Twohandsondeck
Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2019
- Messages
- 809
The most common challenges I've heard towards Christianity over the last 3 years -
1) Challenge: 'I go by science, the big bang theory is how we started from an infinite singularity of nothing.'
Answer: the big bang theory doesn't pass Newton's first law of motion.
2) Challenge: 'How do you know your god is God?'
Answer: The entire world agrees that we live in the year 2023, after (His) death (A.D.). Secondly, every first-world language calls upon the name of Christ when under stress and none other. They're not stubbing their toe and crying out the name of Zeus or Buddha, because it would be foolish to call out the name of a god that doesn't exist.
Thirdly, there are over 40 prophecies written, at the earliest, 400 years before the birth of Christ. All of these prophecies came to pass in accordance with what is written in the New Testament. The mathematical probability of this happening is 1 in 10 to the 157th power. This is more molecules than exist in the known universe, and Christ's birth is that ONE winning lottery ticket of all molecules in existence. The details of this probability are written in the book, "Science Speaks" by Peter Stoner.
3) Challenge: 'Mortal men wrote the bible, not God.'
Answer: Mortal men wrote the bible by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21).
A perfect God made His handbook perfect through imperfect man to show that He's God. There are over 40 authors throughout the bible ranking from fishermen to kings who all write of the same God and give account of the same prophecies which have and have yet to be fulfilled.
The 66 books of the bible are estimated to be written over the course of 2100 years, starting in 2,000 B.C. and ending by 100 A.D. All of what has been written in the Old Testament is directly referenced throughout the New Testament, a feat no committee of men, no matter how intelligent they could've been, would ever be able to execute, even if their life depended on it. This is because God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).
4) Challenge: 'There are hundreds of translations of the bible, how can you be so sure yours is the right one?'
Answer: The simplest proof is to compare KJV verses to the same verses printed in ANY other translation (ESV, ASV, NLT, NKJV, NIV, etc) and the reader will see why God is the singular, absolute Truth (John 1:1).
Verses to compare -
Isaiah 14:12, note Rev 22:16
1 Timothy 6:10, note that the KJV has no copyright
1 Timothy 6:20
Luke 23:33
2 Timothy 2:15
Word of a king:
Esther 8:8
Ecclesiastes 8:4
The absolute word of God is pure & settled:
Proverbs 30:5
Psalms 119:89
John 17:17
Psalms 68:11
Doctrine of preservation:
Psalms 12:6-7
5) Challenge: 'Just because that's what YOU think the bible says doesn't mean that's what it actually says. Everyone has a different interpretation.'
Answer: There are no private interpretations. A person can believe something they don't understand. 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
6) Challenge: 'Christianity is just another religion that's based on 'good works' like all the rest.'
Answer: The conditions for salvation of a Christian are unique from any other religion in the world because it is the only "religion" in the world where the worshiper is saved by God as a gift given by God and NOT of a work earned by the worshiper (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Some examples of "work" include: meditation, making pies for your neighbor, not cursing people out, attending mass every week, sacrificing rice to a statue, etc.
7) Challenge: 'I think I'm a good person and I'll rely on a fair judgement by the higher powers of the afterlife when I die.'
Answer: If you've told a lie, you're a liar. Is a liar a good person? You lie once, you're a liar in the court of law forever.
God sent Christ to make an end to the law, which is why the Christian puts faith in the work of Jesus Christ instead of their own. This is the hope of salvation that the Christian shares with the world.
8) Challenge: 'But Catholics are doing bad things.'
Answer: Catholics aren't Christians. It's written to call no man father (Matthew 23:9). Further, it's written that worshippers of Baal wear vestments (2 Kings 10:22).
9) Challenge: 'But preachers like Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland are taking large wealth and living selfish, cultish lives.'
Answer: 1 Timothy 6:10 - "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
10) Challenge: 'But presbyterians and calvinists say we have no free will'
Answer: according to the will of the person, they may take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).
11) Challenge: 'But the charismatic churches have people babbling like zombies and running around like chickens with their head cut off.'
Answer: God calls us to be disciplined and sober minded (Titus 2:1-8, Titus 2:11-12, 1 Peter 1:13-16).
If a tongue is to offer edification of a church, it will be interpreted by one person. If there is no interpreter, the speaker of the tongue is supposed to be silent in the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
12) Challenge: 'Jesus Christ didn't exist.'
Answer: Historians disagree.
__________________
1 Thessalonians 5:21
[21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Proverbs 26:4-5
[4] Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
[5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.
1) Challenge: 'I go by science, the big bang theory is how we started from an infinite singularity of nothing.'
