Religion is arguably one of the most powerful factors that has shaped human history and existence. Though we have discovered much and learned much about the world we live in and the Universe, religion remains a major factor even in our present day lives. Apologetics is the field of defense of faith through the tools of reason. This is possible because faith and reason do intersect and have no contradiction between them. As an adult Catholic from a technical background, I've had a unique opportunity to delve into the areas of intersection between faith and reason. In this section I wish to share some of my learning and insights, acknowledging the giants of this area of Apologetics, from whom I have gained a deeper insight into better understanding my faith through the eyes of reason. Some of these giants are St. Paul, Justin the Martyr (a first century pagan philosopher turned Christian Apologist), St. Augustine of Hippo, St. Anselm, St. Thomas Aquinas, Blaise Pascal, C.S Lewis, G.K Chesterton, William Lane Craig and Peter Kreeft.
Before entering into Apologetic dialogue, I must first say that the purpose of Apologetics is not to cause division or separation from atheists, agnostics or non-Christians, but to bring clarity, mutual respect, dialogue and unity. If we deny what makes us what we are - our core beliefs and convictions, then we undermine the process of human dialogue. In such a scenario, we cannot reach anything more than a superficial level of interaction and relationship. If rather, we engage in respectful, meaningful dialogue, using shared convictions as a common platform, we can often discover that we share more in common than we expect. It is in this spirit that any dialogue or discussion between people of different belief systems must take place. Today, more than ever, there is a great need to delve deeper into what religion means to us and what different religions share in common.