I had a conversation with a young man the other day kindly discussing his objections to belief in a Creator and in Jesus as God. We didn’t have time to work through all his objections but here are some short answers to his hurdles to faith in Christ. The reason I wrote this is because they are all very common so I thought it may be helpful to address them. I’ve tried to be as brief as possible. Hope this is helpful for others too.
Objection 1: “The definition of faith is putting away your ability to think logically…”
In sharing my faith with college students I’ve found this is a common statement made among millennials. The idea that surrendering your life to Jesus is synonymous to surrendering your ability to think rationally is popular among young atheists. The reality could not be further from the truth. I’ll give three reasons why (though there are many).
- Biblical: The Bible calls us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30). It was the Apostle Paul’s custom to reason with both Jews and Greeks, trusting God would save some (Acts 17:2, 18:40).
- External: Some of the most intellectually, scientifically, and logically driven men and women in history have been followers of Jesus. I know there are many examples of ridiculously intelligent people on both sides of Theism/Atheism. However, we should definitely respect those on either side. Few doubters or seekers of Jesus would say theists C.S. Lewis, Blaise Pascal, Descartes etc. “put away their ability to think.”
- Personal: Since placing my faith in Christ at sixteen I have been challenged to think with more fervor than I ever did before. Especially in my ongoing attempt to understand more fully who God is, what He has done for us in Christ, the Triune nature of God etc. And more so in having to answer good questions from students investigating the claims of Jesus.
Objection 2: “Using the logic that the universe had to have a creator, then what created god? It won't work to say that god has always been because then I could say the universe has always been.”
This is a common objection to theism but the question is a really poor one. God, by definition, is an uncaused Being, a First Mover, Prime Mover etc. God, unlike the universe, had no beginning, so doesn’t need a cause. Some scholars have suggested it is like asking “how long is the smell of a rose?” Given the definition of the noun, the question doesn’t make sense. Also, I feel like the universe being finite is widely accepted in academia. So anyone saying the universe didn’t have a beginning would be disagreeing with the atheistic scientists they so respect. More here.
Objection 3: “There is no physical proof or evidence to suggest a god exists…”
There’s tons of rational evidence and valid arguments for God’s existence. This young man was right, I cannot prove God exist but I know several arguments that overwhelmingly suggest He does.
- Kalam Cosmological Argument
- Teleological Argument
- Ontological Argument
- Moral Argument
- Prophecy, Life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Also, anyone could say “[t]here is no physical proof or evidence to suggest a god [doesn’t] exists”. Neither theists nor atheists can prove their position. We both must survey the evidence and make an decision.
Objection 4: “What historical evidence, aside from the Bible, is there that Jesus even existed? I've tried to research and have found no evidence to suggest that Jesus even lived.”
This is an objection that really surprises me. Many young atheists claim there is no evidence Jesus even existed. I wonder how anyone could believe in any historical figure from classical antiquity and not, at least, concede Jesus’ existence. Here are some non-Christian authors that wrote of Jesus around the same time period of Biblical authors.
Rome in A.D. 64, the Roman historian Tacitus wrote:
"Nero fastened the guilt ... on a class hated for their abominations, called Christians by the populace. Christus, from whom the name had its origin, suffered the extreme penalty during the reign of Tiberius at the hands of ... Pontius Pilatus, and a most mischievous superstition, thus checked for the moment, again broke out not only in Judaea, the first source of the evil, but even in Rome...."
Pliny the Younger, 112 AD
They were in the habit of meeting on a certain fixed day before it was light, when they sang in alternate verses a hymn to Christ, as to a god, and bound themselves by a solemn oath, not to any wicked deeds, but never to commit any fraud, theft or adultery, never to falsify their word, nor deny a trust when they should be called upon to deliver it up; after which it was their custom to separate, and then reassemble to partake of food – but food of an ordinary and innocent kind.There are several others, Josephus, Babylonian Talmud, Lucian of Samosata etc. Remember theses are non-Christian writers. If Jesus didn’t even existed why are they in their history books? Let me know if you want the others or sources.
I hope anyone reading this knows my heart. I love doubters, skeptics, and seekers. I think all followers of Jesus should love people and help them wrestle through tough questions that have about God/Jesus. Also, I hope you hear gentleness and respect from me. I’m sure this young man (and others who share his views) is a really intelligent person. However, I believe that Jesus Christ lived, died, and resurrected so we could know Him, be forgiven, and live for His glory. For God and the Gospel of Jesus Christ I will use the rest of my life to “beg others, on behalf of Christ to be reconciled to God”.
Have any questions you would like me to address? Go here and submit them. I'll hopefully get to them soon.
Therefore, when a person refuses to come to Christ it is never just because of lack of evidence or because of intellectual difficulties: at root, he refuses to come because he willingly ignores and rejects the drawing of God's Spirit on his heart. No one in the final analysis really fails to become a Christian because of lack of arguments; he fails to become a Christian because he loves darkness rather than light and wants nothing to do with God. [William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, (Revised edition, Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 1994), pp. 35-36.]
