Evil. Hell. Slavery: 10 Challenges to Faith
In this video, I’m tackling the top 10 objections to Christianity that I often hear from skeptics and nonbelievers. I’m joined by Doug Groothuis who is a Christian theologian, philosopher, and author who has a Ph.D. in philosophy. He has taught at Denver Seminary in Colorado and has written extensively on topics related to apologetics, theology, and philosophy. Some of his books include “Unmasking the New Age,” “Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith,” and “On Jesus.” He is also a speaker and has spoken at conferences and events on topics related to faith and apologetics. We discuss topics from the problem of evil and suffering, to the death and resurrection of Jesus, I’ll be addressing these objections head on and offering some helpful responses and perspective. Whether you’re a Christian looking to better understand and defend your faith, or someone simply seeking to better understand the Christian worldview, I hope this video is helpful for you!
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READ: Christian Apologetics: A Comprehensive Case for Biblical Faith, by Douglas Groothuis (amzn.to/3jr4tOO)
READ: A Rebel’s Manifesto, by Sean McDowell (https://amzn.to/3CHaY5U)
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Wonderful interview🙏🏻
There is an all powerful and evil entity also, Satan. He is the ruler of our world since Adam and Eve left the Garden of Eden. Cain killed Abel. He had a choice.
Why do Christians always feel the need to put their title next to their name? I've seen no real scientist with a real PhD in a natural science do this.
Never seen Steven Hawking, PhD. Never seen any of the Nobel Laureates do this either. No Dr. XXXX, just their name.
To be a nearly elderly man have need to have himself addressed as Doug Groothuis, PhD is just cringe.
😢Keep teaching ECT (eternal hell) and produce more atheists. Doug may have a PHD but when he says that Jesus is the best source for this horrible dogma he really has not gone much further than the surface. Destruction, perish, death mean in the language of the New testament a total dissolution of ones being. ETC is morally unconscionable.
Salvation is eternal life or immortality where one does not perish. The wages of sin is death the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus. Get it right for the sake of Christ.
ALSO, for Christ to pay for our sins, he would have to suffer forever
Wrong.
Around 35, there is NO evidence of a designer from science. From what we know, amino acids can form under plausible natural conditions. Evolution is an 1) observed fact – in smaller organisms with a fast life cycle, we actually observe gene frequency in a population change as well as the dominant phenotypes when we perform experiments that alter environment, or even wild species when environments get inadvertently altered through things like pollution.
We might even find life on other planets sooner rather than later, and probably likely we'll start discovering amino acids outside the earth. That will force yet another "apologetics" of how "in the image of man" actually meant something else.
Also, "most scientists are Christian". Right and wrong. Mr. Degree Mill PhD on the right does get it right that a lot of scientists were Christian. What he fails to mention is that that was only true 200 years or more ago.
Modern scientists are OVERWHELMINGLY non-religious. Something like 10% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences are religious today, compared to something like 60% 100 years ago.
Christianity is laughably wrong about science, and to this day, so many Christians don't even understand evolution. They keep saying "its completely random" when its randomness of the mutations generated BUT a selection mechanism – the environment which selects for beneficial mutations – is also present – so that the organisms that survive are biased towards possessing characteristics favored by the environment.
Also, when he starts making excuses for racism – the objection isn't racism, its that the Bible specifically states get your slaves from the Heathen around you, and that you may punish your slave, as long as they don't die in a day or two. The Bible says don't eat shellfish, and says HOW and WHERE to get your slaves and HOW to treat them. Not DON'T OWN SLAVES.
gods dont exist😊
Also God describes our relationship as a marriage. And so choosing to reject him is like adultery and hell is the divorce. Eternal separation. And being perfect just and holy he has to judge sin. He tried to reconcile. That he loves us so much he took the punishment for us so he can be with us. But to reject him is choosing to forever leave the relationship which by nature and logic is eternal hell. Thank god for being so loving and forgiving. We can live forever with him in paradise and sheer joy and bliss.
it will be supreme irony when it is revealed that people like Richard Dawkins were all along serving the purposes of the creator they denied.
The "eternal punishment" doctrine is the worst to me…and contradicts much of Srcipture which posits that the wages of sin ultimately results in death. I've been looking at scripture and there are some excellent scholars that refute this doctrine.
Discussion between Michael Knowles and Two Gay Men on the usage of the word Gay:
Michael Knowles position largely compassed what is known in him as his truth. And it was by this truth, he reacts and makes assessments agreeable in uses.
A commentor reacting to this discussion, made the following statement:
Can we please stop saying 'your truth"!
There is no "your" truth, there is only THE truth.
The other is called PERCEPTION.
Michael Knowles is Christian. And for Christians we all hold to this Jesus say, Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me (John 14:6).
If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true. There is another that beareth witness of me; and I know that the witness which he witnesseth of me is true (John 5:31-32).
Jesus being questioned by Pilate before His crucifixion:
37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice.
38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.
39 But ye have a custom, that I should release unto you one at the passover: will ye therefore that I release unto you the King of the Jews?
Kings have ultimate saying on what is truth. Actually, the Bible King when revering to Christ Jesus our Lord is the Divine True.
Michael, as most Christians and I do, we hold that written in our Hearts and minds, that of Christ Jesus (Spirit of truth) the cornerstone, a touchstone unto our souls.
Now the Divine True of Christ Jesus our Lord and God is universal, infinitely and eternally so, the “same today, yesterday, and forever” (transliterated as YHWH: Yehovah, Also, written in Revelation 4:8 Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, “which was, and is, and is to come”: Yehovah.)
Now all of mankind, either knowingly and/or unknowingly, receives of their lives what flows in from the Spiritual Realm, everyone. If this inflowing within were not occurring, a person could not be, nor have been, nor will be. This is true for all Angelkind as well. For the Lord God alone is having the Eternal Life in himself.
