T

Chapter 1: Are We Ready?

Discussion Guide

Have group members read, one paragraph each, through the first section (up to The New Revolution). Then discuss the questions below.

• McCallum claims that Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species changed the course of history. Are you aware of any of these changes?
• Has your personal life ever been impacted by the doctrine of naturalistic evolution?
• Imagine trying to discuss natural selection with a group of Christians in 1865. Would they be aware of what was happening, or interested in the subject? Should they have been?
• McCallum claims the real problem is that "once again, Christians aren't ready for a major challenge to the Christian world view." What would be involved in "being ready" for the onslaught of a new world view?
• Look at the list of bulleted social features listed on pages 14-17. Have you seen any of these? How do you feel about them?
• McCallum says these features aren't necessarily bad. What good can you see in any one of the bulleted items?
• What concerns to you have about any of these items?
• McCallum says, "postmodernists have no problem with religion, as long is it makes no claim to universal truth and has no authority. Look for more of the social revolution to come from the religious sector than in the past."
• Check the ones you think are correct endings to the following sentence:

Western culture today is becoming. . .

• Compare which blanks people in your group checked.
• For those who see a change, considering the trends you see, why do you think things are moving that way? Can you name more than one factor causing change? Which are the most important?

Facilitator's Guide for Chapter 1:
Are we Ready?

• McCallum claims that Charles Darwin's Origin of the Species changed the course of history. Are you aware of any of these changes?

- Increase in atheism and agnosticism

- Growth of theories based on Darwinian principles such as Social Darwinism, Religious Darwinism and Nazism

- Declarations that the Bible is unscientific

• Has your personal life ever been impacted by the doctrine of naturalistic evolution?

- Most people have faced doubt, difficulty in witnessing, and even persecution at school

• Imagine trying to discuss natural selection with a group of Christians in 1865. Would they be aware of what was happening, or interested in the subject? Should they have been?

- Natural selection would have been very difficult for lay people to understand at the time, but those who failed to learn what it taught were unable to resist its influence

• McCallum claims the real problem is that "once again, Christians aren't ready for a major challenge to the Christian world view." What would be involved in "being ready" for the onslaught of a new world view?

Consider passages like I Peter 3:15 and Colossians 4:5,6. Consider that Paul was familiar with the false teachings of his day (Acts 17:23, 28). Would you accept someone's testimony that your view on something was wrong if it was clear that person didn't understand your view?

• Look at the list of bulleted social features listed on pages 14-17. Have you seen any of these? How do you feel about them?
• McCallum says these features aren't necessarily bad. What good can you see in any one of the bulleted items?
• What concerns to you have about any of these items?
• McCallum says, "postmodernists have no problem with religion, as long is it makes no claim to universal truth and has no authority. Look for more of the social revolution to come from the religious sector than in the past."
  Check the ones you think are correct endings to the following sentence:

Compared to 15 years ago, western culture today is becoming. . .

• Compare which blanks people in your group checked.
• For those who see a change, considering the trends you see, why do you think things are moving that way? Can you name more than one factor causing change? Which are the most important?

- Possible answers: Problems with the church, increased drug use, immigration, international business climate, mass media, better communications with other cultures. . .

Read on to the next section of the Study Guide

Return to the Table of Contents page

Send a comment to Dennis

Return to the Download Options page

Return to the Death of Truth page

Return to the Crossroads Project

Return to the Xenos home page