Many readers have asked questions about how to talk about their faith in tough situations. This month Professor Theophilus takes a break from his usual format to answer a few of them.

Question 1:

I was raised in the church, and thought I knew a little bit about the Bible. But when I try to witness to my atheist friends, some of them confront me with questions I can't answer. Some of this stuff was never brought up in Sunday school, much of it is stuff that even my pastor (soon to receive his doctorate) hasn't heard of. So I was wondering if you know some resource that straightforwardly and specifically addresses the issues atheists raise.

Professor Theophilus Replies:

"Apologetics" is the defense of the Christian faith against objections. If you really want to be able to answer your friends, I'd start with the wonderful Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, then go on to the sparkling Handbook of Christian Apologetics by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli. More specialized is When Skeptics Ask by Ron Brooks and Norman L. Geisler. If you'd rather surf, a lot of good apologetics resources can be found at the Leadership U website and the Probe Ministries website . Also, How to Stay Christian in College, by my imaginary friend J. Budziszewski is available from NavPress. For you, I especially recommend Chapter 4, "Talking with Non-Christian Friends."

One thing I'd urge is to learn to distinguish honest objections from "smokescreens." Of course, honest objections require honest answers (including, when true, the answer "I don't know"). By contrast, what smokescreens require is to be blown away. For example, hurling supposed biblical contradictions against believers becomes a smokescreen for some atheists — not a way to come to grips with the basic issues, but a way to avoid doing so. It isn't your mission to quibble about whatever your atheist friends want to quibble about. Direct their attention back to Christ Himself. Encourage them to read the entire Gospel of John, and get them to confront the Person that the Gospel is about. I'll pray for you — and for them.

Question 2:

It is all well and good to talk about moral absolutes. Logically and biblically they must exist. However, in discussions with the average person who does not believe in moral absolutes, he always wants you to name one, and I find it difficult to name one which satisfies him. The typical example "Don't kill" invites the questions "What about war?", "What about capital punishment?", "What about self-defense or the defense of others?", and "What if it was Hitler?" I guess my question is this: Can you state a moral assertion that satisfies a person who is looking for an absolute?

Professor Theophilus Replies:

The reason you're getting in trouble with "Don't kill" is that the more accurate translation is "Don't murder." Murder isn't simply taking life; it's directly or deliberately taking innocent human life (and even taking guilty human life is murder if you aren't the one with the authority to take it). There are no exceptions to the prohibition of murder, so if by a moral absolute you mean a moral rule to which there are no exceptions, then the prohibition of murder is certainly one of them. Frankly, absolutes are easy to find, not hard. Some of the others are "Do not commit adultery," "Do not fornicate," "Honor your parents," "Love God," and "Love your neighbor." None of these have exceptions. Whether they will satisfy your friends is another matter. That depends on whether they are looking for truth or looking for excuses!

Question 3:

I am in nearly the same boat as the student in the November 1998 column "Accused!" The only difference is that my conflict is with my government professor. He made known on the first day of class that his classroom would be a battleground for heated discussions and debates. He also said that he would rarely share his opinions or beliefs with the class because he wanted us students to debate with each other rather than with him. However, he has contradicted his initial policy and is strongly imposing his secular and radical beliefs on the ones in the class who hold to Christian standards. The topics that seem to get him most agitated are ones concerning homosexuality. He believes that homosexuality is as "natural" as heterosexuality. He is not gay but claims to have many gay friends. He believes that all gays are born gay; he disagrees with the idea that homosexuality is a choice. Moreover, I am a target in his classroom because he is aware that I believe homosexuality is a sin. I try so diligently to back up my Christian beliefs, but I feel that every time I do, he "pigeonholes me as intolerant". How should I approach my professor with my standards concerning homosexuality without being disrespectful and snappy?

Professor Theophilus Replies:

You're in a tough situation, and there is no guarantee that anything you can do will make it better. However, I can suggest several things that might.

First, I suggest that you visit your professor during his office hours, and in a courteous and non-confrontational fashion, remind him of his promise and point out that he seems to have made an exception to it in your case. Ask him to explain what makes you deserve to be singled out for a different policy than he employs with every other view that he disagrees with.

If you have a friend who takes your side, won't cave in to the professor, and has the patience to sit quietly, take the friend along as a silent supporter and observer. This serves three purposes. First, it gives you heart. Second, it makes it more likely that your professor will be reasonable. Third, it gives you a witness in case he isn't. You need to think about that, because sometimes these situations become worse and require the attention of other university authorities.

Here are some arguments you can use when you visit your professor. First, if the professor calls you "intolerant," explain that tolerance is not the issue. Presumably, both of you hold that some things should be tolerated (for example, by his own policy, the expression of opinions with which he disagrees) and that other things should not be tolerated (for example, discourtesy and theft). The question is whether your opinion is one of the things that should be tolerated or one of the things that shouldn't. If he agrees, then remind him again that he established the standard that opinions like yours should be tolerated on the first day of class.

Second, if he says that homosexuality is "natural," that homosexual behavior is not a choice, that lots of nice people are homosexual, and so on — then politely explain that you have not come to his office to debate whether homosexual behavior should be tolerated, but only to discuss why your opinion is not tolerated. Point out that for him to reply by defending homosexuality is to change the subject — or perhaps to say that your opinion should not be tolerated just because he disagrees with it. Hold your ground here. Refuse to discuss homosexuality with him. Keep the focus on toleration of your opinion, not toleration of homosexuality.

In class, go ahead and debate homosexuality with the other students if you are so inclined, but there too, avoid being drawn into debate with the professor himself. Of course, you still need to know how to reply to his claims just because many other students will parrot them. His argument works like this:

1. Homosexual attraction is inborn.
2. Whatever is inborn is good.
3. Therefore homosexual attraction is good.

The most important flaw in this argument is that premise 2 is false. If someone is born with a heart murmur, that doesn't make poor blood circulation good for him; if someone is born with a greater than average susceptibility to alcoholism, that doesn't make drunkenness good for him; if it were shown to be true that some people were born with a greater than average susceptibility to homosexual temptation (and most geneticists say this has not been shown), that wouldn't make homosexual practice good for them. Rather, poor blood circulation, a greater than average susceptibility to alcoholism, or a greater than average susceptibility to homosexual temptation would be something to overcome! By the grace of God, many who come to Christ do find release from homosexual desires. I am thinking of two friends, a young man and a young woman.

I hope this helps. Be brave. Speak truth in love, not bitterness. Count on Christ for strength — and for the peace and joy which really do pass understanding, because He gives them to us even when we are under attack. You may want to meditate on Matthew 5:11-12, remembering that the meaning of "blessed" is "happy": "Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you."