Now, we as subjects, mankind and Angelkind, are receptive of lives from the Lord. And know this there is no man or Angel, the same as another man or Angel.
Now true, we may have many likenesses with men and Angels, and for those in Church there is a communion of the Saints in which we are in Spiritual consociation (conjunction of mankind and Angelkind is only done by our Lord) with Angels in Heven, and make up the one body of Christ Jesus our Lord.
Again, everything flows into and completes in effects of our earthen vessels for uses unto affirmation of quality for Spiritual development within, by which translation may be made into our eternal homes in Heavens or hells.
Wise to remember, in afterlife, that ruling love in whom we are, whether blessed of the Lord or infernal self-love of devils, will be the place we are.
When we die in this world, those of the first Resurrection shall ascend into Heaven, and those not of the first resurrection incur a 2nd death (Spiritual death) and descend into hell.
Also, know this, all Good Spirits and Angels in Heaven are there not because they have to be but because they love to be.
And conversely, all satans and devils in hell are also there not because they have to be, but because they infernally love to be, it is who they are. These hate the Lord, and love themselves only, and having control of power over all, Babylon and Lucifer. Selah
Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Amen
The answer to "Why is God so hidden?" was very unsatisfying. I was really hoping for a better answer. In fact, based on this video I wouldn't buy his books.
Eternal punishment doesn't necessarily mean eternal punishing. It means the punishment is final. You're not coming back from it. It's a terrible sentence in light of the alternative. . . Eternal life with Christ.
What is absolute joke of a post please explain to the world how science proves God exist or that Christianity is correct and true above all other 3999 brands of world religions please explain to us the method or mechanism used to determine that a God exist… the Bible is just fictionalized history of the ancient Israelites and has absolutely nothing to do with our modern era. It is their story, not ours. The Bible Jesus and Christianity were all inventions of the Roman Empire to control its citizens through guilt and fear interestingly enough that’s exactly how all three are used today, Christianity is nothing but it is a dangerous man-made garbage religion…
If you have to make excuses for these evils it kind of indicates you're stuck in a cul de sac, plenty of spiritual paths out their that don't let these evils dwell in their foundations.
Terrible explanations. Makes zero sense. I'm a dumb ass carpenter and I can do better. No wonder people think Christianity is bullshit.
How can a loving God allow those bookshelves to not line up?
5:28 "in apologetics you don't need to have an airtight answer for everything.." not if you don't expect others to accept your supernatural claims but than again, what is apologetics for? Just the believers?
Excellent EXCEPT FOR YOUR DOCTRINE OF INHERIITED EVIL THAT IN CALVINISM MAKE MEN AND WOMEN INCAPABLE OF REPENTING OR BELIEVING BUT IN THE MOST OF CHRISTENDOM INCAPABLE OF NOT SINNING AND SINCE ONE SIN MAKE US FALL SHORT OF GOD'S SINLESS STATANDARD ALL OF MANKIND ARE DOOMED TO DIE IN THE FIRST AND SECOND DEATHS FOR DOINGS DEEDS THAT THEY CANNOT STOP DOING THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN
Stupid.
It’s pretty hilarious that Paul lived at the time of Jesus, but rejected him until he saw a personal divine appearance, but then he wants to say everyone else is without excuse
Christian readers of Adam Smith were the founders of the Communist and Socialist movements. Marx provided a foundation from Adam Smith. The faith bailed on morality period, abandoning its literate members, and then attacking socialism because of becoming secular. The faith has proved itself a political tool and not a moral beacon.
Not outlawing extortion as the first commandment makes all the Abrahamic faiths enforcers for extortion and their conflicts property disputes that are answered by secular socialism.
I was disappinted with the parts of the OT they didn't discuss in relation to the sexism question. An opportunity missed to talk about some of the more distasteful attitudes towards women in the OT. Oh well.
This is one of the best videos to support atheism produced by two Christians.
When Sean asks, "How could a loving and good God allow so much evil in the world?" And Doug replies that we need to step back and first look for positive evidence for an all powerful and all good God, I agree.
I haven't read his book yet, so I don't know what kind of evidence he gives, but I do want to be careful because a lot of people seem to confuse evidence for an intelligent creator with evidence for an all-loving God. The Kalam Cosmological argument, for example is an argument for an external cause, but that in no way says whether that cause is good. Similarly for intelligent design arguments.
We also have some evidence that Jesus came and dwelt among us to show us love by dying on the cross, however Jesus also could have demonstrated a very great love if He had healed everyone. Jesus healed some people, showing that He is somewhat loving. But He didn't heal everyone, suggesting that He is loving but not all-loving (unless we say that he was not powerful enough to heal everyone).
So in other words, I have not yet heard a convincing argument that there is an all-loving God.
"If we can trust the God the Bible, then He knows the reason…" Yes — that's a big "if"
As far as a free will defense goes — that God didn't cause evil, but others caused it and He allowed it — I would say that free will is a good thing, but it should be limited. Oppressors should not have the free will to take free will away from others.
I would drop the word "evil" from the problem and focus more on "victim suffering"
How can a good God allow victim suffering?
Timestamps for the 10 challenges:
0:57 – How can a loving and good God allow so much evil in the world?
5:49 – How can a loving God send someone to hell?
11:18 – Why is God so hidden?
15:18 – What about those who have never heard (of God)?
19:12 – If Christianity is true, why is there so much abuse and damage done through the church?
21:30 – Isn't the cross an example of divine child abuse?
25:43 – Is Christianity racist since the Bible was used to promote and justify slavery?
30:38 – Is Christianity homophobic and hateful towards the LGBTQ community?
35:05 – Is Christianity at war with science?
39:00 – Is Christianity sexist?