What To Do When Faced With Tough Questions When Sharing Your Faith

If you Google "objections against Christianity" you will be given resources of Christians answering the tough "objections."

The good news is that we're trying to answer the questions.

The bad news is no one is really showing us "how" to do that.

What do say and How to say it are two different things.

In this blog we're going to go over:

  • The TOP 7 Objections you might find while sharing your faith
  • How to recognize their motive (why they're saying what they are)
  • How to respond

When I first became a #Christian, I was challenged in High School by an atheist who seemingly knew more than I did at the time.

He said that "If God is perfect, and if God wrote the Bible, then the Bible should be perfect!"

This seems like a plausible statement [but really it's a strawman] I didn't know that at the time though.

Then he took a Bible verse saying one thing and matched it to another verse saying the opposite and it looked like a contradiction. "See the #Bible isn't perfect!" And he had a huge list of these "contradictions."

The more I looked into it, the more I found "opposing" the Bible and it rocked me.

I thought I was in a #cult. So I inevitably stumbled into apologetics and it changed my faith walk and life forever.

As well as the lives of many people afterwards as well (from our fruitful conversations).

Specifically I started with Dr.Dino. Little kid stuff, but a great intro. Check him out on the link I gave.

All this to say that if you prepare yourself a little bit and learn how to navigate around these objections, you're going to have an amazing experience sharing your faith with others.

Either by feeling more confident in your own faith and not having to worry about the objections of others, or by actually helping someone get more information to make a faith based decision.

I believe at the end of the day, salvation is almost like sales. The reason someone doesn't buy is simply because they don't believe the product will change their life. A little bit of information could change that.

OBJECTION 1: Christians Are Hypocrites.

Your first step:

"What do you mean by that?"

What you're trying to do is discover where they are coming from which is going to help you figure out where to take things.

Chances are they're going to respond with the same definition you have: "faker; actor; inauthentic; saying one thing and doing another..."

The truth is there have always been and will always be hypocrites in church.

But what does that have to do with following Jesus?!

If anything, this is to show that the right people are coming to church: those who need change.

Consider the church as a hospital. If you went to a hospital where there were no sick people, would that place actually be helping people?

The church should be full of people like this and worse because that's who Jesus came for - the sick not the healthy.

Second Step:

Find Common Ground

It can look like this: "I agree with you; there are tons of hypocrites that go to church and I don't like that they live that way either. I don't go to church to follow them though."

Jesus asks us to follow Him, not the hypocrites that go to church.

And if a hypocrite is the only thing standing between them and God, then it looks like the hypocrite is closer to Him than they are!

Your motive here is not to prove anything to them but to agree with them.

Maybe even point out that there are hypocrites in every corner of life and maybe it's not a Christian condition but a human condition.

OBJECTION 2: Christians Have Done Horrendous Things "In The Name Of God"

This is an argument from morality that war is wrong and that Christians were responsible for religious wars, the Crusades, persecution of witches, and slavery.

Your first step:

Which horrendous act would you say Jesus supports?

You will hear all sorts of claims like Christians were behind some terrible things.

Your question then is to ask where in the Bible did Jesus command us to do that.

The truth is:

If God "told someone" to do something we have to ask, "Is that something Jesus would have commissioned?"

Things like beatings, inquisitions, murders, wars, slavery, etc., not really a Jesus thing.

In fact if you were to point out anti-movements against those terrible things, they were spear headed by Christians.

This also includes schools, hospitals, feeding programs, orphanages, outreach ministries, relief agencies, charity agencies, etc.

No other religion in history can compare -  and all established upon the principle that Jesus told us to go out and love each other, not make war (read the whole book of 1 John.)

Your second step:

Find common ground

"If we all have this sense of right and wrong within us, isn't it safe to say that if we were created in the image of God that He put that in there? And if He gave us that, wouldn't it make sense that if we don't universally support things like war or killings etc., that He wouldn't either?"

The grounds of discussion here is over the argument from morality.

