Thoughtful responses to the most challenging questions about Christian faith
Introduction: Why Objections Matter
Every Christian encounters objections to their faith. Rather than viewing these as threats, we should see them as opportunities to demonstrate Christianity’s intellectual credibility and to engage in meaningful dialogue.
Key principles for responding:
- Listen carefully to understand the real concern
- Show respect for the questioner
- Address both intellectual and emotional aspects
- Admit when you don’t know something
- Point toward the Gospel when appropriate
The Problem of Evil and Suffering
The Challenge
Logical form:
- If God is all-good, He would want to eliminate evil
- If God is all-powerful, He could eliminate evil
- Evil exists
- Therefore, an all-good, all-powerful God doesn’t exist
The Free Will Defense
Core response:
- God values free will as necessary for genuine love and moral growth
- Free will makes evil possible but also makes good meaningful
- A world with free beings who choose good is better than programmed robots
Supporting points:
- Love requires choice – forced love isn’t real love
- Moral virtues (courage, compassion, forgiveness) require the possibility of their opposites
- God works through evil to bring about greater good
Natural Disasters and Animal Suffering
Responses to natural evil:
Soul-making theodicy:
- Character develops through challenges and adversity
- Natural laws enable predictable environment for moral decisions
- Temporary suffering serves eternal purposes
Interconnected creation:
- Same natural laws that cause disasters also sustain life
- Animal suffering is part of ecosystem balance
- Death entered creation through human fall (Romans 8:20-22)
The Greater Good Defense
Key insights:
- God can work all things together for good (Romans 8:28)
- Eternal perspective changes evaluation of temporary suffering
- Some goods can only emerge through suffering (compassion, perseverance, redemption)
Examples:
- Medical advances through disease research
- Character growth through adversity
- Community formation through shared trials
- Appreciation for good through contrast with evil
Emotional Dimensions
Pastoral responses:
- Acknowledge real pain and confusion
- Share in grief rather than immediately explaining
- Point to Jesus’ suffering as God’s solidarity with human pain
- Offer hope of future redemption and restoration
“Where was God when…?”
- God was present in the suffering (Psalm 34:18)
- God entered our suffering through Christ
- Ultimate justice will be served in eternity
- God can bring meaning from meaningless events
Science vs. Faith
The Perceived Conflict
Common claims:
- Science has disproven God
- Faith and reason are incompatible
- Religion is for the uneducated
- Science explains everything naturally
Historical Relationship
Science emerged from Christian worldview:
- Universe is rational and discoverable (reflects God’s mind)
- Humans have capacity to understand creation
- Natural laws are consistent (God is faithful)
- Investigation of creation honors the Creator
Christian scientists:
- Newton, Kepler, Galileo, Mendel, Pasteur
- Modern examples: Francis Collins, John Polkinghorne, Ard Louis
- 40% of scientists believe in personal God (Pew Research)
Methodological Limitations
What science can and cannot do:
Science excels at:
- Describing natural processes
- Making predictions about physical events
- Developing technology and medicine
- Understanding “how” questions
Science cannot address:
- Purpose and meaning
- Moral values
- Aesthetic beauty
- Existence of God
- Ultimate “why” questions
Complementary magisteria:
- Science: Natural realm, empirical methods
- Faith: Spiritual realm, revealed truth
- Both seek truth from different angles
Specific Scientific Challenges
Evolution:
- Compatible with Christian faith (many positions possible)
- God could use evolutionary processes
- Focus on design evidence rather than mechanisms
- Distinguish between microevolution (observed) and macroevolution (inferred)
Age of earth:
- Various Christian interpretations possible
- Day-age theory, gap theory, framework hypothesis
- Focus on theological truth rather than scientific details
- Young earth position remains viable option
Miracles:
- Not violations of natural law but divine action
- Rare but not impossible
- Historical evidence matters more than philosophical assumptions
