Monday, April 27, 2009

Finding Faith by Chet Galaska


Chet Galaska was an atheist who became a Christian in his early fifties. It took several years of learning about the faith for him to shed his skepticism and become a believer.

Finding Faith in a Skeptical World covers subjects that once stood between him and faith. As he searched, he found that his skepticism was based on shallow perceptions he’d accepted at face value. One by one, troublesome issues were explained and they became reasons for belief instead of doubt.

It was as though he had a scale, with reasons for skepticism on one side and reasons for belief on the other. When he started, there was far more weight on the “skeptical” side, but it gradually shifted and became counterweight on the “belief” side. Eventually, the evidence for faith far outweighed the arguments for disbelief, and the case for faith became overwhelming.

Some chapters deal with matters of faith such as prayer, redemption, salvation and sin. Others address issues like Christian hypocrisy, why bad things happen, miracles, Satan and the Christian view of war. Some are about the seemingly contradictory relationship between science and religion that are discussed in chapters on scientific perception, creation and evolution. Other subjects like the sometimes violent and cruel history of Christianity, “Born Agains” and the Christian view of the Jewish people don’t fit neatly into any category. The common denominator is that each addresses an issue that can be misunderstood and create a distorted, negative view of the faith.

The book was written with the intent of providing brief shortcuts for curious unbelievers, those seeking faith, those new to it, and for Christians who may not be familiar with some of the ideas covered. The author realized that a book like this would have been valuable in helping him come to faith. Since none was available, he wrote Finding Faith in a Skeptical World to share the things he learned in a reader-friendly, direct and concise way

Read an Excerpt:


Spirituality—especially Christian spirituality—is disdained by those who don’t understand it and refuse to even try. This bias can cause skeptics to dismiss the idea that God is the creator out of hand. But there are many scientists with open minds who see the Mind of God in the workings of creation and who have come to faith because of it. In fact, a survey of biologists, physicists and mathematicians found that about 40% “believed in a God who actively communicates with humankind and to whom one may pray.”22 Unfortunately, they don’t get attention like the cynics and we’re given the false perception that the scientific community is universally skeptical about the existence of God.

In the end, whether science proves God’s existence depends on who is viewing the evidence. Even those who rely solely on empirical evidence but who have open minds, like Albert Einstein, see God. Those who close off God up front don’t see him because they refuse to. In TV programs, textbooks, museums, the media in general, and other politically correct venues,23 the central player in all of existence is missing. And by this absence we’re given the subtle, false message that science has determined God isn’t necessary and doesn’t exist.

About the Author:




C. William “Chet” Galaska was born in 1951. He began his college education at Drew University in Madison, NJ and graduated from the University of Hartford, West Hartford, CT with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration. He co-founded a company that grew into a multi-million dollar enterprise and was its President for 24 years. He also served as Chairman of the New England Chapter of the American Foundry Society. In 2003 he sold his interest in the company and now invests in real estate.

Chet is a former unbeliever who became a Christian after years of investigating the faith with an open mind. His first book, Finding Faith in a Skeptical World, is a down-to-earth explanation of what he learned. He and his wife, Lisa, live in Massachusetts. They have two grown sons, Jon and Drew.

1 comment:

Cheryl said...

Thanks for hosting Chet. Having read this book, I can tell you that I was very impressed with how much a newer believer could understand and help others to understand.

Cheryl