True for You, but Not for Me: Deflating the Slogans That Leave Christians Speechless

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Summary: A great book, if properly understood
Review: Are some of you people out there who are giving negative reviews even paying attention to what Paul Copan is saying? This book is not a straw man attempt at refuting Atheism, but rather a well thought out critique of Relativism, which is something that many Atheist could learn from. Although the writer is Christian, this book was not an attempt to establish a case for Christianity or any other Worldview, but rather a well reasoned defense of a necessary presuposition of rational thought; "Some things are true for everybody." If someone wishes to rate this book low, please do so on the basis of what the Author's intentions were in writing the book. The Author is not trying to give fleshed out arguments for the Existance of God and he doesn't have the space to grapple with the important and sensitive topic of how we deal with people who sincerely hold to non-Christian religious belief. So don't criticize him for not touching on these issues. Overall, this is an excellant book!!

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Summary: excellent, concise and logical critique of relativism
Review: Copan has done a very nice job of addressing common relativistic statements heard in our popular culture. The format is very simple, the chapters divided by the various slogans. Copan provides a nice synopsis of his points at the end of each chapter for review. This book is by no means a comprehensive apologetic, but he states this point explicitly in the beginning. The logic is impeccable and germane, and critics of this work will have to do better than emotive diatribes in decrying the author's assertions. I hope that both theists and anti-theists alike will avail themselves to this cogent set of arguments and employ an open-minded approach to Copan's polemic. I would be interested in seeing an intelligent critique of this work by an anti-theist; one that directly confutes Copan's arguments as opposed to ad hominum attacks or non-specific dismissals.

L. Parsons, Nebraska

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Summary: Proves you can't have your (logical) cake and eat it too.
Review: Copan's book, at its core, is simply a defense of the Law of Non-Contradiction. Consider the dilemma implied by the book's title. Is the statement "all truth is relative" a relative truth? If it's RELATIVELY true, then the statement itself cannot be trusted, since it may be untrue. If it's ABSOLUTELY true, then it contradicts itself, in that it simultaneously asserts and denies that there is at least one absolute truth. In other words, if it's true, it's false; and if it's false, it's false.

Or consider the relativistic religious statement, "all religons lead to God." This is a logical impossibility, since many of them assert that there is only one way to God. So either all exclusivistic religions are false, in which case they do NOT lead to God, or else one exclusivistic religion is true, in which case NO other religion leads to God. In either case, the premise is disproved.

I have a few questions for the reviewers who downrated this book: Mormons, JWs and Catholics, as well as evangelical Christians, all assert "truths" that contradict some of the "truths" of the others. So they can't all be right, can they? Copan's logical scalpel cuts deep; you can't reject his logic simply because you don't like its implications. HOW is it invalid?

Perhaps one of you could supply some examples of the "twisted logic" or "empty semantics" that demonstrate the "sheer lunacy of religion" or the book's lack of "heart". Rhetoric is empty unless backed up with specifics.

It all goes to show that you can't fool Mother Logic. A great book!

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Summary: A unique approach
Review: Paul Copan's "True for You, but Not for Me" is a thought-provoking work that seeks to take an alternative approach to evangelism and theological discussions. In our day, relativism rules supreme, as every person feels their interpretation of reality is as valid as any other. Copan shows that it is difficult - if not impossible - to share Christ with those who have no desire to discuss Him on a level playing field of reason.

At the very heart of the book is the idea that there is absolute truth and that acknowledging this is essential for evangelization or any discussion that attempts to define "Truth". This book helps point out the lack of reason behind relativistic arguments. Fallacious logic and suspect beliefs systems are dealt with by showing people how to use logic to punch holes in relativistic thinking without having to know vast sections of Scripture. By taking Copan's clear reasonings to their logical conclusions one can create common ground for the sharing of the Gospel, increasing the likelihood of success.

Copan also includes excellent and reasonable ways to counter many of the harder arguments that many will raise with common sticking points in theology. For example, there is an extended section that addresses the question of how a loving God can send people to Hell who have never had the chance to hear the Gospel. Other questions on this same order of difficulty are discussed, with well-reasoned responses that will help Christians deal with the tougher questions they are often asked by those investigating Christianity.

The author's angle on evangelizing those firmly in the relativistic camp is simple, intelligent, and true to the idea that being logical and rational is part of calling oneself a Christian. Not a lot of Scripture here, since that is not the author's point. Getting to a common ground by dismantling resistance to even discussing the Bible is.

I liked the angle of the debate here and the call for greater logical thinking for Christians. The main flaw comes from the overuse of certain tactics of logic when another method of reasoning could be used - at times Copan seems repetitive. Another issue is not the fault of the book, per se, since while it is very helpful, it must be used to supplement, rather than supplant, a full knowledge of Scripture. Arguing logically is surely a help, but without a good command of the Bible all evangelism will fail. Discussing points logically can never get one to salvation - the Bible makes this clear ("Faith comes by hearing the word of God.")

So if you wish to have a logical approach to dealing with relativism and the difficult questions non-Christians ask, this is certainly an excellent source when used in conjunction with the Bible.

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Summary: Reponse to Inerrancy Remark
Review: Personally knowing Paul Copan and having discussed his view of errancy, I'm writing this to clarify a remark made in an earlier review. Paul does believe in inerrancy, but he does not believe that you need to hold to inerrancy to see the reliability of the New Testament documents. This is the academic way of looking at all sources of literature whether you hold to inerrancy or not.

Future readers who approach this work should know that Copan's view of Christianity is a classically evangelical one.

Rating:
Summary: Powerful little book!
Review: This book is basic, small, and simple, but it packs a very powerful punch. Copan has a way of writing that cuts to the chase. The whole book is designed to first presenting common "slogans" or misconceptions about certain things (i.e. all truth is relative), and then Copan systematically deflates each misconception or falsity. The thing I think I like most about the book is its simplicity. When I say simplicity, I don't mean unintelligent. I mean Copan can take fairly complicated ideas and make them easily understood (that takes talent). Thus, this book will enjoy a wide variety of readers. Moreover, Copan, for such a brief work, covers a lot of material. Copan discusses things such as the absolute nature of truth, moral relativism, exclusivity and religious pluralism, the person Jesus, and the reliability of the gospels. This is a very handy "ready reference" work for those who have found themselves wondering, "how can I respond to that objection or comment?"