On several occasions, I’ve heard Christians allude to this or that Christian expert who can out-argue any non-believer and their criticisms of Christianity. The underlying subtext of these claims seems to be: “You can out-argue me, but only because you’re a skilled and intelligent debater. If you get two equally intelligent and skilled debaters in a room, the Christian side will always win because it has the facts to support it.” Lee Strobel is one of those popular Christian authors that Christians point to, because he was “once a skeptical atheist” who changed his thinking once he looked into the Bible. I have a copy of Strobel’s “The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity” on my desk, and, out of curiosity, had once read roughly a third of the book before getting tired of reading his bad arguments. Want to hear his arguments? I thought I’d take you through them (along with my commentary):
Introduction + Objection #1: Since Evil and Suffering Exist, a Loving God Cannot
Part 1
Part 2
Objection #2: Since miracles contradict science, they cannot be true
Entire Chapter
Objection #3: Evolution explains life, so God isn’t needed
Part 1
Part 2
Objection #4: God isn’t worthy of Worship if he kills Innocent Children
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
Chapter 5: It’s Offensive to Claim Jesus is the Only Way to God
Entire Chapter
Chapter 6: “A Loving God would Never Torture People in Hell”
Part 1
Part 2: How Can God Send Children to Hell? Why Does Everyone Suffer the Same in Hell? Why are People Punished Infinitely for Finite Crimes? Couldn’t God Force Everyone to Go to Heaven?
Part 3: Why Doesn’t God Just Snuff People Out? How Can Hell Exists Alongside Heaven?
Part 4: Why Didn’t God Create Only Those He Knew Would Follow Him? Why Doesn’t God Give People a Second Chance? Isn’t Reincarnation More Rational Than Hell?
[…] April 10, 2008 by tinyfrog Link to the chapter by chapter review of “The Case for Faith” […]
[…] July 4, 2008 by tinyfrog Link to the Entire Review of “The Case for Faith” […]
Hi, I didn’t read the chapters, you will forgive me. I just read that of once a skeptical atheist and then changed. Well, I was also once an atheist. And I have some interesting points of view about the whole subject.
I will send you if you are interested, of course. I believe in God, but also believe in evolution. Outside America that is not so strange, in catholics or even in protestants.
Also i want to point ot something interesting that you should post, or maybe i didn’t find it in your page. ¿How did the first living cell originated?, i mean, we know that every living being procedes from another living being… but, ¿where did the first cell come from?.
That is scientifically explained by the quimic evolution. But you’ll see, even in the science, it is necessary at least one creation event of life. Like the Big Bang to the Universe.
Well,God is real ,but macro evolution is not. For some solid scientific evidence check out Kent Hovind’s tapes or his son’s. The point I would like to make is that just because some scientists have strong religious views on evolution and spread that to the public does not mean it is true at all-a good understanding of science is vital as today science proves evolution wrong over and over again.
God so real and the Bible is so perfect.Everything in the Bible is true ,but some people don’t have the understanding ,background or knowledge to appreciate it.It’s like giving a top engineering plan to a high school student -they will be able to understand some ,misunderstand most and probably make a big and dangerous mess of the project if they tried to do it themselves.It is not because there is something wrong with the plan,but that the students don’t have enough knowledge to work it out and would argue it doesn’t make sense thus it is invalid and they should try to change or explain it away.
What I am saying is that God outsmarts us all in a way that is t even comparable-how can we even have the nerve to disqualify His word! We need His help to reveal it to us,this help comes by the Holy Spirit .Check out also for the spiritual side : http://www.awmi.net
“For some scientific evidence check out Kent Hovind’s…” That statement alone is hilarious. Sorry, but macro evolution IS real. Are you seriously dumb enough to believe that if science proved evolution wrong over and over again, scientists would still believe it??? Quit regurgitating ignorance and use common sense. The Bible is NOT perfect, and not everything in it is true. I know this won’t convince you, but you must realize how uneducated you sound when you spout this garbage. Sorry.
Lee Strobel in his book, The Case For Faith, addresses questions posed by a Christian believer who lost his faith. I believe the answers he found, speak volumes to others who have had experienced a Christian faith conversion but read as words of foolishness or folly to those without faith.
Christ the Wisdom and Power of God
For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written,
“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,
and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”
Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
– 1 Corinthians 1:18-24
[…] March 7, 2009 by tinyfrog (This is continued from The Case for Faith, Objection 6, Part 3; where Strobel raises nine objections to hell. The Complete Series can be found here.) […]
“I believe in God, but also believe in evolution. ”
You do realize it implies God is horrendously callous?
“¿How did the first living cell originated?, ”
Well, the cell membrane is essentially just a bubble of fat- that isn’t hard.
