Answering Objections to the Christian Faith

 

One of the things that God asks believers to do in the Scriptures is the following:

“but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence“ (NASB 1 Peter 3:15)

Are you prepared to answer the spiritual seekers and skeptics in your world, to “make a defense to everyone who asks you” why you have this special hope within you? And are you prepared to do it “in meekness and reverence”?

This section is intended to help believers and skeptics with sound answers to the most common objections to a belief in a Creator, and to Christianity. I am starting with a list of the top objections, in no particular order, and will provide treatment of the objection in the following format:

• The objection/question, in the most common wording
• An exposition of the question of the issue
• An answer that effectively addresses the objection – whether it is posed by a believer, a skeptic, or a seeker
• Future expansion of this section will break out each objection into its own page, with a full treatment of the issue, and a video illustrating how the objection is usually verbalized, and how a believer might respond
• I plan to also expand this with a download from each page, which can be used as a teaching tool

Although we have good reasons to believe, and God has given us more than enough evidence to step across the line and put our faith in Him, will we get the answers to ALL our questions this side of eternity?  No.  Why?  Because God wants us to trust Him.  He wants us to “walk by faith, and not by sight”.

Jesus said to Thomas, “You have believed, because you have seen. Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.” Bottom line, yes – evidence is appropriate for a believer, a skeptic or a seeker to ask for, and God our Creator has provided plenty of that for us (read the objections and answers below. as well as articles elsewhere on this web site). But always note that our Father desires that we trust Him, which is why it is written “without faith it is impossible to please God“.

Answering the Most Common Objections to Christianity

Although there are many objections raised by unbelievers, the following objections seem to be among the most popular voiced by skeptics and unbelievers. Just click on the objection below to review what we feel is an effective response to answering the objection. If you have comments or suggestions on how to improve responses, or if you have common objection that we haven’t listed, we would love to hear from you!  

We will also be producing short, 7 minutes videos on each of these topics in the near future – so please check back with us!

Objection: “I am an atheist, and I don’t believe in God. I believe in science.”

Answer: I appreciate your honesty.  However, are you aware of what an “atheist” is, and atheism as a set of beliefs?  The word “atheism” comes from two Greek words:  “a”, meaning “no”, or “without”, and “theos”, meaning “God” or “deity”.

An atheist is a person who does not believe in God, or for that matter any deity. Did you know that atheism is also a faith system? Read more…

Objection: “I don’t believe in a Creator God – I believe we just evolved and are here today by evolutionary processes.”

Answer: Thank you for your honesty.  Let’s try to frame the question in a slightly different way, because I think we are really taking about only two alternatives to explain the origin of things, and of life itself:

1. Is it more reasonable to conclude that everything was caused by random un-directed “evolutionary processes”, or
2. Is is it more reasonable to believe that the design and complexity we see in nature is the product of an intelligent designer?

Let’s examine each of these options, to see which is the more reasonable explanation for the origin of all things (based on the evidence). Read more …

“I don’t accept that there is just one way to God. I believe there are many ways or paths to God, and that all religions are basically the same – just expressing different paths to God. “

Answer: Its comfortable to believe that all belief systems lead ultimately to acceptance by God, but just because we believe something doesn’t make it true. Why? First, religions involve more than just having faith in something or someone.  They also involve claims about truth – claims that can be investigated, and put to the test.  If you dig deep enough, you’ll find that all religions “claim” to have a lock on exclusivity to truth.

For example, eastern religions (Hindus) and many New Age believers claim that the universe always existed – always was.  Christianity, Judaism and Islam claim that the universe had a beginning – that it was created by God. These claims are mutually exclusive.  Both world views can’t be right – one view is correct, the other is not.  Either the universe had a beginning, or it did not. Another example is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Christianity maintains that Jesus died, was buried in a tomb, and rose again the third day.  Muslims, on the other hand, believe that Jesus never even died, much less rose again.  These claims are contradictory — they cannot both be true. Either one is true, or the other is.  They cannot both be true!

One cannot reasonably claim that “all religions teach basically the same things”, and make the same essential claims. How can we know which is true?  We can examine the historical record, we can examine the evidence — then make our decision concerning which record is the most credible. Read more …

“The Bible can’t be trusted – it is filled with contradictions and errors. Also, the Bible is just one of many holy books, so why should I accept the trust the words of the Bible, and not the Quran, or some other book?”

Answer: Why should we trust it alone to be God’s uniquely inspired written word?  The Bible, both Old and New Testaments, exists in the form of literally thousands of ancient manuscripts. Whereas other ancient books may exist in only a few or perhaps dozens of copies, the Bible is supported by thousands of ancient manuscripts.

Unique among sacred texts, the Bible contains a high percentage of text concerning prophecy. Statements attributed to God by a prophet, concerning the certainty of future events. A few examples include: over 300 prophecies concerning the coming of a future Messiah, which were literally fulfilled in the person of Jesus of Nazareth; the prophecies concerning the major kingdoms of the world, foretold in the book of Daniel; supported by the historical record. And as far as we can tell, all of these predictions have come true! 

