It is not surprising for a Christian to claim to believe in a Biblical passage based on faith alone. When you come to believe that God is real, on whatever basis is convincing to you, then you accept what He says as real also. But, beyond that, Strobel lists his sources that can be checked. As you said, there are many other writers who did not believe in God at one time, tried to disprove God, and then were convinced of His reality. I have talked with two men who were once Jewish, that became convinced that Jesus is the Messiah (Yeshua) of the old testament, and became Christians. That had to be very convincing evidence to them.
Sorry but your vague claims involving anonymous conversions is not convincing to me. I suspect your approach is of more use to people who already believe who need constant support and convincing, because I can’t see it to be of much use to those who don’t already follow your particular sect.
Concerning anonymous conversions I mentioned, yes - you would have no way to confirm what I said. But maybe this will help - I met a Messianic Jew (don’t remember his name) who wrote Christian books and I asked him if he knew the Messianic Jewish writer Joel Rosenberg, he replied that they were friends. So, I will refer you to Rosenberg’s story. He has written fiction and non-fiction, including his book Spiritual Journey
Wiki says: “Rosenberg was born in 1967 near Rochester, New York. He has stated that his father is of Jewish descent and his mother was born into a Methodist family of English descent.[6][7] His parents were agnostic and became born-again Christians when he was a child in 1973.[8] At the age of 17, he became a born-again Christian and now identifies as a Jewish believer in Jesus.”
My grandfather was raised by folks who believed in God, and he grew up believing in God, and eventually he became an atheist.
To which I say: so what? He got convinced; what is that to me? If I ever get convinced, that’ll mean something to me; that someone else got convinced of course means a lot to him; but it’s his reasons, and not just his result, that I want.
We’re on the third page and the thread has remained relatively civil. If that’s not proof there’s a God, I don’t know what is.:). For those who take the biblical narrative at face value, would it change how you live your life day to day (I’m talking about how you treat others, not praying, church attenance, ect.) if you were somehow convinced that the resurrection never occured, or even that Jesus never existed? I’ve heard some Christians say that if there is no God, then anything goes. That strikes me as demonic, because it’s saying that doing good is something you only do of there’s something in it for you (I’m this case, eternal salvation).
”Hi, I’m Gaspar, this is my friend Melchior, and that African-American monarch who just walked in is Balthazar. We heard that you could use an extra labor coach or two…”
In what way is it significant that someone with Jewish roots becomes a born again Christian? What specific claim are you making here that is of significance and how does it advance your argument?
They make the same “conversion” claim about Josh McDowell and his Evidence that Demands a Verdict. He starts out a non-believer and while he’s researching his book, he becomes convinced of Jesus and becomes a Christian.
I see a flaw in that argument. What would a non-believer write about that would sell to other non-believers who otherwise don’t give a shit? So he decide to market his books to Christians, because that’s where the money is. If you’re going to write a book, write one that will at least sell.
Good question. Romans 11:17-24 seems to say that Jews who do not believe that Jesus is the Messiah are cut-off from the “olive tree” of Israel, and that only the Jews and Gentiles who believe in Jesus as Messiah are part of God’s “Israel.” The first Christians were predominantly Jews, of course, which were called the “remnant.” These Jews definitely received salvation by grace.