Sometimes I think Christians try way too hard to argue or convince unbelievers that God is real. Although I try to avoid judging people’s hearts, it seems that most believers are not so much concerned about the spiritual wellbeing of the individual they’re talking to as much as they are about convincing themselves that their faith is valid. Almost every question about God we’ve heard from unbelievers is a good question, one that, if we’re honest, we’ve all asked ourselves sometime. So why do we feel that we need to avoid these critical questions or be content with pat little Christian answers that really do nothing to solve the issue? It would be far wiser to just say, “I don’t know,” and admit that we don’t have all the answers. That doesn’t necessarily invalidate our faith — it just means that God knows infinitely more than our 3.5 pounds of brain matter can figure out.

If this happens no where else, I at least what my youth group to be a place where students feel free to ask the tough questions without feeling judged, pressured, or frowned upon. These critical evaluations of Christianity are positive! We all ask them, we all want answers, and it doesn’t make us less of a Christian. It’s the perfect opportunity to learn, grow, and take ownership of our faith.

(This is a great blog post by an atheist researching the misconceptions Christians have about them. I find it interesting that he seems to infer as much about the mistreatment or disrespect he feels from believers as he does about scientific evidence. When will Christians ever learn to love unconditionally?)

Posted on January 13, 2006