Facing the facts as he saw them [Lee Strobel on Christianity, Da Vinci Code, & more]

Minneapolis Star Tribune ^ | May 19, 2006 | Pamela Miller

[rhema]

If you want to debate Christianity with Lee Strobel, you'd better do your homework. The California author brings to conversations the same friendly, fervent tenacity and intelligence that marked his former career as a big-city journalist and his current one as author of 17 books, including "The Case for Faith" and "The Case for Christ." Strobel, who calls himself a multidenominational Christian, has been a hit in the evangelical world, partly because his personal story is so dramatic. In 1981, the Chicago Tribune legal affairs editor jettisoned his adamant atheism and converted to Christianity.

In his work since as an author, speaker and teaching pastor, he's embraced what he calls an investigative approach to Christianity, citing research and experts that he says prove Jesus' life and death were precisely as the New Testament describes. Critics say he ignores academic and philosophical evidence and arguments that are skeptical about Christianity, but the intelligence and passion he exudes are undeniable.

We talked to Strobel recently while he was in the Twin Cities.

Q Talk about your latest book.

A "Exploring the Da Vinci Code" [with Gary Poole, 2006, Zondervan Press] says, essentially, good for Dan Brown for raising spiritual curiosity. The book and movie have inspired a lot of conversation. But historically, it's nonsense -- 10 percent truth, 90 percent fiction. We take a look at the book and the facts.

Q How did you come to Christianity?

A I grew up in Chicago in a nominally Christian household. I had the usual questions -- How can there be a loving God and a hell? How can Jesus be the only way? If Darwinism is true, isn't God out of a job?

In the fall of 1979, my wife, Leslie, became a Christian. I was dismayed -- I thought she'd turn

[william clark]

Yeah, that's what a lot of people have said. Instead of sitting back and self-righteously (how's that for irony?) sniping at believers, a number of them have set out to prove the point. You'd be surprised how many consequently became Christians. But of course, it depends on your level of intellectual laziness and smug superiority, whether you can be bothered to actually investigate what's true.

[Frumious Bandersnatch]

I will never forget the first time I heard about the DaVinci book, a friend said that her mother read the book and was convinced that Jesus had been married etc.

This is a non-issue. Whether he was married or not (and the Bible doesn't say one way or the other) has nothing to do with the divinity of the resurrected Christ.

Scholars have discussed this issue over the centuries without calling into question the divine nature of Christ. Why it should be used now to 'prove' that Christ is not the Lord is beyond me.

[GarySpFc]

...the bible has constantly been proven wrong over the centuries on many scientific fronts

Please name your many scientific fronts?

[GarySpFc]

Let's see, Brown has Jesus being married to Mary Magdalene at the wedding in Cana.

On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples. John 2:1 ESV

Since when does a groom need an invitation to his own wedding?

After this he went down to Capernaum, with his mother and shis brothers1 and his disciples, and they stayed there for a few days. John 2:12 ESV

For some reason I cannot imagine a young Jewish man going home with his mother, brothers and buddies after his wedding. :)

[colt fan man]

i'll answer your quesion, when you and others on this board answer mine:

what is more believable - that there was a man named jesus who happened to be married and had a child?...OR, that a man named jesus was immaculately conceived, and walked on water, and turned water into wine, etc........

[bray]

The DaVinci Fad is just tin foil fiction.

Pray for W and Our Troops

[DJ MacWoW]

I'm getting ready to leave the house but I'll give a quick answer.

what is more believable - that there was a man named jesus who happened to be married and had a child?

Unbelievable as there were too many witnesses that would not have lied for Him AND His followers gained nothing but painful deaths. Being stoned to death (Stephen) or thrown in boiling oil (John)or crucified upside down (Peter) isn't the kind of compensation that would make people continue to lie.

OR, that a man named jesus was immaculately conceived, and walked on water, and turned water into wine, etc........

Believable as He was the Son of who created all those things.

[tang-soo]

I enjoy Lee Strobel. By the way, Hebrew names/words that end with "el" usually mean something to do with God. Samuel (Asked of God), Daniel (Saved by God), Bethel (House of God). I wonder what Strob-El means? Kidding aside, Strobel is also the writer that broke the Ford Pinto/Exploding Gas Tank story years ago.

[tang-soo]

I should have mentioned that my wife and I purchased his (and Garry Poole) DaVinci Code study "Discussing the DaVinci Code". It's a four-session study and outreach guide for our Bible Study small group. It's available here for a recommended donation of 20 clams.

[DJ MacWoW]

Apparently he has no scientific facts.

I surmise that he's a Bible hating noob troll as he spams FR with his angst. Check his post history.

[Sans-Culotte]

I could not bring myself to waste a post on the hapless fellow. Just reading his was putting me to sleep.

[DJ MacWoW]

His posts sound like the pap spewed on DU. Apparently, he wasn't prepared for answers to his "group think" questions. Liberals always think that they've come up with unaswerable posers when in fact they lack logic.

[darkangel82]

Definitely zot bait for sure.

[DJ MacWoW]

Definitely zot bait for sure.

Thank you. I thought it looked that way as he seldom posts and only seems to post anti-God stuff.

[darkangel82]

Yep. Just another angry leftist troll who can't understand something greater than he is.

[MHGinTN]

His 'Case For A Creator' is a good read also.

[Sue Perkick]

There are many of those. Often best to just shake the dust from your feet.

I do like Strobel. There's a simulcast at many churches tomorrow where Strobel will be discussing the DVC. Should be interesting.

[MHGinTN]

Even in a court of law, when a multitude of witnesses testify to a thing that thing is registered as true. The writings from Jesus's day, by even non-religious historians, speak of the reality of His existence. Other more numerous voices testified to His works and His risen from the dead status. Even the poor Roman guards ordered to protect the tomb indirectly testify to the stone being rolled from the entrance to that tomb, from the inside! Given the preponderance of testimony to the veracity of Jesus risen from death, I'd say to dismiss such testimony is irresponsible and stiff necked, don'tchaknow. This is your cue to claim that all the testimony collected in scriptures (including the prophecies He fullfilled) are fabrications and stories made up by the many in order to fool you.

[DJ MacWoW]

There are many of those. Often best to just shake the dust from your feet.

My only problem with that is that you don't know who is reading the twisted logic and needs to hear the truth.

[Sue Perkick]

Good point. Still frustrating at times.