Answer: the big bang theory doesn't pass Newton's first law of motion.
2) Challenge: 'How do you know your god is God?'
Answer: The entire world agrees that we live in the year 2023, after (His) death (A.D.). Secondly, every first-world language calls upon the name of Christ when under stress and none other. They're not stubbing their toe and crying out the name of Zeus or Buddha, because it would be foolish to call out the name of a god that doesn't exist.
Thirdly, there are over 40 prophecies written, at the earliest, 400 years before the birth of Christ. All of these prophecies came to pass in accordance with what is written in the New Testament. The mathematical probability of this happening is 1 in 10 to the 157th power. This is more molecules than exist in the known universe, and Christ's birth is that ONE winning lottery ticket of all molecules in existence. The details of this probability are written in the book, "Science Speaks" by Peter Stoner.
3) Challenge: 'Mortal men wrote the bible, not God.'
Answer: Mortal men wrote the bible by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost (2 Peter 1:21).
A perfect God made His handbook perfect through imperfect man to show that He's God. There are over 40 authors throughout the bible ranking from fishermen to kings who all write of the same God and give account of the same prophecies which have and have yet to be fulfilled.
The 66 books of the bible are estimated to be written over the course of 2100 years, starting in 2,000 B.C. and ending by 100 A.D. All of what has been written in the Old Testament is directly referenced throughout the New Testament, a feat no committee of men, no matter how intelligent they could've been, would ever be able to execute, even if their life depended on it. This is because God knows the end from the beginning (Isaiah 46:10).
4) Challenge: 'There are hundreds of translations of the bible, how can you be so sure yours is the right one?'
Answer: The simplest proof is to compare KJV verses to the same verses printed in ANY other translation (ESV, ASV, NLT, NKJV, NIV, etc) and the reader will see why God is the singular, absolute Truth (John 1:1).
Verses to compare -
Isaiah 14:12, note Rev 22:16
1 Timothy 6:10, note that the KJV has no copyright
1 Timothy 6:20
Luke 23:33
2 Timothy 2:15
Word of a king:
Esther 8:8
Ecclesiastes 8:4
The absolute word of God is pure & settled:
Proverbs 30:5
Psalms 119:89
John 17:17
Psalms 68:11
Doctrine of preservation:
Psalms 12:6-7
5) Challenge: 'Just because that's what YOU think the bible says doesn't mean that's what it actually says. Everyone has a different interpretation.'
Answer: There are no private interpretations. A person can believe something they don't understand. 2 Peter 1:20 Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.
6) Challenge: 'Christianity is just another religion that's based on 'good works' like all the rest.'
Answer: The conditions for salvation of a Christian are unique from any other religion in the world because it is the only "religion" in the world where the worshiper is saved by God as a gift given by God and NOT of a work earned by the worshiper (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Some examples of "work" include: meditation, making pies for your neighbor, not cursing people out, attending mass every week, sacrificing rice to a statue, etc.
7) Challenge: 'I think I'm a good person and I'll rely on a fair judgement by the higher powers of the afterlife when I die.'
Answer: If you've told a lie, you're a liar. Is a liar a good person? You lie once, you're a liar in the court of law forever.
God sent Christ to make an end to the law, which is why the Christian puts faith in the work of Jesus Christ instead of their own. This is the hope of salvation that the Christian shares with the world.
8) Challenge: 'But Catholics are doing bad things.'
Answer: Catholics aren't Christians. It's written to call no man father (Matthew 23:9). Further, it's written that worshippers of Baal wear vestments (2 Kings 10:22).
9) Challenge: 'But preachers like Joel Osteen and Kenneth Copeland are taking large wealth and living selfish, cultish lives.'
Answer: 1 Timothy 6:10 - "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows."
10) Challenge: 'But presbyterians and calvinists say we have no free will'
Answer: according to the will of the person, they may take the water of life freely (Revelation 22:17).
11) Challenge: 'But the charismatic churches have people babbling like zombies and running around like chickens with their head cut off.'
Answer: God calls us to be disciplined and sober minded (Titus 2:1-8, Titus 2:11-12, 1 Peter 1:13-16).
If a tongue is to offer edification of a church, it will be interpreted by one person. If there is no interpreter, the speaker of the tongue is supposed to be silent in the church (1 Corinthians 14:27-28).
12) Challenge: 'Jesus Christ didn't exist.'
Answer: Historians disagree.
__________________
1 Thessalonians 5:21
[21] Prove all things; hold fast that which is good.
Proverbs 26:4-5
[4] Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.
[5] Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.