Comfort, Ray and Jeffrey Seto. Made in Heaven: Man’s Indiscriminate Stealing of God’s Amazing Design. Green Forest: Master Books, 2012. 80 pp. $15.99. Purchase at Amazon for less.
Introduction
I have been blessed to have many interactions with Ray Comfort from an interview to reviewing many of his books. He has always been spot on in his writings though I know he and I disagree on a few secondary issues. Nonetheless, his ministry has had a major influence in mine – especially when it comes to evangelism.
Jeffrey Seto, on the other hand, I have never heard of until now. If you are like me, then you will be stunned to discover that he works as an aerospace engineer in experimental research and development. His specialty is supersonic boom suppression, structural and system testing in both civilian and military areas and synthetic vision approach systems. To be honest with you, what he does is beyond me!
Summary
Divided into 32 chapters over 63 pages of text, this book is fast moving compiling much evidence showing how we have in a very real way stolen from God’s creation to design materials to better our lives. These two authors look at everything from shark scales to cat eyes and mosquitoes to show how we are looking to creation. Watch this video to better understand what this resource attempts to show:
Review
My mind was blown thumbing through this book. I had no idea where some of the inspiration came for many of the items I use every day. The only criticism I had was the lack of cited resources to support some of the claims but the conclusions drawn were logical nonetheless. The diagrams were extremely helpful in explaining some of the tougher concepts. Page after page left me spell bound with God’s creative power and saddened by man’s feeble attempt to play God and not give him any glory whatsoever. Ray Comfort and Jeffrey Seto offer a resounding apologetic giving God all the glory and helping us to shift our perspective and to seek how we can further give God glory while using every day items in our homes and as we travel.
Recommendation
I have always enjoyed studying science and how we as humans come up with some of the things we do. Unfortunately, I have never really considered the claims made in this resource. That has changed. My mind was blown and I have been challenged to radically change my perspective and for that I am grateful. This book is highly recommended to all believers and even to non-believers. This would be an excellent coffee table book in the home or for the Christian business man or even doctor. It will stimulate your mind and enable to you further worship God in an area (or areas) that you never considered.
Comfort, Ray. God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life: The Myth of the Modern Message. Bellflower: Living Water Publications, 2010. 128 pp. $8.99. Purchase at Amazon for much less.
Introduction
Ray Comfort has, graciously, become a very familiar name here at Christian Book Notes. We recently hosted a “Living Waters Week” featuring a few reviews and one interview with Ray. You can read all of those and more here. This particular work, God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life is, in my estimation, a foundational work for the ministry of Living Waters. All of Ray’s teachings revolve around the issue presented in this book.
Summary
The book is small at only 128 pages. When you see that it is divided into eight chapters and has a forward and appendix along with endnotes and recommended resources, you quickly realize that this a very fast read. Beginning in chapter one, Comfort shows that the problem with biblical evangelism versus many modern methods is that biblical evangelism does not lead to the phenomenal growth so many pastors and congregations deem as a successful ministry. Chapter two and three further explore the sad realities of offering Jesus as a fix-all to our problems. Chapter four is pivotal in that Comfort now shifts the reader’s attention to what needs to be explained to those in need of the gospel (and that is all of us).
The work concludes with chapters titled “making grace amazing” and “what did Jesus do?” From chapter four through chapter eight the reader will be introduced to a proper understanding of biblical evangelism according to Christ. The appendix is dedicated to those who evangelize using the Four Spiritual Laws of Campus Crusade. Here, Comfort does critique the methodology while affirming the heart behind men like Dr. Bill Bright and others within the organization.
Review
First, this book has automatically moved to the top of my list insofar as book covers are concerned. The title and the picture are so disturbing and thought provoking that for once, you can judge a book by the cover. When you are called to follow Christ, you are called to die. We seem to forget that in our evangelism.