It basically states that we can only have morality in our world because there is a God outside of our world who created the standard of morality for us.

If that wasn't the case, then "morality" would be "relative" but it's not.

Just like if someone said "stealing isn't bad" is going to disagree with what they just said as soon as someone steals from them.

So for them to say "war is wrong" where did they get that standard from? And if they can say "killing in the name of God is wrong" then again, where did they get that standard?

The fact they think it's wrong highlights that they are actually on God's side in this case.

People might try to bring up Old Testament atrocities where God commissioned war, battles, even regulations on slavery.

My suggestion to you is to watch this video. OR read this book Is God A Moral Monster? by Paul Copan to get a better understanding.

OBJECTION 3: Christianity Is A Crutch.

Your first step:

What do you mean by crutch?

This comment is often intended to point out that "Christians can't handle the pressures of the world so they need an imaginary friend to help the cope with it."

It's really a jab rather than an intellectual comment.

Because we all have crutches! For Christians it's Jesus.

For the rest of the world that can be cigarettes, money, alcohol, sex, TV, food, music, even atheism - whatever.

At some point in life we all look for relief in something outside of ourselves because the truth of the matter is, we all need help.

The difference is, the crutch of Christianity (aka., faith in God and Jesus) do not make us weaker, they make us stronger!

We have to draw from within and not rely on something outside of ourselves.

Imagine this; in any of the many cases where someone was being persecuted for their faith in Christ and they are now facing imminent death (which still happens today btw).

Would you consider it weak of them to stand there and take it on the basis of their conviction in Christ?

Do you think someone would be willing to do the same if their crutch weren't Christ but instead a cup of coffee or even $1million?

Your Second step:

How do you cope when things get tough?

Everyone needs assistance. The question is, what will you lean on? Christianity provides what atheism or other religions never can: spiritual fulfillment, peace, and forgiveness.

Chances are that if you're talking with someone who would make this comment in the first place, that their answer to this will be masked.

"I don't need anything to cope with life... I'm strong enough!"

In which case, you're aim is not to argue or debate with them. Just bless them and allow them to think that way.

OBJECTION 4: It's closed-minded to think Jesus is the only way to God.

Your first step:

What do you mean by closed-minded?

This is often said based upon the assumption that all religions basically believe the same, or that all roads lead to God.

I've heard people say, "I've studied all the major religions of the world and they basically say the same thing."

As soon as they say that I immediately know the only thing they read about another religion was probably on the back of a Hall-Mark card.

For example when it comes to what religions say about Jesus:

  • Christians say He's the Son of God who died for our sins see here
  • Jews say He was a blasphemer who died because He was a rebel against Rome see here
  • Muslims say He was only a prophet who didn't actually die but had someone die in His place only to make it look like He died see here

Are all these saying the same thing?

Obviously no. Therefore would these three religions have the same ideas on salvation and how to get to God? No again.

The dangerous thing about the comment above "all religions say the same thing" is not in the similarities we all share but in the differences.

This is a significant difference because each one has a claim of what it looks like to get to God.

All can be wrong! But all can't be right. That's just not how truth works.

Your second step:

How would you define truth?

It could be that the issue is they believe truth is only relative. That means "what's true for you is true for you, and what's true for me is true for me, and we can all be friends."

That's a nice idea, and legitimate in many things. For example: If I celebrate Christmas, and you don't.

I could say, "Everyone should celebrate Christmas. It's the best ever!"

You could say, "Everyone should do what they want. Christmas is nice but overrated."

Two statements, both can be true at the same time, and we can move on as friends because our statements are relative to our opinions.

But when it comes to absolute truth like...."my wife is pregnant." If you were to say "no she's not" then only one of us can be right.

We can't be both right at the same time. My wife can't be pregnant and not-pregnant at the same time.

It's either true or its not.

The same principle applies here: Jesus is either the Son of God or He's not. He can't be the Son of God, a blasphemer, and only a prophet all at the same time.

In this case, all of us could be wrong....but we all can't be right.

So in conclusion truth is by nature "closed-minded." And that's not a bad thing!

