https://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=12&article=3753
Defending the Truth on the Campus of the University of Alabama
| by | Kyle Butt, M.Div. |
On Tuesday, October 19, I was invited by the Tide for Christ campus
ministry, in conjunction with the Northport church of Christ campus
ministry, to be involved in a multimedia presentation refuting atheism
and defending New Testament Christianity. Several days prior to the
event, approximately 15 students from Heritage Christian University in
Florence, Alabama, in conjunction with several of the students involved
in the campus ministries, blanketed the campus, inviting students and
handing out literally thousands of flyers about the event. Trae Durden,
the campus minister with Tide for Christ, originally organized the event
in conjunction with the AAA (Alabama Atheists
and Agnostics). Trae worked with them to make sure that several atheists
and agnostics on campus were in attendance so that the atheistic
position would be well-represented. In all, some 150-200 people were in
attendance.
Trae originally wanted to set up a debate with Sam Harris (one of the
nation’s leading atheistic writers and speakers), but Harris required
$50,000, making his presence cost prohibitive. Instead, several video
clips were shown of the world’s most well known atheists expressing
their atheistic points of view. I then responded to the assertions, and
presented evidence confirming Christian theism. Questions from the
audience were then taken. Several students from the AAA
and the school’s philosophy department attended, and asked questions or
made statements regarding their beliefs. The question and answer
session lasted over an hour. The questions raised were mostly from the
atheistic point of view. Each question was answered with solid biblical,
historical, and scientific information. The truth was defended, God was
glorified, and atheism was refuted.
In addition, the Northport church of Christ and the Central church of
Christ contributed $500 dollars so that a host of books and materials
could be given away free to all those in attendance. Those who attended
and received the books seemed extremely grateful, and it was exciting to
be able to see atheists and agnostics leave the event with materials
that could potentially save their souls. It was also thrilling to be
able to review the plan of salvation, knowing that it may have been the
first, and possibly only, time that some had heard, or will ever hear,
the truth on the subject. I was thrilled to be a part of God’s
activities on the campus of the University of Alabama. We pray that many
more such events will take place across the country and that the
borders of God’s Kingdom will continue to spread. Please visit our
Facebook page for pictures of the event.