Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander. (1 Peter 3:15,16)

Hi there. "Why Faith?" was created by Darren Hewer in 2006. Actually I had this domain registered for quite awhile before finally getting around to doing something with it! I'm happy that this domain will finally be put to good use.

The purpose of this site is twofold. First there is the blog, in which I hope to post short comments on various faith related topics. Second are the longer articles on faith topics, which are intended as more indepth analysis of specific issues.

If you are interested in my background (that is, how I came to "faith") you may be interested in reading my story. I do not try to hide the fact that I am Christian, and therefore I will be approaching faith from a Christian perspective. No one is entirely without bias, and I am no exception. But please note that since I was an atheist (sometimes agnostic) for the first 20-something years of my life, I do have an appreciation for that perspective. Currently I attend Tyndale Seminary in Toronto, Canada, and am halfway through my Masters of Theological Studies degree. So at least I'm not entirely without academic credentials. :) [Edit: I have recently completed my degree at Tyndale.]

In terms of affiliation, it's probably more appropriate to state first what I am not:

  • I am NOT a fundamentalist
  • I am NOT a conservative
  • I am NOT a liberal
  • I am NOT a "bible thumper"
  • I am NOT a pure rationalist
  • I am NOT a modernist
  • I am NOT a post-modernist
  • I am NOT a relativist
  • I am NOT an angry jerk
  • I am NOT a crackpot

Hmm, you'll have to use your own judgment re whether those last two point are true! 😀 Now for the shorter list of what I AM:

  • I am Christian
  • I am genuinely concerned with truth and accuracy
  • I am genuinely concerned about other people
  • I am a follower of Jesus
  • I am a "moderate"

Here I am defining "moderate" as somewhere inbetween "conservative" and "liberal", polar opposites of the Christian spectrum. Since the question people usually ask is "What church do you go to?" the brief answer is that I don't have any particular affiliation (I did not grow up in the church) but I currently am part of a Salvation Army congregation. [Edit: I now attend a Christian & Missionary Alliance church.] I believe wholeheartedly in the Nicene Creed, and that Jesus IS the answer. If you're wondering what the question is, that's the first step. :)

Now for my "pledges"; ie, the ideals that I aim to strive towards for this site:

  • I will treat people with respect and dignity
  • I will critique ideas that I disagree with, not attack people personally
  • I will search for and accept truth wherever it is found
  • I will not tolerate, nor respond in kind, to those who lack respect
  • I will give credit where credit is due, but not link to or even name persons, websites or groups whose views I find morally offensive, even when commenting on their views
  • I will try my best to demonstrate Christ's love to all people

Hopefully I'll add more to this as time goes on. If you want to know more about how I of all people came to be a Christian, check out my story. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and read this; hope you enjoy the blog and articles, and will take the time to comment if you have something to share.

Darren Hewer, June 7 2006
Updated September 30 2007