- God typically works through natural means
Biblical Reliability and Contradictions
Alleged Contradictions
Types of difficulties:
- Apparent numerical discrepancies
- Different perspectives on same events
- Translation issues
- Cultural context misunderstandings
Resolution Principles
Hermeneutical guidelines:
Historical context:
- Ancient writing conventions differed from modern standards
- Precision vs. accuracy distinctions
- Phenomenological language (appearances)
- Genre considerations (poetry, parable, history)
Manuscript issues:
- Copying errors in transmission
- 99.5% textual purity overall
- No doctrinal issues affected
- Earlier manuscripts resolve many problems
Harmonization principles:
- Different perspectives don’t equal contradictions
- Complementary accounts provide fuller picture
- Selective reporting for specific purposes
- Chronological vs. topical arrangements
Common Examples
Gospel genealogies (Matthew vs. Luke):
- Different purposes: legal vs. biological lineage
- Jewish customs of adoption and levirate marriage
- Focus on theological points rather than completeness
Judas’ death (Matthew vs. Acts):
- Different aspects of same event
- Hanging followed by fall and bursting
- Field purchase through intermediary vs. direct purchase
Census of Quirinius (Luke 2):
- Multiple censuses possible
- Translation issues with “first” census
- Archaeological discoveries continue to illuminate
Archaeological Support
Confirmations:
- Thousands of archaeological discoveries support biblical accounts
- No archaeological discovery has definitively contradicted Scripture
- Increasing confirmation of biblical historical accuracy
- Skeptical theories often overturned by new evidence
Religious Pluralism and Exclusivity
The Challenge
Common objections:
- “All religions are basically the same”
- “Christianity is too narrow/exclusive”
- “Good people in other religions will be saved”
- “Religious diversity proves no one religion is true”
Logical Analysis
Law of non-contradiction:
- Contradictory truth claims cannot all be true
- Religions make mutually exclusive claims about God, salvation, afterlife
- Tolerance doesn’t require accepting logical contradictions
Examples of contradictions:
- Christianity: Jesus is God; Islam: Jesus is not God
- Hinduism: Many paths to God; Christianity: Jesus is the only way
- Buddhism: No permanent self; Christianity: Eternal soul
- Islam: Salvation by works; Christianity: Salvation by grace
Exclusivity vs. Inclusivity
Christian position:
- Truth is exclusive by nature
- Jesus claimed to be the only way (John 14:6)
- Salvation is through Christ alone (Acts 4:12)
- But invitation is inclusive – open to all people
Analogies:
- Mathematical truths are exclusive but universally accessible
- Medical cures are specific but available to all patients
- Historical facts are particular but objectively true
Addressing Emotional Concerns
“What about those who never hear?”
- God is just and will judge fairly (Romans 2:14-16)
- General revelation provides some knowledge of God
- Focus on your responsibility to share the Gospel
- Trust God’s character and wisdom
“Christianity seems arrogant”
- Claims about truth, not personal superiority
- Christians are saved by grace, not merit
- Recognition of universal human need
- Humble gratitude, not proud achievement
Positive Case for Christianity
Unique features:
- Historical foundation in verifiable events
- Coherent worldview addressing life’s big questions
- Transformative power in individual lives
- Universal message transcending culture and time
- Balance of justice and mercy through Christ
Moral Objections to Christianity
“Christianity has caused great harm”
Acknowledging reality:
- Some professing Christians have done terrible things
- Crusades, Inquisition, slavery, abuse scandals
- Hypocrisy exists among believers
- Church history includes dark chapters
Proper perspective:
- Distinguish between Christianity and cultural Christianity
- Many atrocities violated clear Christian teachings
- Greatest humanitarian movements led by Christians
- Consider the alternative: secular ideologies’ track record
Positive contributions:
- Hospitals, universities, orphanages
- Abolition movement, civil rights
- Human dignity and rights concepts
- Art, music, literature inspiration
“The Bible condones slavery/genocide/oppression”
