I was looking for you to share your testimony as in 1Peter 3:15.
Your only obligation is to that verse. Mine is this:
I was raised by loving, Christian (Southern Baptist) parents, who were happily married for 70 years. I attended church regularly as a child, and about the age of eight I had enough courage to walk the aisle during an invitation and profess publicly my faith in Jesus by being baptized.
My personality was rather introverted as a teenager, so I discussed my beliefs only with a few close friends. When I was a senior in high school, my favorite teacher was a former preacher turned agnostic, and in my freshman year of college, the daughter of a missionary became an atheist. My ignorance of answers to questions asked by skeptics prompted me to read the entire Bible (NEB) making notes in the margins (which I repeated with three other versions over the years).
After college and military service I attended Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, where a professor of systematic theology, Dr. William Hendricks, stimulated my thinking, while I attended a satellite church that listened to tapes by R.B. Thieme, whose preaching was also systematic teaching. During this time I heard a debate on the radio between Christian evangelist Bob Harrington and atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Although the exchange was quite humorous, I was chagrined to concede that the atheist won the debate on substance, and I determined to seek better replies to such questions and criticisms.
Years later as a military chaplain, I encountered the Atheist Community of Austin and offered to speak at one of their meetings. I also debated atheists on an online chat site for several years. Although I cannot claim to have converted anyone, the discussions helped hone my beliefs, which I published on a website, <truthseekersfellowship.com> in 2005. In 2018 and 2019 I self-published two booklets, The Best Belief and The Christian Creed, which are also on the website.
The following excerpts from “Love God with All Your Mind” by J.P. Moreland expresses my experience: “I used to be afraid of witnessing... I was rather defensive and nervous... But now I understand why I believe, and this has brought me both peace and a non-defensive boldness to witness to others.” (p.20) “Sunday School should be more effective in training believers how to think carefully about their faith. Training in apologetics should be a regular part of discipleship.” (p.26) “Our discipleship materials often leave Christian young people vulnerable to atheistic college professors.” (p.28) “The apostle Paul... reasoned with and tried to persuade people intelligently to accept Christ.” (p.30)
1 Peter 3:15b instructs Christians to “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have…” (share one’s testimony), which I have now done.
