What's the difference?

I was watching The Ice Harvest last night (not recommended, really) and it made me think of our Veritas Forum. (Is that a sign I'm thinking about this too much? Perhaps...) Anyway, here's our working forum topic in nice big letters:

Does it matter how you live?

Of course, we disciples of Christ answer this question with a resounding "Yes!" But do we know why? Could we explain why? Could we answer Charlie Arglist when he says,

Did I ever tell you my father was a twin? Fraternal. Looked a lot alike, though, him and my uncle. Different temperaments completely. My father, he's a cop. By-the-book guy. Believed in the law, wanted his only son to be a lawyer. Drank in moderation, didn't smoke. Kept up his life insurance premiums. Voted in every election, not just for president.
Pete Van Heuten: Lemme guess, uncle didn't vote?
He said he didn't want to encourage the b*******. In and out of jail from the time he was 16... drunk all the time, f***** everything that walked. Won a fortune playing poker, lost it all the same way. Lost an eye in a fight. My father was 54 when he died of a massive embolism, right here in Wichita. My uncle died the very next day in a car wreck in California. So the point is... it is futile to regret. You do one thing, you do another... I mean, so what? What's the difference? Same result.

What do you say to someone like that? We not only need to know our answers, but reasons for them (1 Peter 3:15); and we need to be able to put forth a defense against the philosophies and people this world may throw at our claim that this life matters eternally. We need to be able to bring in a basis for morality, a meaning for this life, and the person of Jesus Christ to our answer.

And that's where this Veritas Forum comes in. Stay tuned, it's going to be amazing.

Brainstorming

The Survey Committee presented their findings on Wednesday, leading us into beginning to discuss what the main topic of the Spring 2007 Forum will be. The issues that floated to the top are as follows:

• meaning in life
• the human condition (pain and suffering, the problem of evil)
• basis of morality
• religious plurality

Michael writes:

Monday we will be brainstorming and developing our topics more. Please come, we want many people so we can have good input. This is one of the most important parts of the planning process. ... At the last meeting we decided that meaning in life would be a good starting point, but we want to integrate the other topics in too. Come to the meeting with ideas.

We may still land on any one of these topics, or a hybrid of two or more.

This is a big deal in more ways than one. Deciding the topic of any Veritas Forum is not insignificant, but this being the first at Georgia Tech, the topic and how we address it will likely shape the reputation and image of the Veritas Forum at Georgia Tech for the years to come. Please pray for wisdom and harmony for the Planning Team as we collaborate on this decision. Also, pray that our charter with national Veritas will go through smoothly now that we have an interim faculty advisor to give us official status.

More on that to come later. And perhaps I will have a chance to write about my thoughts on the forum topic.

Just beginning...

We're bringing the Veritas Forum to Georgia Tech. Campus organizations and ministries all over the school are pulling together to plan and execute this event. I'm getting involved in the planning stages, and it's very exciting. In case you don't know, Veritas Forums bring honest and open dialogue on life's big questions and the relevance of Jesus Christ to college campuses, through debates, discussions, and open forums. Their website has more information. For now, I ask that you pray:

• for the entire Planning Team as we are finalizing the members of the directors team and sub-committees.
• for unity among the Christian organizations on campus to pull together to host the Forum.
• for cooperation in supporting and promoting the Forum from non-Christian organizations on campus, in the spirit of truth-seeking and not antagonism.
• for the Planning Team as we look for the right Faculty Advisor to oversee the Forum, and that he/she will have the same passion for the cause of Christ.
• for unity among the Planning Team, directors, and committees in making decisions in future meetings.
• for specific guidance in determining what the "headline question" for the Forum will be, and that it will be relevant and draw students in.
• that, above all, the Forum will make God more famous at Georgia Tech, nearby schools, Atlanta, and the world.

More updates to follow!

Welcome!

Welcome to the new blog for the Veritas Forum here at Georgia Tech! This site is for our thoughts, feelings, hopes, and prayer requests as we plan the first Forum for spring 2007. Planning Team members will all be able to post here, so check back often and subscribe to the Atom feed (below) to keep up with us!