Still Skeptical about Christianity?

Still Skeptical?
These are statements and questions that I've heard from people who are skeptical of Christianity. Email me if you have any that I haven't included here.

THE BIBLE CONTRADICTS ITSELF
    One example of this is that the Old Testament says to take an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, but the New Testament says to turn the other cheek. Jesus clarified the cause of this difference in Matthew 5:38, when He changed the program from law to grace.
   Another common example is where Genesis1 says that God created man and woman, while Genesis2 says He created man and later created woman out of man. This is not a contradiction at all, but a brief overview in chapter 1, with a greater focus on details in chapter 2.
    Other cases of stated Biblical contradictions occur where details differ between various books. This is similar to multiple people viewing an incident or an accident in that each person will notice and emphasize different things, but it's obvious that all of the writers are describing the same occurrence. When different writers state different things in the Bible, they are all correct, having seen things only from a different perspective than the other. In no case does it actually oppose itself, with one writer saying the opposite of another or contradicting the facts of an event.

BUT I'M A GOOD PERSON, SO I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO TO HEAVEN.
Good person though you may be, I am sorry to say that you are not perfect. As a Christian, the more I grow in my faith and understanding of God, the more sin and its affect on people, including myself, bothers me. If I, a man who is imperfect and sinful myself, am bothered by sin more and more as I mature as a Christian, how much more does it bother God, who is perfect and without sin? Assuming God exists (see my page on Why God?) and is without sin, why would he want to be around someone who is imperfect and sinful? How could he even tolerate the presence of sin? It's like the clean room of a technology manufacturer, which is defined as: A room that is maintained virtually free of contaminants, such as dust or bacteria, used in laboratory work and in the production of precision parts for electronic or aerospace equipment. For such an environment, great care is taken to preserve the air purity, lest any particle(s) ruin the procedure. And in the presence of a perfect God in heaven, spiritual contaminants (aka sin) are unacceptable. This necessary perfection can only be obtained by the purification presented by Christ's sacrifice. When you enter a clean room, you first cover yourself with protective, de-contaminated clothing. So it is with Jesus, who covers you with His righteousness and purity so you can enter God's presence.

A LOVING GOD WOULDN'T SEND ALL NON-CHRISTIANS TO HELL.
What about being a just God? He set down the law as outlined in the Bible. He clearly stated the way to salvation in His Word. While all men will be ultimately judged by God, and it is at His discretion to decide whether or not to send an unbeliever to heaven or hell, if he is a God of justice, then He will act according to the law that He has stated.
The best example I've heard is the analogy of a judge who is presiding over the courtroom when his son is presented before him, having been proven guilty of a crime (murder, robbery, rape, whatever). As an appointed judge who is in front of his peers and countrymen, even though he loves his son, he must still sentence him according to the law. He must follow the rules which were established beforehand, and which the son was well aware of when he broke them. If you have been made aware of the way to salvation that God has stated, then you are accountable as to how well you did or didn't follow it, regardless of how much He loves you.

ALL PATHS LEAD TO THE SAME GOD (also stated as "Same God, different religions").
The analogy that I have heard to explain this is that each religion is like one of the blind men attempting to describe an elephant, with each one touching a different area of the creature. While each of the men describes the elephant completely differently, it is the same elephant. On the surface, this makes sense. However, follow me a little further. Each of these men is describing the elephant based on their own experience. However, unless they go deeper, all of their experiences are flawed and incorrect. If they put more effort into discovering what it really is that they are attempting to understand, perhaps by taking a blood sample, testing the DNA, noting the behavior of the creature over a prolonged period of time, listening to the noise it makes, etc. then they will discover the real truth. That it is an elephant, not a wall (the side of him), a tree (the legs), a rope (the tail), or a hose (the trunk).
If you look at all of the world's religions at a cursory glance, they will all seem similar on the surface. If you dig deeper though, you will see that there is only one truth. While the other religions may be describing a God who sounds similar to the God of Christianity, our God differs in a clearly distinct way, He states that there is only one way to get to Him, through Christ as your savior.

Therefore either the path to God is indeed what the Bible says it is, or it is not. Either Christ is the savior, or He isn't. The Bible is true, or it's all a farce. It is your job to discover the real elephant (see my page on Why Chritianity for help).

BUT LOOK AT ALL OF THE CHRISTIAN HYPOCRITES. HOW CAN YOUR RELIGION EVEN BE REAL?
Sadly, this is indeed true. There are several reasons for this though. The first is that we, as Christians, are still human. Therefore we are still sinners. The difference should be that we are more aware of our sins, are continually repenting of them, and are attempting to, with God's help, eliminate sin from our lives. I say "should" be because a lot of people in America claim to be Christians. What exactly does "being a Christian" mean to most people though? More often than not, people who proclaim themselves to be Christians don't know anything at all about Christian beliefs, nor do they practice them. The extent of their Christianity is that they go to church on Sundays, or maybe just once in a while when (or if) they feel like it, or perhaps only on major Christian holidays like Christmas and Easter. Some self-proclaimed Christians primarily go to church because they just think it's the right thing to do. Some might even think of it primarily as a social event. The bottom line is that you will know a Christian not by what they say they are, but by what they do, how they treat others, how they are able to handle life's difficulties, how moral are they in their everyday decision making, how they act. I must repeat this again though, Christians sin too and all of us are at different stages in our spiritual growth, knowledge, and understanding. If you are looking for perfection in a person, you won't find it anywhere but in Christ himself.

