening way in which this guy really cares about the church and people's response to God...he embodies the whole verse of 1 Peter 3:15: give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...

[Will Robinson Jr. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an incredible nonfiction read. I like many followers of Christ struggle with this question. Ravi Zacharias is a very intelligent and engaging speaker. He has definitely put the thinking and philosophical excitement into what it means to be a Christian. For anyone who has never heard him speak this is a wonderful book for the believer and the nonbeliever. He very carefully guides the reader through the often challenging question many Christians face and he does so by using the great work of Christian thinkers and the philosophy of a few non believers in effort to persuade and prove the importance of Christ. I could not put the book down. I am interested in not only reading more of his work but the reading list of books I found on his organizations website.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty solid book discussing some of the main reasons people turn away from or become disillusioned with Christianity and Ravi's answers to them. The first chapter is discusses who Jesus is, b/c without this basic understanding one can't actually look at Christianity. Another chapter discusses prayer which was particularly good, especially if you've ever struggled with prayer or thought, "what's the point"?

[Chauncey Lattimer]

Excellent examination of the issues that make us question our faith. I have always enjoyed the way that Ravi blends personal experience, autobiographical information, stories from literature and the arts, and God's Word to bring Truth to life. This is a book that I would highly recommend to all Christians who are concerned about sharing their faith with non-believers as well as having a solid "reason for the hope" that substantiates their faith.

[Marina E · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the first part of this book was a little disappointing, full of many of his usual illustrations that I had heard in lectures and prolonged avenues to arrive where he wanted, the second part of the book is worth the while. Ravi has a unique (and long) way to get to his point, but when he does, it's tear jerking. I would highly recommend listening to this book instead of reading it. Listening to Ravi read it is a much more fulfilling experience.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ravi has some great insights here, starting with an overview of how Jesus bucked culture and the like. He then works his way into debunking empiricism and rationalism (and specifically Robert Price). He also adds a very nice chapter regarding prayer. As always, a difficult but enlightening read from Ravi.

[Rod Horncastle · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Many great short stories thrown in that get you thinking.

Although i think Ravi is preaching to the choir. Its also kind of disturbing that the choir is quickly losing its faith. So I guess this book IS for the choir. Maybe if they read their Bible more?!

So has Christianity failed me? NO. And thanks to Ravi it never will.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zacharias is undoubtedly a skilled orator, and is careful with his words. I enjoyed this book greatly, ended up taking a lot of notes. It features quite a lot of philosophical discussions of morality and the nature of man, and I frequently found myself jotting down authors and philosophers for further study. All in all, a great book.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fabulous book by Ravi Zacharias. This time he addresses the reasons given by people who have left the church. Not surprisingly he finds the grievances to be better directed at Christians rather than Christianity, though the book is primarily about the relevance and importance of Christ rather than the failings of His followers.

In summary, great book. Read it.