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One of the largest hurdles for Christianity in the western world is secular skepticism. I hope to address some of these issues, and explain why I am Bible-believing Christian.

God’s Existence

Does God exist? This question merits serious open-minded thought. Throughout the history of the world, no one has ever proved or disproved God’s existence from either a philosophical or scientific basis. Some philosophers were polytheists (Plato, Aristotle), some were monotheists (Augustine, Thomas Aquinas), and others have been atheists (Nietzsche). None of them have been able to prove or disprove God’s existence. Frankly, the evidence leans toward theism. The universe and nature are so complex (and beautiful) that atheism seems to take more faith than theism. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” In response to the complexity of the universe and nature, it is not anti-intellectual to believe in the existence of God.

Miracles

Many skeptics of Christianity deny Christianity because they are unwilling to believe in miracles. All four gospels are filled with miracles. Jesus was born of a virgin. He walked on water, healed the sick, cast out devils, and gave sight to the blind. Not only this, but he died on the cross and was resurrected from the dead! The greatest miracle in the Bible is the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and it is included in all four gospels. People sometimes like to compare the miracles of the Bible with other religions and say that miracles are impossible. I have often seen the miracles of the Bible compared to the myths of the ancient Greeks and Romans. I think we can all agree that the sun is not the Greek god Apollo riding in his chariot. Still, does this mean that there are no miracles? Is it possible for God to break the laws of nature and even reveal himself to humankind? No one has been able to prove that miracles are impossible, or that God does not reveal himself to his creation. Is it so difficult to believe that the Almighty Creator of the Universe can break the laws of nature that he himself created? If God is all-powerful, it would not hard for him to part the Red Sea, heal the blind, or raise the dead. Truly, I have been saved by the grace of God, and I feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in my heart. Having been saved by his grace, I know that God performs miracles!

Should we believe anyone who says a miracle happened? No. Obviously not. Otherwise we would be very confused. We must consider the source. In this case, the source is the Bible.

Some Historical, Geographical, and Archeological Evidence

Let us compare the Bible with another religious book that claims miracles -- The Book of Mormon. Much of the Book of Mormon supposedly takes place in the Americas. There are many cities that are mentioned in the Book of Mormon that were supposedly in the Americas before the advent of the Europeans. For years, Mormons have tried to find archeological evidence for the existence of these cities, and they have found none. On the other hand, the locations in the Bible are real places. Egypt was a real place, and so was Mesopotamia. The cities of Jericho, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem have existed, and some of these cities continue to exist. In a few places, the Bible refers to a people known as the Hittites. Many skeptical scholars of the Nineteenth Century believed that the Hittites never existed -- they were merely a "fairy-tale" people. Some years later in Asia Minor, an entire Hittite Empire was discovered. All of these skeptical scholars were shown to be wrong. For years, skeptical scholars believed that Abraham’s hometown of Ur in Mesopotamia was merely a mythical land with no basis in reality. Here again, some years later the city of Ur was uncovered. The list goes on and on.

The Moabite stone was discovered some time ago. This stone makes reference to Omri, the king of Israel, who was mentioned in the Old Testament. Even though we have extra-biblical evidence for the existence of Omri, many still doubt. Almost all of the geographic locations, nations, and ethnic groups in the Bible have been confirmed by archeology. Yet there are skeptics. Why? Is it because there is no extra-Biblical evidence? No. It is simply because people don't want to believe in miracles.

Contradictions?

People often tell me that they don't believe the Bible because it has contradictions. My response is usually this: "Ah. Which one bothers you the most?" Usually, they are unable to give me one example of a supposed contradiction. Most people who think there are contradictions in the Bible should try to understand a few points:

Different people wrote the Bible in different languages in different periods of time. One must understand the cultural and historical context of the different books of the Bible. Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible. The apostle John wrote the Gospel of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation. There is a difference of about 1,500 years between the two. All scripture is written by the inspiration of God and is true, but one should try to understand the linguistic, historical, and cultural settings of the books of the Bible. For example, Job 1:1 says that Job was upright and perfect. Romans 3:23 says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Some skeptics say that this is a contradiction. How could the Bible say that Job was perfect, and at the same time say that all have sinned? Job was written in Hebrew, and the word for "perfect" is "tov." It means complete, morally sound, and wholesome. Job 1:1 does not say that Job was without sin. It says he was complete, wholesome, and morally sound. It does not contradict what Paul said in Romans, "for all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Unfortunately, too many skeptics do not invest the time to understand the cultural/linguistic context of the different books of the Bible. They try to see contradictions where there are none.

