Acknowledgments
Preface
A t some point in their Christian walk, many believers ask some difficult
,questions: Is Christianity really true? Are there any good reasons to know
which religion is true? Could it be that God does not really exist? These are
important questions, and we have an intense interest in their answers. After all,
if atheism is true, then why should we subject ourselves to the teachings of Jesus?
Why should we insist on views that alienate others, especially the claim that
Jesus is the only way to heaven? If the Christian view of reality is wrong, we may
be missing out on something. At least we are needlessly straining relationships
with others. More important, if Christianity is false, let's find the truth about
God and live accordingly. Even if it would disappoint others, why should we
keep faith in a system that fails to provide what we want-eternal life? Not many
Christians ask such questions. Some never question their faith, perhaps because
they are afraid of the answers they might receive. If life is comfortable, let's not
shake it to the point that radical change is required. Besides, how can anyone
really find definite answers to these ultimate questions?
The authors of this volume did ask these questions as young men. We determined to find some answers. We cannot tell you that we looked at the evidence without presuppositions or biases. Facing issues of this magnitude, it's unreasonable to think that anyone comes to the investigation with no personal hopes or preexisting beliefs. However, intellectual integrity requires that we set aside biases to the point that we can recognize them for what they are. Then we can ask tough questions and conduct responsible research. As we wrestled with faith questions over the years, we received patient help from others. Ultimately we became impressed with the evidence in favor of Christianity. In our opinion, the quality and quantity of evidence that Christianity is true far surpasses the evidence in favor of any other religion or worldview. After several years, we arrived at a strong conclusion: The evidence suggests that God exists and has actually revealed himself to us in Jesus Christ. The evidence attests that Christians have the most accurate view of reality.
As their faith becomes more energized and confident, many Christians increasingly want to share their faith with others. However, they may quickly discover that it is one thing to learn the data and an entirely other matter to share it in meaningful ways. Some approaches "work," and others don't. Hardly anyone will listen patiently as we spout off a ten-minute argument for Jesus' resurrection from the dead. If effective dialogue is to take place, we must learn how to summarize arguments in less than thirty seconds. We must then be able to field follow-up questions and carry on dialogue on related issues with concise comments.
Many Christians have asked the same tough questions we posed. Some of them who asked too openly were rebuked for entering forbidden areas. Perhaps the area was forbidden because the "more mature" Christians had not the slightest idea how to answer such questions. Maybe the pastor who rebuked the seeker had buried questions and doubts inside his own heart. Nonbelievers also ask tough questions of believers. Addressing those questions is a challenge. Satisfying answers to hard questions require reflective thought and research. We must provide reasonable answers to our nonbelieving friends.
This volume and its accompanying interactive software are tools to encourage Christians in their faith and to help them share with others the evidence for Jesus' resurrection. Depending on the type of reading to which you are accustomed, this book and software may be easy or challenging. It is our goal to present the data in an easily read manner, while maintaining intellectual integrity. Our motto is: Everything should be as simple as possible, but no simpler. This book is written for laypeople, so we are not exhaustive in providing evidence or refuting every objection that can be raised. Although we have attempted to include data that will be informative for the scholar, we have elected to write for the person who doesn't have a background of advanced study of matters related to Jesus' resurrection. Many more details have been supplied in the endnotes, and we have listed sources there for those who want to go further. Not all evidences or refutations are provided here. We were selective in an effort to be succinct. Readers may use some of these arguments in situations we do not discuss. Whether you are new to the evidence for Jesus' resurrection or are a seasoned veteran in defending the Christian faith, we pray you will find this tool helpful.
Gary R. Habermas and Michael R. Licona