~ PART I ~ PROBLEMS WITH GOD
OBJECTION #1 – The Problem of God’s Existence.........7 OBJECTION #2 – The Problem of Evolution………......14 OBJECTION #3 – The Problem of the Trinity…….........19 OBJECTION #4 – The Problem of Evil and Suffering....22 OBJECTION #5 – The Problem of Hell…………...........34 OBJECTION #6 – The Problem of Heavenly Boredom...49 OBJECTION #7 – The Problem of Divine Inconsistency...52
~ PART II ~ PROBLEMS WITH CHRISTIANITY
OBJECTION #8 –The Problem of Human Hypocrisy.....64 OBJECTION #9 – The Problem of Exclusivity……....…67 OBJECTION #10 – The Challenge of Other Religions…74 OBJECTION #11 –The Problem of Earthly Rigidity.......79
~ PART III ~ PROBLEMS WITH THE BIBLE
OBJECTION #12 – The Problem of the Pentateuch....…82 OBJECTION #13 – The Problem of Irrelevancy..............88 OBJECTION #14 – The Problem of Apostolic Dishonesty.....................122 OBJECTION #15 – The Problem of Common Ancient Claims..............................131 OBJECTION #16 – The Problem of Competing Ancient Claims..............................134 OBJECTION #17 – The Problem of Modern Claims.....138 OBJECTION #18 – The Problem of Hidden History.....140 OBJECTION #19 – The Problem of Non-Historicity.....143 OBJECTION #20 – The Problem of Errors and Contradictions........................150 OBJECTION #21 – The Problem of Minimal Divine Evidence.............................155
~ PART IV ~ PROBLEMS WITH JESUS CHRIST
OBJECTION #22 – The Problem of Miracles……........168 OBJECTION #23 – The Problem of Jesus’ Messianic Claims......................….170 OBJECTION #24 – The Problem of Jesus’ Divine Claims................................182 OBJECTION #25 – The Problem of Passivity……....…192
APPENDIX – The Risen Christ’s Personal Message to You…...............................…197
WORKS CITED………………….……………...……...206
RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY.......................215
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ OBJECTION # 1
The Problem of God’s Existence ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Atheists are recognized by many as those who flatly reject the existence of God. (In addition to atheists, who represent about 4% of the human population, skeptical, secular, naturalistic, agnostic and non-religious members of society at least doubt the actuality of a Supreme Being.) Atheists, who are generally also evolutionists, assert that the complex, intricately ordered heavenly bodies and living creatures on Earth arose by pure chance from non-living particles. In addition, they must ultimately accept the concept that these non-living particles resulted from literally nothing, which came from nowhere. There are several excellent reasons to reject such ideas and instead believe in the reality of a divine Creator who yearns for a glorious personal relationship with us both now and forever. Briefly, some of these reasons include the fact that…
We Exist - The “Cosmological” and “Ontological” Arguments
As professor Donald DeYoung stated, "Since every secular origin theory begins with pre-existing matter, none is really an origin theory at all! Aside from accepting supernatural creation from nothing, science must begin with material from an unknown source."1 Matter would have needed to exist before it created itself into existence if the universe was even potentially self-caused. This belief is not only contrary to true scientific knowledge, but is logically fallacious as well since matter cannot create itself from nothing. Your body, along with everything else in the universe, is made entirely of matter. Did you arise from nothing? Did the chair you are sitting in or floor you are standing on come from nothing? Did all that you see really result from nothing? This is essentially what evolutionists would like you to believe. It requires A LOT more faith to believe that non-existent, non-intelligent matter is our creator than it does to accept the fact that a pre-existent, intelligent and awesome God is our Creator. Some may ask, ‘Where did God come from?’ In answer to this question, prominent scholar Norman Geisler explained, "If something exists (which it does) and if nothing cannot cause something (which is evidently true), then it follows that something must necessarily and eternally exist. It must exist eternally since, if nothing ever was, then nothing could now be. But something undeniably now is. Therefore, something always has been… And, since the cause must bear some significant similarity to its effect, which is an intelligent moral being, then it is reasonable to posit an intelligent, moral cause of everything else that exists. If this is so, then the theistic argument for God is sound."2 Geisler continued, "God, since he never began to exist, would not require a cause, for he never came into being. This is not a special pleading for God, since this is exactly what the atheist has always claimed about the universe: that it is eternal and uncaused."3 He added that, "Asking 'What caused the first cause?' is like asking 'What does a square triangle look like?' or 'What is the smell of blue?' It is a meaningless question. Triangles can't have four sides; colors don't smell; and first causes don't have causes because they are first."4 The existence of an eternal, moral and intelligent Creator is a logical necessity. Further, this Creator must be superior to His mortal creation or He would not have been capable of creating and sustaining the universe. Almighty God is not bound by time, space and universal forces like we are, since He is the One who made it all. God is timeless, and no space or force can contain Him. His life, unlike ours, has no beginning or end... He always has and always will be alive. God needed no Creator, since He is the Creator. Despite the logical need for the existence of an eternal, moral, intelligent and sovereign Creator, His awesome reality is still hard for some to fathom. However, we must admit, even with our relatively small minds, that it still seems far more reasonable and satisfying to believe in an all-powerful, always existent, supremely intelligent Creator who has the ability to offer human beings a brilliant eternal future than it is to trust in non-existing, non-intelligent matter which is unable to provide an incredible heavenly existence. The ultimate question is this… will you place your faith in non-existent dead matter or an eternally living God?
Design Exists - The “Teleological” Argument
The Teleological Argument involves what is known as the “Anthropic Principle,” which insists that the intricately complex and incredibly ordered design evident from the universal to sub-sub cellular level is unexplainable without the existence of God. As one example of the many tremendous design features present throughout this universe, we will first briefly consider
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