While there have been a number of books penned recently dealing with the shallow depth of much evangelism today, I cannot recall one that has so well explained the problem while also offering a solid, biblical solution without being divisive among conservatives. There has been much written about losing children to the world as they grow older or the dwindling numbers found in most congregations or churches that are just no longer vibrant. I believe Ray Comfort has thrown an atomic bomb in the midst of all church goers as to why it appears that people are no longer interested in the faith. The reality is, our churches are dying because so many “members” are unconverted.
Comfort shows from Scripture why so many methods are bankrupt of true conversions (though God does bless even the poorest evangelism as I am a testimony to). He also shows, from the lips of Jesus Christ, the manner in which He proclaimed the Kingdom. Why not seek to be more like Christ in our evangelism? That is not to say that it is the only method of evangelism. What one cannot say is that it is not biblical even if it does not bring in a record number of converts.
Recommendation
Be careful reading this book. You may discover and begin to question your own faith. That is a good thing as assurance is not guaranteed though is promised to those who fight the fight of faith. Ray Comfort’s book, God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life needs to be must reading for all believers. To that end, you can get one single copy of God has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life for free. You can also order the books in bulk for $1 each. I highly recommend doing one or both. This is a book you will give away over and over. I promise.
Ray Comfort was kind enough to take time out of his schedule to answer some questions. In reading this first part of a two part interview, you will find that Ray is a man after God’s own heart with a humorous side to him as well.
Ray is a Best-selling Author & Co-Host with Kirk Cameron of The Way of the Master television program and an itinerant evangelist who is known for his sermon Hell’s Best Kept Secret (You can find it on the home page of the ministry’s website or watch it here) and his The Way of the Master evangelism training seminars and now Basic Training Course (read review here).
Christian Book Notes (CBN): Could you share how you came to know Christ as Lord and Savior?
Ray: I was born in 1949, just four years after the Second World War. My Jewish mom married a Gentile (to the horror of her parents), and Mom and Dad decided to put “Methodist” on my birth certificate, because they were concerned that there may be another Nazi-type holocaust. Despite the Methodist label, in my 22 years as a non-Christian, I was left without any real instruction about God.
I started surfing at the age of 13, left school at the age of 17, and worked in a bank for three years. During that time I met and fell in love with a beautiful girl named Sue. She was made for Comfort–a very cute 4 foot 10 inches tall.
Around that time I saw a picture of a professional surfer I admired, wearing a “fringed” cowboy jacket, so I and made one for myself. Friends so liked it, they asked me to make jackets for them. There was so much interest, I left the bank, opened a combined leather gear and surf wear store, and eventually made 250 jackets.
Sue and I were married in 1970, and late in 1971, something happened that changed my life forever. After she drifted off to sleep I looked at her and thought, “I am part of the ultimate statistic. Ten out of ten die. I have everything I want in life–my own business, a car, my own house, freedom to do what I want when I want, and a beautiful wife, but death is going to tear from my hands everything I hold dear.” I sat on the edge of the bed and wept at the futility of life.
I then decided to do all I could to ensure that I lived a long healthy life. I visited my local doctor to ask him how I could remain well, and noticed that he looked deathly sick as he sat behind his desk and breathed in the burning fumes of a cigarette. He became a mortal statistic a few years later. I then looked to science for an answer to my dilemma, and noticed that they were more concerned about putting a man on the moon than they were about the fact that death awaited all of us. There seemed to be no answer to the problem of death. I resigned myself to my utter futility and hopelessness.
Six months later (April of 1972), Sue allowed me to leave her and our newborn son and go on a surfing trip with friends. Five of us traveled about 100 miles north of my home. One of them was a Christian.
