Veritas

Very simply put Veritas is Latin for "truth." It seems like an apt title for the Veritas Forum which looks to develop respectable and thought provoking discussion between Christians, Atheists, and people of all worldviews. Honestly, it's one of my favorite events at UCSD, because I think it is essence the perfect forum of debate for this campus full of deep thinkers and curious skeptics.

Representing the Christian perspective was Dr. John Lennox who not only is an esteemed thinker and debater, but simply a genuinely kind man. He and Dr. Christenfeld had numerous interesting things to say and I mulled through many ideas in my brain until I could hardly contain it all.

I think one thing that Dr. Lennox ended with really struck a chord with me and it paralleled another "aha" moment I had earlier this year. He made his Christian perspective relevant to UCSD by referencing our snake path that wraps around a small so-called "Garden of Eden" and leads up to the famed Geisel Library. I think he said something to the effect that it was the most brilliant misinterpretation of scripture ever and he went on to explain...

The inference or error that is often made is that God deprived humanity of knowledge, but if we go back to Genesis He actually tells them not to eat from the tree of good and evil. That is a whole different story in a sense and by setting up this situation God also gave humanity a choice. He gave us free will.

Certainly this is the fall, but as I was reminded even at the Crossroad conference by James White, although we stumble, we ultimately stomp the serpent on the head, because of what Christ has done on our behalf. It's strange I have never thought of that going up the snake path, but I doubt that symbolism will leave me anytime soon.

There were so deep assertions and point being made. Although I tried to latch onto many, this relatively simple truth stuck with me. But then I guess Veritas was a success from my point of view because it exposed me to even a fragment of truth. I would say that's an evening well spent.

All the Glory to Him.