Monday, September 19, 2011

Objections to Christianity (The Reason for God part 5)

(I'm reading through Tim Keller's book "The Reason for God" and taking my small group through a DVD study based on the book. Over the next few weeks, I'll be blogging about the book, the study, and the discussions occurring in my group.).

Our small group began studying the "Reason for God" DVD last night.  We'll spend six sessions discussing some of the most common objections to Christianity.  Before I begin blogging about our first discussion, here is a list of the objections we will be discussiong:

  • Isn't the bible a myth?  Hasn't science disproved Christianity?
  • How can you say there is only one way to God?  What about other religions?
  • What gives you the right to tell me how to live my life? Why are there so many rules?
  • Why does God allow suffering?  Why is there so much evil in the world?
  • Why is the church responsible for so much injustice?  Why are Christians such hypocrites?
  • How can God be full of love and wrath at the same time?  How can God send people to Hell?
If you are a believer, which of these objections to you hear the most from skeptical friends?  Which objection do you wrestle with the most and why?

If you are a skeptic,which objection do you find the most troubling and why?

Though these objections are considered among the most common, are there any other objections that you think should have made this list?

2 comments:

J said...

I don't think science has disproved Christianity at all, though perhaps taking the bible word for word as absolute truth does disagree with science.

I'll be interested to hear what people have to say about the questions about suffering and injustice. These are the ones that trouble me, and I can't make the leap to a kind and just God, one that is all powerful, who will nonetheless allow millions of innocent people to starve. I guess I don't understand the concept of free will well enough. How does someone in Somalia starve to death because of free will?

Brian said...

I think the question why God could allow suffering is the most troubling of all. It is not simply a philosophical question. It is one all of us deal with on a personal level, in varying degrees of severity.