On the second night, I found myself in Graham Read’s room talking about the things of God. Earlier that evening I had read the words of Jesus: “You have heard that it was said by them of old ‘You shall not commit adultery’” and had mumbled, “Good. If there’s a Heaven I will probably get there because I haven’t committed adultery.” But then I read something that cut me in two: “But I say to you, that whoever looks upon a woman to lust after her has committed adultery already with her in his heart.” I was shocked. I thought, “Does God see my thought-life! Has he seen what I am really like? If He is going to judge me by that standard–that lust is adultery, I’m not going to make it to Heaven. I will end up in Hell!”
I remembered one incident that happened some months earlier in my store. A young lady had wanted me to make her a leather mini-skirt, and as I measured her hips I became nervous. My fear was one of committing adultery. I was happily married, but there was something in me that I couldn’t identify, that seemed to consume my want to do good.
During a 6 ½ hour conversation I suddenly understood the cross. It had never made sense to me. I believed that Jesus was the Son of God. Like most people, I prayed at night out of habit. But once I saw that I had sinned against God, and was heading for Hell, I understood the cross. I was a criminal in His eyes. God was a Judge. I had violated His Law–the Ten Commandments, but Jesus stepped in 2,000 years ago, and paid my fine. That meant that God could freely dismiss my case. He could commute my death sentence!
That night I repented and put my trust in Jesus Christ and passed from death to life. I remember thinking, “This is what I have been looking for! Thank you dear Lord–You heard my cry and saved me from death. You didn’t leave me in the dark and hopeless shadow of death. I am so grateful. Words can’t express my gratitude. What do you want me to do?” I called Sue and said, “Are you lonely?” She said “Yes I am,” so I responded, “Well don’t worry. God is with you.”
I was a new person. Brand new. I was no longer drowning in the sea of my own lusts. My feet were established on the rock of the fear of the Lord. Now I had a reason to flee from temptation–because I feared God. When temptation came, I could say with Joseph, “How could I do this thing and sin against God!”
It was radical when I was born the first time. I didn’t exist, then suddenly I did. This new birth was just as radical. I couldn’t help thinking about God, when for the previous 22 years I hadn’t given Him one moment’s serious thought. The Bible suddenly came alive. I had found everlasting life, and there are no words that can express how grateful I am for the fact that God saved me from death and Hell.
(CBN): You have written a number of books (view reviews of resources by Ray Comfort here). Which book has been your most memorable thus far personally?
Ray: It is a book that is called, God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life. The cover is a picture of Stephen being stoned to death. It’s about how the Church has strayed from biblical evangelism by telling people that Jesus will fix all your problems—that the Christian life is a bed of roses, and they forget to tell you about all the thorns. This false gospel has filled the contemporary Church with millions of false converts.
(CBN): Aside from the Bible, what authors or books have been most influential in your walk with Christ and in your ministry?
Ray: Charles Spurgeon’s great work, Lectures to My Students has probably been the most influential.
(CBN): You and Kirk Cameron team up for street evangelization and have since written and taught an evangelism Basic Training course entitled Way of the Master. How difficult was it to write and teach that course given all of the misconceptions of what evangelism is today?
Ray: It really wasn’t too difficult for me, because I have shared a teaching called “Hell’s best kept Secret” 834 times (you can find this message on this page here). The entire Seasons 1-3 of our television program is made up of different teachings I’ve been doing for years. When you have gone over a biblical teaching that many times it becomes second nature. Kirk has a very sharp mind and a great deal of experience and with his helpful tweaking we were able to make it work for television.
(CBN): What is it like to work with Kirk Cameron?
Ray: I have loved working with Kirk. He is a genuinely nice guy–and with my humility and good looks and his ability to teach, we make a great team .
(CBN): You also have a school of evangelism available through Living Waters Ministry. How is that different than the Basic Training Course and what would one expect throughout that school?
Ray: The School is a very comprehensive written course, while the Basic Training Course is more visual using the cream of our television program.
(CBN): What do you believe the state of evangelism to be today in the evangelical church at large? Why do you think this is the case and, if necessary, what can we do about it as believers?
