I appreciate this question greatly because it strikes so personally close to me and my family. I didn’t really want to tackle this here, but it is unavoidable. There are many ways to answer this. I admit I don’t know all the answers and I have chosen different beliefs at different times in my life. I know it will be extremely difficult to keep this short, but I will try.…
Category: Logically Christian
An attempt to put into words the logic that is behind my faith.
Religion, especially Christianity, has caused so many wars and killed so many people. How can it be from a loving God?
First , we need to examine the premise of your question. I would argue that Christianity has caused almost no wars, and killed very few people. Actually, this is relatively true of religions in general. Wars are caused by the greed, for either wealth or power, of individuals and peoples. Sometimes those individuals and peoples try to wrap their greed in the cloak of a religion to disguise it or …
Why would anyone literally "bet their life" on a Christian God they cannot see or touch?
This question really isn’t about basic Christian philosophy, but the context is so interesting I decided to answer it. I know no one will become a Christian based on this, but it does emphasize that if you are an atheist, you better be 100% sure you are right, because the risk-reward ratio on this bet is awful.
So what exactly is the “bet” of Christianity and/or atheism? The Christian is …
How can God be just if he "chose" the Israelites to be his "chosen people"?
In order to say God is unjust for choosing the Israelites, you would have to first answer the question: Chosen for what? People who are unfamiliar with the Bible make the assumption the Israelites were chosen for preferential treatment, and that is not what the Bible says at all. The Bible clearly says that God chose the Israelites to be a “blessing to all the peoples of the world.” Really, …
There are so many contradictions in the Bible it can't be inspired by an intelligent God.
I’ve heard this statement so many times, but when pressed for examples, most people can’t come up with concrete contradictions at all, they come up with discrepancies. The difference is that with a contradiction, it is impossible for both statements to be true. With a discrepancy, the statements do not agree, but they could both be true. An example would be in Matthew 20:30 two blind men sought Jesus, but …
Two of the gospels disagree on who Joseph's father was. How can that be if God is all-knowing?
I have seen list of Bible contradictions, and for me, the hardest one to clarify is this one. Most of the rest are simple discrepancies and not contradictions at all. The difference is that with a contradiction, it is impossible for both statements to be true. With a discrepancy, the statements do not agree, but they could both be true. This turns out to be a discrepancy, because it is …
Why believe in the Christian God when all the gods of all the world’s religions seem so similar? People feel their presence and claim there are answers to prayers. etc. etc.
Actually, this is a great question, but it does need a little clarification. You say all the gods of the different religions are the same, but the examples you site are not the gods themselves, but people’s experience with those gods. The difference is crucial. I will concede that people involved in different religions have very similar experiences. I think this does show a universal need for humans to find …
You say God gives humans a free-will, but when I read the Bible I completely disagree. God clearly is deciding what is right and wrong, how can that be giving humans a free-will?
I think your question is simply a misunderstanding of what “free-will” is.
Most of us have played some type of competitive game or sport. For this example, I’ll use volleyball. Volleyball has rules that determine how the game is played and how you can win or lose. If you break the rule, you are penalized in some way. If you do a good job within the rules, you score points. …
How can an all-good God tell Moses and Joshua to kill thousands of innocent women and children?
This is partially explained by the previous question and post: However, I decided this deserved a little further explanation because God directly ordered the Israelites to kill non-soldiers. My answer assumes you have read this previous post, and the so if you have not, please do so before proceeding.
First, lets remember God’s perspective: all humans, who are immortal, over all time and who have forever in heaven or hell …
How can an all-good, all-powerful God allow disasters like hurrican Katrina, famines, and war?
There are several tenets of Christian philosophy at work here, but I believe that even the most difficult questions should be answered with simplicity or the answer simply brings confusion. Going with that theme, some will find this answer woefully wanting, and I apologize if that is the case. However, we can discuss it in more depth through the comments if you like.
The answer to this question is more …