My life changed a year and half ago when I came across your work. You’re work has made my walk with the Lord “easy!” I struggled for so long, growing strong in God in some ways, and yet barely holding on in others. My intellectual doubt scared me away from thinking too critically about anything, and I abandoned a robust mental life for a life lived almost completely based upon my faith in, and experience of, the Lord. Being in intellectual neutral, as you put it, was detrimental in almost every area of my life.
Since encountering your work, I lost my fear of an intellectual challenge. Having a second warrant for my belief in the Gospel has affected so many areas of my life. I have never felt more confident or encouraged to dig into the scripture. I know so much more about not only what I believe, but also why I believe it. I have been able to offer more of my heart in worship and dedication to God than I have in years. After listening to one of your debates on the resurrection, I walked outside, stared up at the sky and uttered, “God, its just so intellectually defensible!” It may seem like a goofy phrase to worship God with, but you have to understand, from a heart that has longed so desperately to worship God, and yet has been imprisoned by intellectual doubt, there could hardly be a more genuine expression of God’s faithfulness.
Evangelistically, I have never been so bold in sharing the gospel. I not only feel confident in the Truth, but also in my ability to share it, defend it, and find answers if confronted with a new challenge. I feel fearless for the Lord. I haven’t felt this way since just after I came to know God. I have been meeting with a Jehovah’s Witness for months now, confident in not only the truth of orthodox Christianity, but in my ability to communicate it. I have never been more competent in reaching my unbelieving Jewish family for Christ. I have had more substantive conversations with them since growing in Apologetics than I did in the previous 8 years since my conversion. Namely, the KCA, the Fine-tuning argument, and most recently, the moral argument have made big/good waves in my family. God is using these arguments to shake my family.
On a practical level, having spent so much time listening to you, and philosophers like you, I have gained the ability to think so much more precisely than I could before. I say all of the above to communicate my sincerest gratitude. Thank you for your faithful work in the Kingdom of God. It has had an eternal impact on me and on my ministry. You have been used by God in reviving my faith, enriching my understanding of the Gospel, and inspiring me to pursue further education. I have been impressed as I survey other apologetic ministries by how influential your work has been, along with a handful of others like J.P. Moreland, Alvin Plantinga, Gary Habermas, Michael Licona, Ravi Zacharias, etc. I have decided to go back to school and get my doctorate in philosophy and hopefully contribute to the field of apologetics in a similar manor. It would be such an honor to contribute to the revolution that has taken place in philosophy over the past 50 years.
Thank you very much Dr. Craig. In Christ,
-Ryan
