Lecture

All religious systems attempt to give meaning to our existence. All attempt to explain the problem of pain, the inevitability of death, and our thirst for significance.

Frank Pastore: Every person needs to make sense out of their lives. Most people want a safe environment. They want a safe home. They want their kids to be raised in safety. They want a school. They want a job. They want to retire. They want to buy some toys along the way. And it’s in moments of reflection when they think about these things that they realize that most of what they do is really trivial. And it’s very short-lived. Thus towards the end of one’s life, you begin thinking about the meaning of life and any kind of legacy that you’re going to leave.

Dr. Doug Groothuis: There’s a big quest for significance today. There’s an interest in the soul and spirituality in deeper meaning. And you need to ask some big questions. Why are we here? What is the purpose of life? What is the meaning of my life?

Frank Pastore: What is your strategy for having a meaningful life? How will you know that you’re having progress? How do you know you’re succeeding? It can’t be merely in physical goods. I know a lot of very rich people who are miserable. And I know a lot of people that are barely getting by that seem to have a great sense of satisfaction and deep fulfillment. So it’s not merely in physical goods. It’s not in success. It’s not in power. It’s not in the toys you wear and drive and where you live. And so you begin seeking this truth or the inner peace on the inside. And as you do so, it’s got to make sense. And it’s got to make sense in a deeply intellectual, fulfilling way.

Dr. Doug Groothuis: Francis Schaeffer used to say that honest questions deserve honest answers. So if someone says, what is the significance of human life in relation to the rest of the world, and animal life and so on, what happens to us after death, who was Christ, what did he do? Those are questions worth pursuing. And those are questions that the Christian perspective can answer sufficiently and challenge us at our deepest levels.

Jerry Soloman: Christianity offers human beings an opportunity to stop and consider the fact that they’re valuable. That there’s something very unique about humans, about the way in which we interact with each other, about the ways in which we consider the afterlife, about the ways in which we consider life now in terms of relationships. How we treat people. A myriad of issues are covered when we begin to consider human beings and our nature. And Christianity in light of all of those kinds of issues, I believe, offers the most profound basis for having concepts of human beings that are hopeful, that are full of peace and full of meaning.