Below are some of the more popular, I think, and 45 in all, questions that skeptics ask Christians.

I guess maybe we can all infuse some life into the board by responding to some of these questions on this thread or new ones.

[b]Does God Exist? If so, what kind?
Discuss Atheism—What If There Is No God?
Discuss Deism—What If God Made the World and Left it to be guided entirely by Laws without any interference?
Discuss Pantheism—What If the World Is God?
Discuss Panentheism—What If the World Is God’s Body?
Discuss Finite Godism—What If God Is Not All-Powerful?
Discuss Polytheism—What If There Are Many Gods?
What Is Evil?
Where Did Evil Come From?
Why Can’t Evil Be Stopped?
What Is the Purpose of Evil?
Does There Have to Be So Much Evil?
Couldn’t God Make a World without Evil?
Are Miracles Possible? Credible? Scientific? Historical? Mythological? Definable? Valuable?
Who Exactly Was Jesus?
What Claims Did the Disciples Make about Jesus?
What Evidence Did Jesus Give to Support His Claims?
What did the Old Testament say about the Resurrection?
Did Jesus Predict His Own Resurrection?
Did Jesus Actually Die on the Cross?
Did Jesus Rise Bodily from the Grave?
Did Jesus Appear in a Resurrected Body?
Why Is Jesus Considered Better Than Other Teachers?
How Do We Know That the Bible Came from God?
How Was the Bible Written?
Can the Bible Be Wrong?
How Was the Bible Put Together?
How Reliable Are Our Modern Bibles?
What Are the Guidelines for Handling Difficult Bible Passages?
How Can We Resolve Some of These Difficulties in Bible Passages?
Does Archeology Confirm the Old Testament?
Does Archeology Confirm the New Testament?
What is the Basic Christian Argument against Evolution?
Discuss the Origin of the Universe?
Discuss the Origin of First Life?
Discuss the Origin of New Life Forms?
What Is Reincarnation?
What Is Resurrection?
Is Truth Relative or Absolute?
Is Truth Correspondent or Coherent?
Is Truth Knowable?
Is Truth Logical?
Are There Any Absolute Moral Values?
Where Do Moral Values Come From?
What Happens When Absolute Moral Values Conflict?[/b]

Christians, non-Christians or otherwise skeptics; any takers?

Inesqor

Your well-meaning intention to "infuse some life" into the forum is noted and has its purpose. However, a number of other points are noteworthy too.

- Not everybody is interested in addressing "skeptic's questions" --- particularly in the atmosphere of this forum.
- The section is not a "Philosophy" section, it is a Religion section and its descriptor says: Share your faith and belief in God or higher powers here; can you see why some may not be necessarily interested in "academic/intellectual" rigmarole?
- Is it not better for those interested in such "rigmarole" to seek out a Philosophy or whatever other "intellectual" section to display their "intellectual prowess" --- some would say sciolism?
- Consider that for many Christians on the Board a preference would be to discuss and work out primarily with other Christians (but also with intellectually honest and polite non-Christians) aspects of their faith ---- even difficult or confusing aspects?
- Even as the Board stands, there seems to be a discernible conceit on the part of some of the "intellectually minded" that if a discussion does not follow a particular pattern or direction or is not on certain topics, then it is to be denigrated. Well, it was not always so, and those who are long in the tooth on the Board, can probably attest that in the early days of the Board there was some kind of, in its own way, refreshing freedom when people of whatever intellectual level were not intimidated and all (both the "high and mighty" and the "lowly" seemed freer to contribute.


I have a few other things in mind but the above are enough to ponder for now.

@Enigma:

Hello brother, long time.  Thanks for your well-reasoned contribution. I think I see your point, but inasmuch as I believe there is a place for the OP, maybe this indeed is not the right place and / or time for it.

May I outline my reasons for creating the thread below, even if the thread be not continued. This is not necessarily for Enigma's sake, but for the sake of posterity.

I believe there are two distinct kinds of ministry in Christianity: evangelism [/i]and the so-called [i]pre-evangelism. While evangelism applies to people who have already begun a journey of faith in God, pre-evangelism is concerned with removing stumbling blocks towards that self-same faith, using reasons to explain why objections are groundless; rather than just preaching the Word and expecting them to "begin in the faith" only because the Bible says so and so.

E.g. if someone does not believe that God exists and he can perform miracles, it makes little sense telling him God raised Jesus from the dead. Not everyone has questions of that kind, BUT when indeed they honestly [/i]do, they need answers so that they can believe.

Unbelievers have good questions. Their objections are usually not trivial, but they cut deep into the heart and challenge foundations. Reasonable questions deserve reasonable answers, and if objections cannot be answered we may as well believe in fairy tales. Unfortunately many unbelievers in modern times only hear the questions and they believe there are no answers. Last of all, 1 Peter 3:15 admonishes us to be ready with an answer for whoever asks us to give reason to our hope.  We may never run across someone who asks us such questions, and not every unbeliever requires pre-evangelism; but we should be ready anyway just in case we do.

Anyone attempting to answer the questions of unbelievers will surely be wronged and be tempted to lose patience, but our ultimate goal is that they might come to a knowledge of the truth. This is why Jude 22 implores us to "Have mercy on some, who are doubting". Also, we ought to be[i] confronting issues[i] in our own minds[/i] and[i] in the expressed thoughts of others[/i] that are preventing them from knowing God. "…destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the knowledge of God, and …taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ" ( 2 Cor. 10:5)

Unbelievers have good questions. Christianity has good answers. And God has told us to give them the answers they are looking for. Not everyone has deep philosophical questions, and God never guarantees our success with those who have the questions or those that don't. Success is His business. But He has told us to be ready.

Another may say logic does not apply to God, but that statement is self-defeating because you have followed a logical statement (a statement that claims to be true while its opposite is false) and as such you have to apply logic to God to have reached that conclusion.

Finally, there are Biblical examples for pre-evangelism. Moses' account of the first chapter of Genesis confronts the accounts of creation known in his day, preparing the ground to discuss YHWH with them. Elijah's Mount Carmel challenge with the Baal prophets was a pre-evangelistic move to show the superiority of YHWH. Even Jesus' discussions with the woman at the well confronted social, religious and moral barriers to faith in a pre-evangelistic act.

But I re-iterate, maybe this is not the time or place for this, howbeit pre-evangelism is altogether necessary.

@InesQor: Long time!

InesQor, whats up? Hope you are good?. . .Best wishes . . .

aletheia:

@InesQor: Long time!

Long time bro! Happy new year. How you dey?

Let's play chess sometime?

mazaje:

InesQor, whats up? Hope you are good?. . .Best wishes . . .

Thanks, man. Body dey kampe o

Best wishes to you too, man. I pray you will never be without help this year, and not only when you think you need it