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Article April
2000
10 objections to
Christianity
and how to respond!
April
2000
by Frank Harber
RECENTLY someone approached me with the following problem:
"Nobody can talk me out of being a Christian, but I can't talk anyone else into it. Can you help me?"
Perhaps she thought she was the only one struggling with this, but I've been asked this question hundreds of times. You see, I was once an atheist who set out to prove Christianity was untrue.
But during my investigation, I discovered overwhelming evidence that demonstrates the validity of Christianity. And because of a dedicated Christian who was prepared to answer my questions, my heart was reached.
Are you prepared to answer the spiritual seekers in your world? Are you wondering if Christianity's really true?
Here's a look at
10 objections skeptics pose toward Christianity--and how to
respond.
1.
Christians are
hypocrites.
A hypocrite is an actor, a
person who pretends to be something he isn't. Jesus'
harshest words were reserved for hypocrites.
The reality is, there always have been and always
will be some hypocrites in the Church. But Jesus doesn't ask
us to follow others; he asks us to follow him.
Although Christians can represent Jesus either poorly or well, the real question isn't whether there are hypocrites in the Church, but whether Jesus is a hypocrite.
The Bible, God's Word, presents Jesus as nothing less than perfect. Jesus' disciples testified that Jesus was without sin (1 Peter 2:22; 1 John 3:5). Even Jesus himself challenged others to prove that he'd ever sinned (John 8:46).
2.
What about the
atrocities Christians have
committed?
Some blame Christianity for
religious wars, the Crusades, burning witches, the
Inquisition, slavery, even the Holocaust.
The issue of atrocities is simply an extension of
the question of hypocrites. So-called believers who didn't
practice true Christianity have perpetrated evil.
In reality, these people were Christian in name only. Focusing on their atrocities is a smoke screen to avoid the real issue.
than negative influences.
It's been instrumental in the formation of countless hospitals, schools, colleges, orphanages, relief agencies, and charity agencies. No other religion in history can compare.
3.
Christianity is a crutch.
Karl Marx, author of The
Communist Manifesto, said, "Religion is the opiate of the
masses." Critics such as Marx have charged . . .
that religion is an invention designed for people
incapable of coping with life's pressures. Some critics
respond that they don't need this type of emotional comfort,
as though that fact falsifies Christianity.
Such individuals often claim to be "stronger" because they're brave enough to face life without a "crutch." To imply non-religious people don't need a crutch is misleading.
Dependence on drugs, alcohol, tobacco, sex, money, power, other people, and material possessions demonstrates some people's need for a crutch.
Rather than being weak, Christians are strong--not because they depend on themselves, but because they depend on Jesus. Everyone needs assistance.
The question is, what will you lean on? Christianity provides what atheism or other religions never can: spiritual fulfillment, peace, and forgiveness.
4.
It's
narrow-minded to think Jesus is the only way to
God.
Jesus claimed he was the only way to God (John 14:6). Such a claim is either totally true or totally false.
Some people claim to be Christians, yet ignore
Jesus' claim to be the only Savior. Critics argue this view
is exclusory. But if Christianity is true, then we must
accept Jesus' own teachings.
then the issue is settled.
5.
Being a good person is all that really
matters.
Some argue that even if a
person's religion is false, what really matters is that
she's sincere about being a good person.
This notion is based on the mistaken belief that God
is pleased by "religion." Sincerity doesn't determine truth,
however.
One can be sincerely convinced of the truth--and be sincerely wrong. For example, many evil men such as Hitler were very sincere in their beliefs.
6.
What about those who've never heard about
Jesus?
Such a question implies that God
lacks compassion because he's imposed his plan of salvation
on us.
Often such inquirers seem to imply that they're more
compassionate than God! An important biblical principle to
understand is that no one has ever remained lost who wanted
to be found.
Just as God sent the apostle Philip to the seeking Ethiopian (Acts 8:26-39),
Jesus promises all who seek will find. (Matthew 7:7-8)
7.
The Bible is filled with errors.
Because the Bible is God's Word
and God cannot lie (Isaiah 55:10-11; John 17:17; Titus 1:2;
Hebrews 4:12), it's totally
trustworthy.
It is free from any error. God's Word is
described as "the word of truth" (2 Corinthians 6:7;
Colossians 1:5; 2 Timothy 2:15; James 1:18).
Inerrancy isn't a theory about the Bible; it's the teaching of the Bible itself. What most people claim as errors in the Bible aren't errors but difficulties. People think they've stumbled upon apparent inconsistencies when they haven't taken the time to find out all the facts, or made an in-depth study of the passage.
Many Bible questions have been answered as new discoveries have been made in fields such as language, history, archeology, and other sciences.
8.
If God is so good, why is there evil?
The thrust of this charge is
that evil's presence disproves God's power. But is the
presence of evil consistent with the God of the Bible?
Consider: God didn't create evil. Sin entered the
world through Adam's disobedience (Genesis 3) Evil is
necessary for a free world.
Freedom, or free will, gives humans the opportunity to
make wrong choices.
God hesitates to stop evil for an important reason. Just as parents often allow their children to make mistakes and suffer the consequences, God acts in a parental fashion with his creation.
But just as we don't yet have eternal bodies, evil has yet to be removed from the world.
9.
Why is there suffering?
Many hold that pain is evidence
against God's concern for humankind. However, pain can be
used for good and bad
purposes.
Not all pain is bad. Pain is an essential
mechanism for survival. Without pain, the body is stripped
of vital protection. Pain is an important signal to warn of
even greater danger. Suffering is a signal. It also can be a
spiritual signal that reminds us of the fragile balance of
life and our mortality.
Some suffering actually helps to bring greater good. This is best seen in Jesus' own suffering. Jesus traveled down the road of pain, loneliness, and death--a road that led to the cross. Jesus isn't just a Savior, he's our suffering Savior.
The cross is the ultimate example of innocent suffering. At the heart of this issue is the underlying challenge that God isn't fair.
To say God isn't fair is an extremely dangerous charge. If God gave us what we deserve, we'd be in trouble.
It would be foolish to ask God for justice; what we need is mercy. God's mercy and grace are so taken for granted that suffering and pain shock us.
10.
If there's a
hell, why would a loving God send people
there?
God hates evil, and one day, evil will cease. While evil and suffering and pain are very real, they are also very temporary.
The day God deals with evil, he will deal with all evil. In the meantime, God strives for as many people as possible to accept Jesus' death and resurrection as payment for their sins, so they can live eternally with him.
For God to force people to go to heaven against their wishes wouldn't be heaven--it would be hell.
This article first appeared in On Mission (September/October 1999). Used by permission of the North American Mission Board, Alpharetta, Georgia. Frank Harber, evangelist-in-residence and professor of evangelism at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Fort Worth, Texas, is author of Reasons for Believing (New Leaf Press)
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