Hermeneutical principles:
- Descriptive vs. prescriptive passages
- Progressive revelation over time
- Cultural accommodation vs. ideal standards
- Redemptive movement through Scripture
Specific issues:
Slavery:
- Biblical “slavery” often indentured servitude
- Regulations improved slave conditions
- Seeds of abolition in human dignity teachings
- New Testament equality principles
Old Testament warfare:
- Specific historical judgments, not universal commands
- Divine justice on corrupt civilizations
- Protection of Israel’s mission
- Limited scope and duration
“Christianity oppresses women”
Biblical foundations:
- Genesis: Equal image of God (1:27)
- Jesus’ treatment of women was revolutionary
- Paul’s household codes were improvements over pagan standards
- Women in ministry throughout church history
Cultural vs. transcultural principles:
- Some instructions were culturally specific
- Core principle: mutual submission and respect
- Focus on heart attitudes over external forms
- Churches continue wrestling with applications
Personal and Existential Objections
“I can’t feel God’s presence”
Understanding spiritual experience:
- Faith based on truth, not feelings
- God’s presence not always emotionally felt
- Seasons of spiritual dryness are normal
- Multiple ways God communicates
Practical responses:
- Examine barriers (sin, busyness, expectations)
- Continue spiritual disciplines consistently
- Seek community and spiritual direction
- Remember God’s faithfulness despite feelings
“Christianity seems irrelevant”
Relevance of Christian worldview:
- Addresses universal human needs
- Provides meaning and purpose
- Offers hope and transformation
- Answers life’s biggest questions
Practical applications:
- Social justice rooted in human dignity
- Personal ethics and character
- Community and relationships
- Handling suffering and death
“I’ve been hurt by the church”
Pastoral response:
- Acknowledge pain and validate experience
- Distinguish between God and God’s people
- Recognize church is hospital for sinners
- Focus on Jesus rather than flawed followers
Moving forward:
- Forgiveness as personal healing
- Finding healthy Christian community
- Understanding church as imperfect institution
- God’s heart for justice and restoration
Practical Response Strategies
Listening and Understanding
Before responding:
- Ask clarifying questions
- Identify emotional vs. intellectual issues
- Understand person’s background and context
- Show genuine care for the individual
Graceful Engagement
Communication principles:
- Maintain respectful tone throughout
- Acknowledge valid concerns
- Share personal testimony when appropriate
- Point toward Jesus as ultimate answer
When You Don’t Know
Honest responses:
- “That’s a great question – let me research it”
- “I don’t have a complete answer, but here’s what I do know”
- “This touches on deep mysteries beyond full human understanding”
- Connect with knowledgeable resources
Moving Toward the Gospel
Transition strategies:
- “If these objections were answered, would you be interested in Jesus?”
- “What would it take for you to consider Christianity seriously?”
- “Have you ever read what Jesus actually said about this?”
Recommended Resources
General Apologetics
- The Reason for God by Timothy Keller
- Making Sense of God by Timothy Keller
- Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
Problem of Evil
- The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis
- Where Is God When It Hurts? by Philip Yancey
- God, Freedom, and Evil by Alvin Plantinga
Science and Faith
- The Language of God by Francis Collins
- God’s Undertaker by John Lennox
- Finding Darwin’s God by Kenneth Miller
Bible and History
- The Hard Sayings of Jesus by F.F. Bruce
- When Critics Ask by Geisler & Howe
- Is God a Moral Monster? by Paul Copan
Conclusion
Objections to Christianity provide opportunities for deeper engagement and clearer Gospel presentation. While we can’t answer every question perfectly, we can respond thoughtfully and point people toward the truth and love of Christ.
Remember:
- Arguments don’t save – only God does
- Your attitude matters as much as your answers
- Some questions are hurts disguised as intellectual problems
- Point ultimately to Jesus, not just answers
“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.” – 1 Peter 3:15
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