First off, I’d like to say thank you for your insight into the book, while Strobel has the uncanny ability to appeal to the masses by taking the questions that point away from religion and giving them the answers they want to hear, you cut those answers down and say what actually makes sense… I greatly admire your dedication to, well, what should be first grade logic. Secondly, I’d of course like to put in my two cents.
WHY do religions (or rather people such as Strobel within each religion) search for proof, if “faith” is believing without proof? (Faith: belief that is not based on proof… Dictionary.com) The sad truth is that what one person considers “proof” is just circular logic to the other person, and vice-versa… actual “proof” is the logical explanation for anything/everything. You can’t logically say that it can’t be explained, because that isn’t logic! But people need to think they’ve got it all figured out when it comes to religion, even if they can’t “prove” it. Essentially, what I’m trying to get at is that to settle an arguement, one side must be “proven” as correct. 2+2=4 vs. 2+2=5… this can be argued out and proven among anyone (I would hope). But if a person is willing to believe that a guy actually walked on water with no explanation but “God”, then you can show that person anything that should make sense, and they can just dismiss it, choose to not believe it, or come up with some radical circular logic as to why it can’t be true. People die. Period. “Miracles” have explanations (if the miracles in question did indeed happen) but people can’t afford to actually look for those explanations because it’s out of their mental capacity/time allowments, and because believing that once a person dies, that’s it, that “God” does not exist, and that what they’ve based their lives around is a big lie… well it’s simply too painful… oh yeah and because of course, if it could be proven, it wouldn’t be faith.
It’s almost comical when looking at this book with this in mind. The whole point of faith is believing something that can’t be completely explained. But the book says that Christianity is correct, and that it can be explained logically, even compared to other religions. But many arguements used could be easily re-written for multiple faiths… kinda like a religion ad-lib. But of course “our tiny minds are incapable of fully understanding God’s will and ways”. So which is it? We’re not meant to make sense of it or it does all make sense?
*Just because it doesn’t make sense now, doesn’t mean it can’t make sense. If we give up on understanding more about who/what we are, and about the world and universe around us, then what’s the point? We’ll never know everything, but why stop trying?
I assume most of this makes sense to you if you’re actually on this page and reading this article, but if you’re a person reading to try and disprove the stuff that’s disprooving your faith, then by all means email me at bloodytiger2000@hotmail.com with anything you have to argue me with 🙂
I do enjoy good conversation, and being in highschool I can’t find much among peers, and i seem to come to stalemates with all the pastors/ministers i talk with… so if you think you’ve got it, and you think i can be disproven/saved or whatnot, then all i have to say is that i have quite a bit left to say…
We are currently doing a study on Lee Strobel’s book. It seems you also have a lot of faith by partaking in the analysis of this book without even studying or reading it.
Vickie is need Jesus here for my iPad games and healing hands and healing amen 🙏 now I am praying 🙏 is healing my body mind and eye 👁 healing and helping hope you praying 🙏 day
[…] Frog’s Review of… is another smackdown of Lee Strobel’s The Case for […]
I liked the review so far. Hopefully you find the time to comment on the remaining two chapters.
FUCK YOU
MAYBE THINK ABOUT WHAT YOURE SAYING BEFOREYOU SAY IT
MY BAD SORRY
People swear on a bible in court yet no convictions can be made without factual evidence.There is no factual evidence of a ” god” or ” ghosts” nor is there any evidence whatsoever of a place called ” heaven”. First thing I thought of when I was younger and realised people had been filling my head with rubbish was ” why does god get the whole universe and the devil gets just the centre of the earth”?. No one has read the devils version of events , just the bible so how can we convict him without his version?.The devil hasn’t threatened anyone just god and the devil has kept his mouth shut so he’s the better person!. Contradictions that would make any court able to prove anyone guilty beyond reasonable doubt.People need a god because they fear death and want to live on forever and lets remember law is based on the bibles ways.Great job King James, you fooled people for centuries !.
I liked the review so far. Hopefully you find the time to comment on the remaining two chapters.
People don’t want the Bible to be true because they do not want to quit their favorite sin! Also pride must be laid down and pushed aside.
Until I studied the Bible I was an atheist. Careful research will lead you to Christ Jesus. But if you want to continue in your sin you will say anything to try to justify your sin.
All Jesus asks for is to love your neighbor as you love yourself, and people hate him without cause.
It is not by our works that we are saved, but faith in Him, “Jesus”
I feel so sad for the lost that I’m always trying to think of ways to reach out to them so they too may share in the kingdom of heaven.
Those who say there is no evidence have not studied prophecy. How can David write about Jesus on the cross 1,000 years before it happened in Psalm 22. Isaiah also wrote about jesus on the cross 700 years before it happened in chapter 53. Micah 5:2 says where Jesus will be born.
There is much more than just these 3 examples but will you seek it out for yourself or will you continue on your favorite sin? I pray you seek out the answer for yourself.