Ray: With the help of God we can see the Church of the 21st century become like the Church of the 1st Century. I believe the key to seeing that is in the book, God Has a Wonderful Plan for Your Life.
(CBN): Late in 2011, you released 180 The Movie (Read my article on this ground breaking documentary here), what led you to produce that movie?
Ray: “180” wasn’t the video I meant to produce. I wrote a book called Hitler, God and the Bible and asked my publishers if they would like a free video to go with the book. They said they would, so I took the cream of the book’s manuscript, created a script, and obtained footage from the holocaust museum. But after a solid month of editing, we felt overwhelmed because we had too much material. So I decided to forget the script and go out to the streets with a camera and find out what people believed about Hitler. I could hardly believe what I found–14 people—mainly university students, who had no idea of the identity of Adolf Hitler. There were more who didn’t know who he was, but they were embarrassed to appear ignorant on camera.
Then we were able to film some very colorful footage of myself being heckled, on two different occasions, by two very nasty neo-Nazis. We also obtained gripping footage of a Russian Jew who lost loved ones to Nazis…all this while out on the street, with nothing pre-arranged. But the most amazing thing came from a mistake I made. When researching the book I wept my way through the Holocaust. One horrific incident happened in Germany when Nazi’s shot hundreds of Jews, and buried them with a bulldozer. What broke my heart was that some of them were still alive when they buried them. So I had an idea.
When I interviewed a very colorful university student, I put him into a moral dilemma. I said “It’s 1943. A German officer has a gun pointed at you. He wants you to get in to a bulldozer and drive it forward. In front of the bulldozer is a pit in which there are 300 Jews who have just been shot. Some of them are still alive. He wants you to bury them alive! If you don’t do what he says, he is going to kill you and do it himself. If you do what he says, he will let you live. Would you drive it forward?” He immediately said that he would never kill someone, because he was a compassionate person, so I off-handedly said, “So, how then do you feel about abortion?” His demeanor changed and he said he was for it.
When I likened his attitude to the thinking of the Nazis, he became angry and we crossed swords for about five minutes. He finally stormed off, and as I filmed him walking away I looked down and my camera said “Off.” I was in direct sunlight and had inadvertently switched the camera off at the beginning of the interview! It was such a compelling interview, and I was so heart-broken that I determined to put more people into that same scenario and see if the same thing happened. But the next time I did so, I went one step further and asked “the” question, and was amazed at how people did a complete 180. They changed from being adamantly pro-abortion, to being pro-life, in seconds.
(CBN): What has been the response to such a polarizing issue?
Ray: The response has been amazing. Millions have now seen it, and we have many testimonies of how people has changed their minds and become pro-life after watching it.
(CBN): How can we be praying for you and your ministry?
Ray: Please pray that God uses 180 to stop the horror of abortion—worldwide. Pray that people watch it, and if they are as excited as we are, we are asking that they link to 180Movie.com as many people as possible. The 180Movie.com website tells how to best do that. They could also purchase copies of the actual DVD and give them away. They only cost $1 each, and who is going to refuse a free DVD, especially in today’s economy? Finally, perhaps one of the best things anyone could do would be to train your church or group to speak to others about the subject of abortion (as shown on “180”) by getting “The 180 Course”. It’s very low cost ($10), and it contains the “180” DVD (includes additional training from Kirk Cameron and myself), a 64-page Study Guide—with thought provoking discussion questions and a wealth of added information, by myself, Kay Arthur, and Randy Alcorn, a pack of 100 “180”tracts and a copy of Randy Alcorn’s book Why Prolife? You can find details on 180Movie.com.
Comfort, Ray. Hitler, God, and the Bible. Washington, D.C.: WND Books, 2012. 174 pp. $25.95. Purchase at Amazon for much less.
Introduction
Ray Comfort is quickly becoming a regular here at Christian Book Notes and I for one am grateful for that. His ministry, Living Waters, has been a major influence on my life and ministry and I pray that if you have never checked it out, you will do so immediately. As for this particular resource, Comfort seeks to dispel many myths concerning Adolf Hitler as well as draw a comparison with Hitler’s evil and the current evils we are facing today.