The support of archaeology for the truthfulness of the people and events in the Bible. Many objections have been raised by skeptics about the people and events in the Bible, but time and again skeptics have been proven wrong, and the Bible has been vindicated. Time and again modern science has supported the Bible.  At one time it was thought that the Bible and modern science were in conflict. However, we are discovering more and more that science is not only no in conflict with the Bible, but it is amazing supportive of the Bible.

The corroboration of other non-biblical writers as to the people and events in the Bible. We can look to dozens of non-biblical historians and writers who provide us with written historical documents about the people and events in the Bible – Jewish historians, Roman historians and government officials, all recorded information about various people and events.

The amazing consistency and unity of the Bible. The Old Testament predicts and foreshadows the New Testament, and the people and events in the New Testament explain and fulfill the prophecies in the Old Testament. Although penned by over 40 authors during a period of over 2,000 years, the Bible has an amazing consistency and unity about it.

Finally, the Bible changes people and society for the good like no other book. In contrast to other so-called sacred texts, the Bible has changes more lives, and cultures, for the good than any other. Because it is God’s inspired Word, it has provided millions with God’s guidance for every aspect of their life. Not only that, one could say that “western civilization” has based their laws on the foundation of the Bible.  Read more on why trust God’s Word, the Bible

“Jesus is only one of many enlightened beings throughout history. What makes Jesus so special?”

Answer: This claim is made by many skeptics, but when you consider all the evidence, it become clear that Jesus of Nazareth was and is like no other “holy person” in all of history. Firstly, Jesus said things and made claims that NO OTHER PERSON IN HISTORY said or did. One of the most famous philosophers and defenders of the Christian faith, C.S. Lewis, had this to say:

“I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.”― C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity

Jesus was either a lunatic, a liar, or Lord.  You must decide which.  Most everyone agrees He was not crazy; in fact, He has been described as the sanest person who ever lived.  And no one has even accused Him or being a deceiver or liar.  

Jesus said “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”. (John 14:6).  Now this is an outrageous statement.  Other prophets and so-called “holy men” have been great moral teachers, and have claimed to show “the way”.  Take Buddha, with his teaching on following the 8-fold path.  Or Mohammad, delivering his teaching in the Quran.  Or Confucius, on right living. But Jesus did not say “I am pointing out the way”.  He said “I AM the Way“.  He said that there is no other way to everlasting life. None.  Either you take me, or nothing.  There is no other “Door” to the sheepfold.  I am not one of “many” messengers from the Father. He said He was the “Light of Life”. He was and is claiming to be the only way to the Father of all creation. the Almighty God.  

Unlike other so-called holy men of history, Jesus validated His claims by healing thousands, as foretold in the scriptures.  By raising the dead to life.  By calming the stormy seas. These sorts of signs or miracles were all predicted of the Messiah in the Tenach, or Old Testament – and only Jesus fulfilled all of these prophecies that were evidence of the Messiah, or “Holy One” on God. 

And Jesus was the ONLY one in all of history to conquer death, and rise from the dead after three days of being buried in a tomb.  This fact sets Jesus apart from all the other “holy men” of history  — including Buddha, Mohammed, and all the rest.  These spiritual leaders are all still in the tomb, proving they were but men.  Only the tomb of Jesus remains empty, proving He was who He claimed to be.

No other “holy man” compares.  So is He, or isn’t He? Consider the evidence, then answer from your mind, but also your heart.  Read more …

Work is in Progress on the Following Questions
Stay Tuned for Updates!

Objection:  “I don’t believe in “sin”, and I don’t consider myself a “sinner”.  I am a good person, and that is all that matters. I don’t need to be saved; God should accept me just the way I am.”

“I don’t believe in a heaven or hell.  I believe we just live out our lives and experience heave or hell on earth, then we die and that’s the end of it”.

“If God is good, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? If He is God, and all-powerful, why doesn’t He just end the suffering?

“I knew some Christians once and they wronged me.  Why would I want to be a Christian?  Christians are hypocrites”.

“Christians and other religions have committed most of the atrocities and killing in the name of God through the centuries.”

“I don’t need God. I am doing fine on my own. Christianity is a crutch for weak minded people.” 

“What about those in remote jungles who have never heard of Jesus Christ? Are they lost?”

“Why would a loving God send people to hell?”

Always Respond with Love

Note to Christians: when responding with answers to these objections, be sure that you do so in a kind and loving way.  Remember that every single soul that has come into the world is loved by God (John 3:16), and is eternal – and so every single soul is of immense value.  We are all on a journey, and every person is different, and a unique creation by God.

Treat the person with love and respect, and remember – your end goal is to help them connect with the eternal God who manifested Himself in His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.  Encourage them to give Jesus a chance in their life, to prove to them who He is, and that He has the power to make them into a beautiful new creation that will inherit eternal life.

Ask is you can pray with them before your depart. Share the Good News that God has not left us to our own devices – He has come Himself in the form of flesh (Jesus Christ), and laid down His sinless life to pay the penalty for all of humankind’s transgressions, so that we might receive the free gift of eternal life.

Here is a  link to Billy Graham’s web site that can show you or your friend can receive this free gift of eternal life, and begin a new life in relationship to the God of all creation who loves each and every one of us. Take Me to Steps to Peace With God ==>  http://www.billygraham.org/SH_StepsToPeace.asp