HOW CAN THERE BE A GOD WITH ALL OF THE PAIN AND SUFFERING IN THE WORLD? WHY WOULD HE ALLOW THAT?

Damage to the Earth: The systematic destruction of the Earth has been increasing exponentially with the growth of human population. Obvious examples of this are: radioactive particles injected into the atmosphere and ecosystem by nuclear technology (testing of weapons, nuclear power plant meltdowns, radioactive waste), destruction of the ozone layer by atmospheric pollutants which also enter our lungs and bloodstream, increased usage of preservatives and unnatural chemicals in foods, industrial pollution of water and soil, continued destruction of the foliage which provides oxygen and helps promote global cooling, even perhaps the incredible bombardment of wireless communications which are in the same frequency band as the household microwave. All of these are human factors which are contributing to the destruction and pollution of the natural elements of the Earth, which is in turn polluting and destroying our bodies. This then leads to health problems, disease, famine, cancer, genetic disorders, etc. In short, we bring some of our physical pain and difficulties onto ourselves.
Sinfulness of humans: With all of the sinfulness in the world, carried on throughout the generations of human existence, why would anyone even think about pointing the finger at God? I am well aware that pain, disease, and suffering are not necessarily caused by God's punishment for a person's sin(s). However, this is a possibility, as indicated by its frequent occurrence in the Old Testament.
To instill a longing for the afterlife: The more pain and difficulty we experience, the more we long for the conclusion to our life here on Earth. Thus the more we'll look to God, with expectations of gaining the rewards of Heaven. If life is too easy and/or happy then we typically experience excessive contentment and satisfaction with our current circumstances. We then grow spiritually lazy and stagnant, having little or no longing for things that are eternal.
To inspire others: The most inspiring stories come from the people who have faced the greatest difficulties. When witnessing the incredible courage of another human, we gain some of our own for when we face our life's problems. These stories can also place our own problems in a new perspective, causing them to now seem insignificant in comparison.
To help us to appreciate that which we usually take for granted: There are many blessings that we have in life that we often don't think about because we've lived with them our whole lives. Realizing that some people don't get to experience these blessings helps us to remember to be thankful for them.
To test us: The book of Job in the Bible is a great example of suffering with the purpose of God testing his servant. When experiencing life's difficulties, are you still grateful to God? Or do you continually complain and ask "Why me?" Please take note though that God never tempts us, only tests. There is a big difference.
To mold us: The more difficulty and hardship we encounter and overcome, the greater our character is and the better we are able to face and deal with future problems, having less fear and worry.
To allow us to empathize with others and build relationships that we might not have otherwise: I have heard many stories of Christians who, because of their hardships, have had the opportunity to meet and become close to other people in similar circumstances. They are then able to tell them about the gospel, helping to bring them to Christ.

WHAT IF JESUS WAS JUST ANOTHER MAN AND/OR PROPHET?
Please go back to my page titled "Why Christianity?" and please read about the uniqueness of Jesus.

I NEED MORE PROOF OF JESUS' RESURRECTION THAN JUST EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS.
Why would you need more proof to believe this monumental moment in history, than you would to believe the sinking of the Titanic? The explosion of The Hindenburg? The execution of president Abraham Lincoln or John F. Kennedy? The battle of Gettysburg? The point is that all of history is believed from only eyewitness accounts. Unless you were there when it happened, there is nothing else to rely on to document an event, especially before cameras were around to help document it. In this particular case, there were multiple people at different times who witnessed the occurrence of Christ's resurrection. And there is no one who can or has ever disputed this. Good enough for history, good enough for me.

WHAT IF JESUS DIDN'T REALLY DIE, BUT WAS JUST IN A COMA?
In case there is any doubt regarding his death, he was also whipped (after the flogging, it is likely that there was little if any flesh left on his back) and beaten before his hanging on the cross, then speared while he hung there to ensure that he would die. The people who crucified Jesus weren't just bandits or thugs carrying out a robbery or a dare, they were professionals. He was executed by the government. They got paid for what they were doing and they knew how to do it right. When you hear of a government execution of a criminal in the United States, is there ever any doubt regarding his death? Of course not! Also, if he were still alive somehow after being crucified, he would have had to single handedly unwrap himself from his mummification, roll the sealed tombstone aside, then somehow make the guards fall asleep the whole time he was making his exit.

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