Answering the Skeptic’s Questions

I came across what is claimed to be the top ten reasons why people are not Christians. I'd like to take this opportunity to answer these reasons myself.

1. I've never seen God, so how can I know He exists?

   I'm betting you've probably never seen your brain either, how can you know it exists? There are countless things you do believe in that you have never seen. Have you ever seen electricity? Have you ever seen radio waives? How about wind? While you haven't seen these things directly, you have seen evidence of them. The Bible teaches that Creation itself testifies to the existence of God.

   God created you to have free will. He loves you, and wants there to be no doubt whether or not you love Him in return. If he were to poke his head through the clouds every few years to be sure that everyone saw him, how could you be sure you loved Him for the sake of loving Him rather than loving him for fear of lightning bolts. Fear of lightning bolts doesn't generate true love.

   God has hidden Himself from everyone, but He has hidden Himself in such a way that if you look for him, you will find Him.

2. I've broken the Ten Commandments, but I've done good things. If God is fair, he will take into account the good things I've done.

   Try that one in any human court. If you raped someone, the judge isn't going to let you off if you serve soup at the local homeless shelter four nights a week. Keeping the law does not balance the scales of justice for when you break it.

3. Christianity is oppressive to women.

   Why do you say that? My guess is because of Ephesians 5:22 “Wives, submit yourselves to your husbands as to the Lord. “ That's just ridiculous! Keep reading, verse 25 says “Husbands, love your wives as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it”. Is it really oppressive to submit to someone who loves you so sacrificially as to give his life for you?

4. The Bible was written by men.

   And what you're reading now was written by my keyboard. Wrong!!! It was written by me, using my keyboard.

   If I stand over your shoulder and tell you what to write, word for word, and you write exactly what I tell you, who gets the credit for writing it. It should be me, right? Men may have penned the Bible, but God wrote it. This is proven through prophecy. There is no other book on Earth that calls itself Holy and backs up that claim with 100% accuracy in the realm of prophecy. Only the Bible tells history in advance.

5. Churches are full of hypocrites.

   Good, what better place for them?

   Just because someone is in a church, doesn't mean he is a Christian. Just because someone calls himself a Christian, doesn't make him a Christian.

6. Christians think they're better than non-christians.

   Not at all. Christians understand they are forgiven. Christians understand that they are accountable to God.

   Besides, I could use the same argument for why I AM a Christian. I know of a lot of non-christians who think they are better than Christians.

7. There is too much suffering in the world for there to be a loving God.

   Suffering is a result of man's rebellion against God. The most loving thing ever done in the world was done by God. While we were all yet sinners (rebellious against Him), He sent His Son to die in our place and be ridiculous to Him.

   Suffering only shows us why we need Him more than we understand. Without God, the level of suffering in the world would be so great it would make the world as we know it to be look like a picnic. The Bible says that Satan is the “god of this world”, and that he comes to “kill, steal, and destroy”. He is the source of the world's suffering. He tempted man into rebellion against God, and he perpetuates cruelty and suffering in the world. God shows love in the patience he gives man to allow man to come to repentance.

8. Christianity isn't fair. There are so many people who haven't heard of Jesus, are they going to hell?
   

   [18] For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, [19] because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. [20] For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse. [21] For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. [22] Professing to be wise, they became fools, [23] and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures. [24] Therefore God gave them over in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, so that their bodies would be dishonored among them. [25] For they exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. [26] For this reason God gave them over to degrading passions; for their women exchanged the natural function for that which is unnatural, [27] and in the same way also the men abandoned the natural function of the woman and burned in their desire toward one another, men with men committing indecent acts and receiving in their own persons the due penalty of their error. [28] And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, [29] being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; {they are} gossips, [30] slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, [31] without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; [32] and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. – Romans 1:18-32

9. I've tried to read the Bible and can't understand it.

   And you won't understand it until you seek a relationship with God. He intends that the Bible be read through the same lens it was written through, the Holy Spirit. If you don't have the Holy Spirit, you won't understand the Bible.

10. Christians are sinners by their own admission. What makes them any different from non-christians?

    What makes us different is that we have turned from our sins and sought the forgiveness offered to us by God through the atoning death of His Son. We understand that our sin makes us worthy of nothing short of Hell. We understand that without Christ, we don't even deserve our next breath. We no longer derive joy from our sins. The non-Christian enjoy sin. The Christian does not. The Christian feels guilt and conviction when he sins.