Alex McFarland - The 10 Most Common Objections to Christianity

Alex McFarland

From Gospel Light
Ventura, California, U.S.A.

PUBLISHED BY REGAL BOOKS

FROM GOSPEL LIGHT

VENTURA, CALIFORNIA, U.S.A.

PRINTED IN THE U.S.A.

Regal Books is a ministry of Gospel Light, a Christian publisher dedicated to serving the local church. We believe Gods vision for Gospel Light is to provide church leaders with biblical, user-friendly materials that will help them evangelize, disciple and minister to children, youth and families.

It is our prayer that this Regal book will help you discover biblical truth for your own life and help you meet the needs of others. May God richly bless you.

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Other versions used are

KJVKing James Version. Authorized King James Version.

KJ21Scripture quotations marked (KJ21) are taken from the Holy Bible, 21st Century King James Version. Copyright 1994 by Deuel Enterprises, Inc.

NIVScripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version . Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.

NLTScripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.

2007 Alex McFarland

All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

McFarland, Alex, 1964

The 10 most common objections to Christianity / Alex McFarland.

p. cm.

ISBN 0-8307-4298-0 (trade paper)

1. Apologetics. I. Title.

BT1103.M335 2007

239dc22

2006039488

6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 / 17 16 15 14 13 12 11 10

Rights for publishing this book in other languages are contracted by Gospel Light Worldwide, the international nonprofit ministry of Gospel Light. Gospel Light Worldwide also provides publishing and technical assistance to international publishers dedicated to producing Sunday School and Vacation Bible School curricula and books in the languages of the world. For additional information, visit www.gospellightworldwide.org; write to Gospel Light Worldwide, P.O. Box 3875, Ventura, CA 93006; or send an e-mail to info@gospellightworldwide.org.

With love, prayers and much appreciation,
this book is dedicated to:

Marianne K. Hering,
Tom Neven
and
Focus on the Familys
Teen Ministries staff

By Lee Strobel

_________________________

Id be interested in Christ if it werent for the Christians.
Why would I want to become one of them?

_________________________

Youve Decided to Believe What?!
Instilling a Biblical Worldview in Teens Through Apologetics

The following people have not only helped to make this book a reality but have also shaped my life deeply.

Special thanks are due to the wonderful team that makes up Gospel Light/Regal Publishing. This includes Bill Greig III, Alex Field, Mark Weising, Kim Bangs, Josh Talbot, Rob Williams and Marlene Baer, to name but a few. Theological editor Bayard Taylor also deserves special mention for his insights and assistance. I thank the Lord for each of you.

To Warren Smith, a gifted journalist, brother and friend, who helped me format and clarify this work. His editorial help was vitally important in the final stages of this book. I am grateful for your help.

Deepest appreciation goes out to Norman Geisler, Ph.D., whose books on apologetics changed the trajectory of my life from 1985 through today. Thanks also go out to the dynamic faculty, staff and students of the institution he foundedSouthern Evangelical Seminary and the Veritas Graduate School of Apologetics. When Dr. Geisler and the Board of SES/Veritas asked me to become president, my wife and I were welcomed with open arms. Special appreciation is also due to Mrs. Barbara Geisler, Bob and Lynn Westra, and to Christina Woodside. What a help and blessing you all are!

Special thanks are due to several friends who have mentored me and who have given continual encouragement and inspiration. These include: Lee Strobel, who graciously took time to write the foreword; Mark Mittelberg, who is a role model in the area of apologetics-based evangelism; Gary R. Habermas, Ph.D., who, besides being an expert on the resurrection of Christ, is a role model, friend and continual encourager; Mike Licona, whose head for truth is matched only by his great heart for people; Jon Robberson and the staff of Spirit West Coastit is such an honor to be a part of the work you do for Christ; the bold, brilliant staff of Wheatstone Academy and their leader, Brian Nick; John Mark Reynolds, Ph.D., of Biola University (if Edison had not invented the light bulb, not to worry, John Mark Reynolds would have provided illumination enough); and Dr. Harold Willmington, who is the personification of what it means to know, love and live the Bible. Finally, I extend heartfelt thanks to my former professor and Sunday School teacher, Dr. Elmer Towns, who graciously recommended me to Bill Grieg III and Gospel Light/Regal.

Very, very special thanks are due my wife, Angie. Angie does much for the Savior and for me, her spouse. She made many contributions to the completion of this book and also to my betterment. Finally, I am thankful for the Bible, which for 20 years has been an ever-present friend. Most of all, I am grateful for the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Im a skeptic by nature, which probably explains why I studied journalism and law and worked as a reporter and legal editor at The Chicago Tribune. At a young age, my skepticism drove me to atheism. Even though I had never taken the time to thoroughly examine the evidence, I figured it was ridiculous to believe in an all-loving, all-powerful Creator. My opinion was that God didnt create people, but that people created God out of their own fear of death.

My agnostic wifes conversion to Christianity, and the subsequent positive changes in her character and values, prompted me to embark on a serious investigation of the claims of Christianity. All kinds of questions blocked my path: Does the Bible stand up to scrutiny? Doesnt evolution disprove the need for a Creator? Arent Christians arrogant when they say Jesus is the only ticket to heaven? What about the issues of evil and hell, and the hypocrisy I saw all too often among Christians? These are legitimate questions that deserve thoughtful and insightful responses. And thats what my friend Alex McFarland provides in this excellent new resource.

Ive grown to trust Alex as a smart, passionate and persuasive defender of Christianity. His lifes mission is to help spiritual seekers find satisfying answers to the sticking points that are holding up their journey toward God. Alexs mission is also to help Christians better communicate the evidence for their faith to their friends, neighbors, colleagues and family members. So whether youre investigating Christianity for the first time or whether youre a Christian whos wondering how to respond to objections your skeptical friends raise, youre going to get a lot of helpful guidance in Alexs new book.