This book is the first in a proposed series of “concise and hopefully insightful exposes on the intersection of icons and faith” (p. vi).
Summary
Divided into two parts with seven chapters, Ray Comfort lays the foundation for what would become Hitler’s political ideology. Chapter one offers a history of Hitler before entering politics while chapter two touches on how and when Hitler got into politics. Chapters three and four explain the rise of Nazi-ism and how a nation was carried away by smooth rhetoric and massive propaganda.
The second part looks specifically at the religions elements of Hitler’s Nazi-ism. Chapter five attempts to explain how Hitler ultimately became the most dangerous anti-Semite ever. In chapter six, Comfort answers the question “Was Hitler a Christian?” and does so with biblical authority. The last chapter looks, quite frankly, at the problem of evil.
Review
I honestly learned a lot from reading this work. I am admittedly not a war buff or anything like that, but I thought I knew a few things about Hitler. Turns out, I was dead wrong. I knew very little as the information relayed in Hitler, God, and the Bible quickly showed me. Often in America we look to Abraham Lincoln who failed numerous times only to later succeed and become President of the United States. Hitler also failed numerous times only to later become the ruler of Germany.
Furthermore, an extremely frightening parallel was noticed to me (and I do not say this lightly). While Comfort ultimately did tie the Holocaust in Nazi Germany to the Holocaust in the United States (see, abortion), something else I realized is that much of the political rhetoric that Hitler used can be heard over our airwaves today. So, too, many of the “open doors” provided by the liberal “Christian” churches to spread the doctrine of Nazi-ism Germany during WWII is strikingly similar to what can be heard today. I will leave the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.
Ultimately, this work was well-researched and documented. It proved to be a very enlightening read and revealed much information about someone I thought I knew a little bit about. Here is a quote that stood out to me as I was reading, “[Hitler] never felt responsible, only entitled–a theme that would have devastating repercussions in the Nazi regime.” How often has this generation (my generation) been called the “Entitlement generation”? Let us be careful that we do not see history repeat itself.
Finally, it should be noted that it was this book that was the genesis of the 180 the Movie movement that is turning heads and changing minds today.
Recommendation
While the actual price ($25.95) may be a bit steep, you can get the Kindle version for $7.96. If you are going to do any study on Hitler at all, then you need to pick up a copy of Hitler, God, and the Bible to understand, from a biblical perspective, what took place. This book will make a great resource for school curriculum’s when discussing World War II. Any student of history will enjoy it as well. Suffice it to say that his goal of being “concise and insightful” was met. I highly recommend this resource to all.
Many are familiar with Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron thanks in large part to their television show, The Way of the Master. You can find out when and where the show is aired here. Many are also familiar with Ray Comfort’s books as well. Today’s review is not going to be over a book per se. Rather, we are going to look into the Basic Training Course offered by Living Waters Ministries.
Contents
For $99, you will receive
8 lessons on 4 DVDs
4-CD Kit containing the audio portion of the teaching
1 – 120-page Study Guide
1 – Quick Reference Card to help you remember what to say (you can order more of these to give away to students)
300 – “Icebreakers” (tracts) to get you started in witnessing conversations (3 sets of 100)
Advertising materials for your church
Printable Certificate of Achievement for those who complete the Basic Training Course
The DVD lessons are to be used for the 8-week course and are based on the television show in addition to teaching points and commentary by both Comfort and Cameron. The Audio CDs are perfect for a refresher course or for the one who wants to attend your church’s course but is unable. To my knowledge these are not to be duplicated without written consent but can be purchased separately.
The Study Guide doubles as the leaders guide as well as the student’s guide. Each lesson offers a step by step guide to the nightly lesson. Throughout each evening you will share your experiences and have a “point to ponder” where you will be challenged to think critically. Next, you will watch the video in segments mixed in with some application of the principles being taught. The work is not finished when you leave the church, however.
