Insights from Saving Truth by Abdu Murray

Late last night I finished reading a new book by Abdu Murray, North American Director of RZIM (Ravi Zacharias International Ministries).

It’s entitled Saving Truth | Finding Meaning & Clarity in a Post-Truth World, © 2018 Zondervan.

This blog is not intended as a formal review of the book. Not at all. I’m only citing here a few of the provocative insights that I noted as I read through the book. Some of the insights I immediately and enthusiastically appreciated. One made me think more deeply, and that is also usually a good thing. What can you learn from, or what do you think about, the following quotes from the book?

• Murray writes about a young man with whom he once spoke who “wanted to disbelieve, so he turned to sources that would reinforce his preferences.” Murray says that “this is a quite human tendency, innate in all of us. It’s called ‘confirmation bias.’ Truth didn’t matter. His preferences mattered.”  Wow — interesting — okay. But I wonder, can even Christians ever be legitimately charged with ‘confirmation bias’ rather than being extremely attentive, careful, thoughtful, and a objective as possible whenever we engage with those who are not yet believers?

• Murray says: “A skeptic won’t believe a truth claim until there is sufficient evidence. A cynic won’t believe even if there is.”

• In his chapter on science and faith Murray refers to “David Hume, the brilliant Scottish skeptic” who, in making the case for scientism (i.e. “that science is the sole method for understanding truth”), once actually stated that “if a claim or idea can’t be measured, experimented on, or mathematically proven, we ought to ‘commit it the flame . . .’  But Murray says that at this point Hume, despite his brilliance, “made a colossal error because his very argument can’t be measured, experimented on, or mathematically proven. And so Hume would have to commit his own argument to the flames. How fascinating that such a brilliant man stoked a furnace that would consume his own philosophy.”

• Murray says that “If we go to heaven, the pain of our lives will be wiped away. But God, no many how many are in heaven with him, will eternally remember—and perhaps eternally grieve—the loss of those who choose not to spend eternity with him. His pain over rejection is as eternal as he is.” Really? True? Do you concur? Is there a specific Scripture that corroborates Murray’s point? I’m still trying to process a lot of what’s packed into those few statements.

These are just a few of many other statements and insights that Murray offers in this book — whether you immediately concur with all of them or not.

In 2019 let’s resolve to be wide, attentive, thoughtful, discerning readers and believers!

Posted in Blog