TrueU.org -- Our Worldview is Awesomeness
by Denise Morris on 04/10/2008 at 4:01 PM
In case you didn't know, I'm the editor of a pretty great site called TrueU.org. Want me to tell you a little bit about it? OK!
TrueU is an online community for college students who want to know and confidently discuss the Christian worldview. By working at TrueU and interacting with our readers, I am constantly learning more about what I believe and why I believe it. Since I've been working here, I honestly feel much more confident about articulating my beliefs.
Much of this is due to the fact that we have really great authors writing for us. One of them is J. Budziszewski, or as some of you probably know him, Professor Theophilus. We published one of his articles today -- in it he chats with a student about some biblical errors. Good stuff. If you have your own questions for Theophilus, make sure to email him. He spends lots of time answering questions from readers.
TrueU is set up to look like a campus, and you'll probably be able to find something that suits your interest. We have really smart professors writing in Academics about things like philosophy, evolution, the environment, ethics and more.
In the Dorms area, we discuss the always important topics of community, dating, sex, marriage and money. Also, this is where we discuss dog droppings.
Last but not least is the TrueU Coffee Shop. This is our forum where we encourage students to come chat with us about our articles or pretty much anything else. We don't always agree with one another, but the conversation is always interesting and challenging.
Anyhoo, I encourage you to roam around TrueU for a bit. Watch this video that our fabulous interns created, sign up for our free e-newsletter and email me with suggestions, article ideas, compliments and smiley faces.
Hope to see you around the site!
1. Mike Theemling said the following at 4:26 PM on Apr 10
Interesting article. Here are some REALLY tough Bible questions that I haven't yet figured out:
- When Jesus sends out the 72 he instructs them in the book of Matthew (10:9-10) and Luke (9:3) not to take a staff. Yet in Mark (6:8-9) Jesus instructs them to take nothing for the journey except for a staff. An apparent contradiction there.
- According to the NIV, the famous "woman caught in adultery" story in John 8 and notes about John 7:53-8:11 that "The most reliable early manuscripts and other ancient witnesses do not have John". Still, most Christians believe that it is part of the original writing. Yet that same caveat of "not being found among manuscripts.." is given also the last part of Mark (16:9-20) talking about how people can drink poison and pick up snakes. Yet most Christians dismiss that passage of Mark.
2. EKB said the following at 11:55 AM on Apr 11
You are running a great site, Denise.
By the way, Professor Theophilus is awesome. He has taken the time to give me great advice, even though the letters weren't published.
3. Rachel said the following at 11:50 PM on Apr 15
Mike, I think your first point begs the question of what level of detailed accuracy we should expect from the Bible in different areas. Given that God did not dictate the Gospels word-for-word, but inspired human authors to use their own words and recollections and interviews with witnesses, did He protect those authors from making any kind of mistake whatsoever, no matter how irrelevant? I think the Bible's absolutely infallible on all matters of faith and doctrine and morals, but not necessarily on whether the 12 did or didn't have staves with them. I recommend Prof Theo's article on the subject too (and second EKB's opinion of him).
The second question goes straight to the issue of how we know what is or isn't in the Bible, and who has the authority to decide, and whether that decision is infallible. I think it's VERY worth investigating what the early Christians taught and believed about that.
4. Mike Theemling said the following at 11:39 AM on Apr 23
Rachel,
Thanks for your reply. Yes, I too believe in the infallibility of Scripture but not necessarily in the inerrancy of Scripture. Many Christians think the two are equivalent when in fact they are not.
By that I mean the message of the Bible is absolutely true and uncontradicting (infallible). But as you pointed out, since we do not have the original manuscripts/scrolls of the original authors (just copies) that we sometimes get discrepancies (inerrant). For example you may see footnotes that state, "Some manuscripts say...". It doesn't change the message or the meaning, but shows that not every copy out there is exactly the same.