When you get home, you will have some preparation work that will lead into the real world application. The week’s lesson will conclude with a deeper study where the student will engage Scripture on matters of evangelism and the like. Furthermore, the student will be challenged to live out what is being taught…especially as the teachings grow into
convictions and then into a lifestyle.
Perhaps the funnest part of the course is the use of the different tracts. Included in the Basic Training kit are the IQ Test, the Million Dollar Bill and the red and blue optical illusion tracts. You can purchase the various tracts for a very inexpensive price though they do vary. Check out their expansive selection here.
Review
How do you review an evangelism training course? By the Bible, of course! I have gone through a couple evangelism courses since becoming a Christian and most, if not all of them, left me feeling like an Am-way Sales man with a Gospel tract. It is my estimation that The Way of the Master Basic Training Course (I took this 6 years ago) made evangelism more of a life style than a program. The beauty of this particular course is that while you do have a “script” so to speak, you are not tied to it. You will learn basic Biblical principles and general questioning that will lead you directly into a solid gospel presentation.
Furthermore, the gospel tracts are such that you can freely give them away and people will take them because of their novelty. Personally, I tend to leave the Ticket to Heaven at the gas pump whenever I get gas. I also like to leave the million and billion dollar bills whenever I leave a decent tip at the restaurant. Also, you will find that these gospel tracts are biblical in their approach of sharing the gospel in a short and succinct manner. Basically, you have transgressed the Law of the Holy God who is your Judge and the only way to be saved from His judgement is to repent and ask for forgiveness and put your trust in Christ alone. You share the gospel (the means by which the elect are saved) and the Holy Spirit convicts of sin. Christ then draws to Himself those who repent.
Recommendation
If you are looking for a training course for you home or small group, your Sunday School class or your church, you would do well to consider The Way of the Master Basic Training Course. This is not your run of the mill evangelism program training course. Rather, taking this course and applying the principles learned will make evangelism a life style. Furthermore, evangelism is no longer a salesman approach. For those who are homschooling, this would also make for an excellent course for your older students–it could, I think, slot into a social studies course or something as well. I cannot think of another short evangelism training course that I would want to lead others through. I highly recommend using The Way of the Master Basic Training Course.
This is not a book review per se. I have watched the movie below and I ask that you watch it as well. Sadly, the rhetoric that has been all over the Internet has shown the hatred so many have for Christians as well as those who are truly pro-life (as opposed to be only pro-life “personally”). I am not asking for heated rhetoric and will not tolerate any here. I do ask those who are Christian who do view this movie to share the movie with your friends through your various social media connections. If you decide to engage in conversation regarding this 33 minute documentary, I ask that you remain respectful of other opinions and when/if fighting for the gospel, please remember the grace and mercy shown to you by Christ when you were an unrepentant sinner. You can also check out their efforts for those who are Pro-Choice here.
Quotes
Many have weighed in on this movie. Below are few choice quotes from those who have seen the movie.
“I confess, I have committed 7 murders! GOD forgive me, I will never NEVER AGAIN trivialize abortion. NEVER again will I agree with the lie.”
“From someone that been Pro-choice this video changed my view on life completely.” Jerry
“Today I watched the movie for the second time and the gravity of what I did 14 years ago brought me to sobs.” Penny Hunter
“I’ve had multiple abortions and I’ve heard abortion compared to the Holocaust before. But, I’ve never understood why…This video has been popping up all over Facebook. I finally clicked on the link. I am a history buff with a passion for WW2. My attention was immediately grabbed. As soon as the switch to abortion began I wanted to stop watching, but I couldn’t. Part of me needed to keep watching. I don’t know what to do with this information, but I think it is changing the way I view these things. I might need to watch it again. That’s something I never thought I’d say.” Candice
“This movie has changed my heart! I stopped after the movie and just repented [to] God for my forgiveness.” Jamee
“180” has been commended by John Piper, Kay Arthur, Joni Eareckson Tada, Kirk Cameron, Francis Chan, and a host of other high profile leaders. Mark Hall (Casting Crown’s lead singer) said, “This short documentary has totally rocked my world this week. PLEASE check it out…I dare you to watch 180.”
