Ratio Christi is my favorite campus ministry. And the chapter that does the best job of tackling the toughest and most impactful topics is the Ohio State University chapter, which is run by my good friend Eric Chabot. Eric just finished teaching a series on intelligent design to the students. He also brings the best evidential apologists to speak on campus. This time it’s Frank Turek.
Here are the details:
Join Frank LIVE tonight (MON. 11/3) at THE Ohio State University (Columbus, OH) as he presents, ‘If God, Why Evil? A Q&A in Honor of My Friend Charlie Kirk.’ The event kicks off at 7:30 PM ET in the Ohio Union Archie Griffin Ballroom
Please come, bring a friend, and be part of the conversation. Thanks to our generous donors, this event is FREE and open to the public. If you can’t attend in person, you can join us LIVE on YouTube HERE or your favorite social media channel.
The live stream will be here at 7:30 PM Eastern TONIGHT:
I hope you can tune in. I certainly will. And please pray now for God to make use of this event to lead people to him, and maybe even some people who will go on to have an influence on the university campus, just like Eric and Frank are doing now.
The problem of evil is one of the most frequently occurring questions that non-Christians ask. Sadly, most Christians are not well equipped to answer this question. But Frank Turek has a long history of working on this issue, so you will hear good answers from him. Even more important, you can see the real questions that college students are asking.
So often in church, there is not much time given to the task of evangelism. Pastors seem to want people to avoid preparation, and just bypass the real questions that non-Christians ask. So, they don’t equip you to answer questions like “Does God Exist?” or “How Could a Good God Allow Evil?” You’re just supposed to say that Jesus forgives your sins, and makes your life better (somehow). This is not good preparation for answering the questions of college students, or even the non-Christian co-workers you find in the workplace.
Two weeks ago, one of the co-pastors at my church told the flock “the best evangelists are often new Christians, because they just explain what Jesus did for them in their own lives”. This past Sunday, the other co-pastor also praised the ability of people to evangelize without putting in any work. So, we are down to the level of the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses now, just trying to appeal to people with personal testimony, and hoping that their bosom with catch fire with feelings.
When you watch an event like Frank Turek on a university campus, you get the real experience of evangelism. This is a case where someone has put in the time to study these issues deeply, and write about them, even in published works. Frank has also done debates with people like Michael Shermer, editor of Skeptic magazine. He has spoken and written about the most controversial issues, such as LGBT and pro-life. Something that you rarely hear about in church, where moral issues and policy are viewed with suspicion.
Eric told me that they have booked a room to hold 1000 people, and the event has been well advertized. You should share the link to the live stream on your social media, as well. Make sure you take the opportunity to see what evangelism to non-Christians really looks like outside the church doors. It’s not just sharing your testimony, or quoting the right Bible verse to people who don’t even believe the Bible. It’s about being ready with to answer anyone who asks you, and in the same way that Jesus answered his skeptics: with evidence. You might not be able to perform the miracles, but you can certainly learn how to make the case from God’s creation and designing work in nature, and make the historical case for the resurrection. And that does make you a better evangelist.
If you feel left to invest in what Eric is doing at Ohio State University, you can find his donate link here.