The majority of supposed contradictions in the Bible are based on a belief that miracles are impossible. For example, Daniel 11 speaks of Alexander the Great. Almost all scholars (Christian, Jewish, Secular) agree that Alexander the Great is mentioned in Daniel 11. Daniel, however, lived during the Babylonian captivity. Daniel was dead a long time before Alexander the Great was born. Secular scholars often say that Daniel could not have written the book of Daniel because he could not have known about Alexander the Great. They assume that the book of Daniel could not have been written until much later. Thusly, they imply that the book of Daniel is a lie. On the other hand, the Bible-believing Christian believes that God revealed this information as prophecy to Daniel. Ultimately, your interpretation depends on whether or not you believe in miracles. Many scholars say that Daniel could not have written the book of Daniel, but only because they assume that miracles are impossible. Most so-called contradictions in the Bible only exist in the mind of the unbeliever because he does not believe in miracles or divine revelation.

The Gospel Evidence

All four of the gospels were written in the first century AD. The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John are small biographies of Jesus Christ. They include details about his birth, his life, his teachings, his miracles, his death on the cross, and his resurrection. Did you know that contemporaries of Jesus wrote all four of these gospels during the first century? Matthew and John were two of Jesus' twelve disciples; they knew Jesus personally. Mark knew the Apostle Peter, who knew Jesus Christ. Luke knew people who knew Jesus personally. Therefore, the Bible contains four separate historical accounts of the life of Jesus Christ as written by his contemporaries. Contrast the historical accounts of Jesus Christ with the accounts of a famous historical figure like Alexander the Great. We base most of our biographical knowledge of Alexander the Great on two main sources. One was Plutarch who lived from about 45AD to 125AD. The other is Arrianus who lived from about 96AD to 180AD. Since Alexander the Great lived from 356 BC to 323 BC, we can see that his biographers lived more than 300 years after his death. Oddly enough, very few people will argue the existence of Alexander the Great, but many will argue the existence of Jesus Christ. Alexander's biographers lived many generations after him, but Jesus' biographers were his contemporaries. Since the evidence of Jesus' life is more dependable than the evidence for Alexander the Great's, why do some people have trouble believing that Jesus Christ actually lived?

Christian Hypocrisy

Often, people will say to me, "Isn't Christianity responsible for the Crusades and the Inquisition? Haven't thousands died because of it?" My answer is that Jesus never advocated conversion by the sword. True salvation is between the individual and God, and it cannot be forced upon anyone. I cannot condone the Crusades or the Inquisition; they were deplorable. I have no problem with condemning Christian hypocrites, but denying Christ on the basis of a few hypocrites is wrong. May it also be noticed that religion is not necessary for the needless slaughter of millions. Many people in the 20th century died because of atheistic regimes. The Italian fascist Benito Mussolini was an atheist. Lenin and Stalin were atheists, and over 20 million people died under their reigns. Mao Zedong was an atheist, and over 60 to 70 million people died under him. Many others died under atheistic communist influence in Southeast Asia, Eastern Europe, Africa and elsewhere. There is strong evidence that Hitler himself was an atheist, and only fools reject the idea that he was responsible for the Holocaust.  People who are totally secular can kill millions of people just as easily as religious people can. It is sad that so many people do evil in the name of Christ. Still, the Bible teaches that they will be judged for their sins:

“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.”

(Matthew 7:22-23).

You should be less concerned about Christian hypocrites, and more concerned with your own condition.

The Doctrine of Hell

One of the greatest stumbling blocks for unbelievers is the Christian doctrine of Hell. How can a loving God send people to an eternal Hell? It is true that the Christian God is a God of love. God loves us so much that he sent his Jesus Christ to die as a sacrifice for our sins. Still, God’s love does not contradict the fact of God’s justice. God is a holy and just God. People are far more sinful than they think they are. The Prophet Isaiah wrote, “all our righteousness are as filthy rags.” (Isaiah 64:6). Paul wrote, “There is none righteous, no not one.” (Romans 3:10). All human beings are sinners, and God’s justice demands that we be punished for our sin. Jesus Christ suffered and died on the cross as a sacrifice for you. If you meet God’s conditions of faith and repentance, he will save you by the precious blood of his son Jesus Christ.

The Main Reason People do not Trust the Bible

The main reason that people do not want to believe the Bible is because they do not want to hear its message. The Bible teaches that we are all sinners. It teaches that God sent his Son Jesus Christ into this world to be a sacrifice for our sins. The only way someone can be saved from his sins is to trust in Jesus Christ with all the heart. People generally do not want to believe that they are sinners. People are generally self-righteous and self-justifying. People do not want to believe that their fornication, adultery, homosexuality, drug abuse, envy, pride, and unbelief are wrong. People are also too proud, and do not want to trust in someone else for salvation. The message of the Bible is that we must trust in Jesus Christ and repent of our sins with all the heart in order to be saved.

Do you recognize your need for God? Is there an empty feeling inside of you? God loves you. He sent his son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for you. You can have peace with God if you totally trust Jesus Christ with all the heart. You will not find true contentment and happiness unless you do. You can experience the love of God in your heart, but God must convict you of your sin. Once convicted, God will save you when you have put all your faith in Jesus Christ. No man can tell you when you have been saved, but God can tell you by his Spirit. It is my hope that you will lay aside your skepticism, and trust Jesus Christ unto the salvation of your soul.