My Thoughts
My initial thought is that this is a compelling documentary. The parallels made throughout the movie are valid and true. There is no other issue that I can think of that ratchets up the rhetoric as does the issue of abortion. Ray Comfort, of Way of the Master fame, is in his element doing street interviews and evangelism. Watching this video will certainly equip the Christian and those who are pro-life to have a calm and calculated conversation with those who are pro-choice (see, pro-abortion).
My critic’s thought is that we do not know how many men and women Ray interviewed to put together this documentary. That is important to remember because I do not want people to go away thinking that 180 is the silver bullet in the abortion debate. Rather, it is a logical conversation that shows the inconsistencies in our thoughts and if you (or I) were to take a hard look at our own thought life, we would find that we, too, have inconsistencies. Ultimately, this is a gospel issue and Ray painstakingly shows that throughout this video as it builds to its crescendo.
I recommend that regardless of where you fall on the issue of abortion, you watch this video. Pastors, think about showing it to your congregation. Youth pastors, you will definitely want to show it to your youth after showing it to their parents.
More Information
If you want more information you can visit the webpage, 180Movie.com, where there is a host of information as well as a forum for conversation. You can like the Fan Page on Facebook. You can follow on Twitter as well.
Comfort, Ray. The Defender’s Guide for Life’s Toughest Questions: Preparing Today’s Believers for the Onslaught of Secular Humanism. Green Forest: Master Books, 2011. 176 pp. $12.99. Purchase at Amazon for less.
This resource is divided into five chapters with two appendices. The first chapter comes out swinging with discussions on the rights and suffering of mankind. Chapter two looks to the Bible and seeks to answer questions and challenges to the Scriptures. Chapter three delves into the scientific realm while chapter four looks at the philosophical. The last chapter offers a discussion on religion. In this chapter, atheism is portrayed as a religious system akin to Christianity and any other world religion (and rightly so).
The two appendices are valuable in that they will equip the Christian to engage the unbeliever (atheist) at their own level with their own “heroes.” The first appendix offers quotes from many famous atheists that really shows the bankruptcy of such a worldview.
From a Christian perspective, this resource if well written. Basically, Comfort has dealt with many of the common statements (he categorized them for the sake of the book) made by those professing to be atheist. The book is conversational in tone and makes for a great learning experience for the Christian.
From the perspective of an atheist or agnostic, Comfort seems to come out swinging. He calls all atheists “unthinking men” and then quotes Sir Isaac Newton who said, “Atheism is so senseless and odious to mankind that it never had many professors” (p.6). This approach will have one of two effect, in my estimation. Either the unbeliever will keep reading to see how Comfort backs up his charge of their being an “unthinker” or they will throw the book on the table and never open it again because of his arrogance.
In any event, the content of the book is well written and well-researched. Comfort’s style is enjoyable and interesting. The tone throughout the book is one of the Christian remaining on offense so to speak. In essence, Comfort comes out swinging and never lets up.
Recommendation
Far from an apologetics book, The Defender’s Guide is certainly an apologetic book. This is an excellent resource for the college student who will definitely have to deal with these charges in the classroom–even on the so-called Christian campuses! Still others will do well to read this book and become familiar with its contents in order to engage the unbeliever at his level in order to bring him to a higher level of understanding.
Comfort, Ray and Jeffrey Seto. Made in Heaven: Man’s Indiscriminate Stealing of God’s Amazing Design. Green Forest: Master Books, 2012. 80 pp. $15.99. Purchase at Amazon for less.
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