An absolute truth: medicine can help you, Drano can kill you. Treat that as a relative truth and you'll find out how quickly what the truth really is.

Not all roads lead to heaven/God just as not all bus routes lead to your house. If someone says "Christianity is closed-minded for thinking Jesus is the only way," what they're really saying is "people should be allowed to believe what they want to believe."

And no one is disputing that. Jesus allows for people to reject Him and follow other paths.

The issue is if Jesus really is the only way to God (John 14:6), then those other paths are comparable to taking Drano when you should be taking Medicine.

OBJECTION 5: Being a good person is all that matters.

Your first step:

What do you mean by good-person?

This is a similar claim to "all religions lead to the same destination." That statement is usually brought by the idea that all religions are trying to teach you how to become a better person and as long as you're doing your best then you're on the right path.

This is based on the mistaken idea that God is please by "religion" and good works. Who ever said that was His standard?!

Related to what was mentioned earlier, sincerity doesn't determine truth.

Your doctor could be super friendly, sincere, and truly believe that the vile with the blue liquid in it is really what you need to get rid of your cough... but if it's Drano, his sincerity will not trump the damage that liquid will do to you.

Your second step:

What would you say Jesus died for anyways?

If the name of the game was simply to be a better person, then why did Jesus die in the first place?

The scriptures say He died to replace us in the death penalty for our sins. But if we could have earned our way out by being good people, then Jesus died for nothing.

The main claim of Christianity also holds the greatest part of it: man cannot do it...he cannot be good enough...that's why salvation is by grace along through faith alone.

You can relax! You can never be good enough so stop trying! Doesn't that just scream freedom?

Don't misinterpret that though, that's not a free ticket to sin. Rather it's because of that freedom that we don't have to sin.

And regardless, sin still leads to death.


OBJECTION 6: What about those who've never heard about Jesus?

Your first step:

If you were God, what would you do?

This is almost a trick question because they're likely going to answer "I'd let everyone in!"

This is insinuating that they are more compassionate than God might be.

You can then ask, "Do you believe that those who do wrong should be punished, even if you loved them?"

This is where they might shuffle a little bit because to say "no" then it's an easy follow up: then what should happen to someone you loved that robbed your house or killed your family?

I know...a harsh example but we're trying to cut to the chase.

You're trying to highlight that God is compassionate but also a Just God -  and this is evident if we can accept that we have been created in His image, and we all have a sense of compassion and justice within us.

If they say "yes", then you could say, "Then if you were God, and Jesus was the only solution you provided for salvation, and there were others out there that hadn't heard of Jesus, what would you do?"

The obvious answer should be "whatever it takes."

This is why Christians have been commissioned to go out into the world and preach the gospel to every nation.

This is why we are ambassadors for Christ as though God were making His appeal through us - be reconciled to God.

Your second step:

Help them consider this: if God was smart and powerful enough to create the universe with a single word, is He able to do whatever it takes to reach those who haven't yet been reached?

This is not to imply that in the end "all will be saved" because the Bible doesn't ever say that.

This is to reassure us though that God is bigger than our understanding of Him. All we know is we have been given a mission to go out into the world and preach the gospel.

We have not been informed of how God is going out into the world at the same time.

If you do some studying however you will find some very interesting material out there that gives a hint of what God is up to.

Here are two examples:

All this to say that Jesus came to seek and to save that which was lost (Luke 19:10) not just then, but even still now, and that Jesus promises all who seek will find (Matthew 7:7-8)

OBJECTION 7: The Bible is filled with errors.

An answer to this really deserves an understanding of the Bible itself. I beg you, watch this video and let your mind be blown.

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To play this video, view this post from your live site.

Summation of what the video says: Why The Bible Is Under Attack

  1. Static Appropriation
  2. Genre Confusion
  3. Lack of Consideration of Historical Arc  

So What Are Your Thoughts?

What are some of the "objections" you feared getting the most and what might be a good response to them?  

Got questions?

let's talk.

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