Signs of Intelligent Life?

  Too often, Christians have been depicted as a bunch of backwoods know-nothing Bible-thumpers, incapable of contending for truth in the marketplace of ideas. In the early sixties, a British scholar wrote a book called The Christian Mind, the first paragraph of which read, "There is no longer a Christian mind." That book was a critique of Christians, who failed to think biblically about all of life. And, sadly, there's some truth to the charge; Christians once preferred to run from controversy, hiding out in their holy huddles. But things are changing. And we've discovered at BreakPoint that lots of Christians are hungry for good resources for defending their Christian worldview. More and more, it is Christians who are taking the high ground in a whole host of academic disciplines today. One thing that has made this possible is the new generation of Christian thinkers that's coming along -- men and women who think critically about all of life, and do it from a biblical perspective. Over the next few days I'd like to tell you about some of these people. You need to know them; they're valued partners in the work of The Wilberforce Forum and BreakPoint radio, and they're a new breed of Christian thinkers setting the moral agenda for the 21st century. You're heard me talk about most of them here on BreakPoint: scholars like Phillip Johnson, Robert George, Richard Neuhaus, and J. Budziszewski, as well as journalists like Fred Barnes. These are among the speakers at our upcoming worldview conference in Chicago. Dr. Phillip Johnson is a law professor at University of California at Berkeley -- the quintessential liberal university. Once a died-in-the-wool atheist, Johnson came to faith in Christ. And since then he has shaken up the scientific community with his books and powerful debates, punching holes in today's Darwinist orthodoxy. I've also told you about David Larson, a psychiatrist whose ground-breaking research at the National Institute for Healthcare Research proves that religion is good for your health. Too often, Larson says, critics claim we just want to bring back the "good old days." Well, Larson's studies have shown conclusively that Christianity is not about being old-fashioned -- it's about leading a fulfilling life. It shows that a Christian worldview provides the best and most satisfying life. No one has had a greater influence on the debate over the role of faith in healing America's social ills than Dr. Marvin Olasky, author of Compassionate Conservatism and a professor at the University of Texas. Olasky's insights have helped shaped public policy on faith-based initiatives, debunking the old social welfare model in this country. He's one of today's keenest Christian thinkers and writers. You can learn more about these and other Christian scholars who are shaping the debate on vital issues of our day by visiting our websites. For those who can attend, check out the information on our worldview conference, which will be held June 8 through 10 in Chicago. It's exciting to see so many thinkers of this caliber emerging in our Christian ranks. The old adage that Christians are out of touch is giving way to a new generation. So to those on the campuses, I say, "Beware, a change is coming!" We're serving notice on the secular establishment that the Christians are coming, and truth is on our side!  

04/30/01