Guy P. Harrison - 50 Simple Questions for Every Christian

PRAISE FOR OTHER BOOKS BY GUY P. HARRISON

50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True
(Prometheus Books, 2012)

What would it take to create a world in which fantasy is not confused for fact and public policy is based on objective reality? I dont know for sure. But a good place to start would be for everyone on Earth to read this book.

Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist,
American Museum of Natural History

Harrison has added to the growing body of skeptical literature a contribution that will continue to move our culture toward one that openly embraces reason, science, and logic.

Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic,
columnist for Scientific American, and
author of The Believing Brain

Being a skeptic can be hard work, but Harrison makes it a lot easier.... This is the book I wish I had written.

Phil Plait, author of The Bad Astronomer

Deserves to be shelved alongside the works of such giants of the field as Randi, Shermer, Kurtz, and Nickell.... A valuable, not to mention very entertainingly written, addition to the literature of skepticism.

Booklist

Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know about Our Biological Diversity (Prometheus Books, 2010)

This is a very important, profound, enjoyable, and enlightening book. It should go a long way in helping disprove mans most dangerous myth.

Robert W. Sussman, professor of anthropology,
Washington University; editor of
Yearbook of Physical Anthropology; and
editor emeritus of American Anthropologist

A tour de force that conveys the current science on racial classification in a rigorous yet readable way. A book so clearly written, so elegantly crafted, so packed with nuggets that even those who think they know it all about race and racial classification will come away changed.

David B. Grusky, professor of sociology,
Stanford University

50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
(Prometheus Books, 2008)

Deep wisdom and patient explanations fill this excellent book.

James A. Haught, editor of the Charleston Gazette

Engaging and enlightening.... Read this book to explore the many and diverse reasons for belief.

Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic,
columnist for Scientific American, and
author of The Believing Brain

Doesnt bully or condescend. Reading Harrisons book is like having an amiable chat with a wise old friend.

Cameron M. Smith and Charles Sullivan,
authors of The Top 10 Myths about Evolution

Visit the authors website at www.guypharrison.com

Published 2013 by Prometheus Books

50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Copyright 2013 by Guy P. Harrison. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, digital, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the Internet or a website without prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Trademarks: In an effort to acknowledge trademarked names of products mentioned in this work, we have placed or after the product name in the first instance of its use in each chapter. Subsequent mentions of the name within a given chapter appear without the symbol.

Cover image 2012 Media Bakery
Cover design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht

Inquiries should be addressed to

Prometheus Books

59 John Glenn Drive

Amherst, New York 142282119

VOICE: 7166910133 FAX: 7166910137

WWW.PROMETHEUSBOOKS.COM

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Harrison, Guy P.

50 simple questions for every Christian / by Guy P. Harrison.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61614-727-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)

ISBN 978-1-61614-728-0 (ebook)

1. ChristianityMiscellanea. 2. ApologeticsMiscellanea. I. Title. II. Title: Fifty simple questions for every Christian.

BR121.3.H373 2013

230dc23

2012044569

Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper

Dedicated to the worlds Christians.
May they find peace and happiness.

This book is not an attack on Christian people. While it does challenge many claims made by the Christian religion and various factions of Christians, it is not an extended argument aimed at turning every Christian in the world into an atheist. This book is far more humble and far less threatening than that. My goal is to help Christians gain a better understanding of why, after two thousand years, the majority of the world is still unconvinced by the basic claims of their religion.

The title of each chapter is not a gotcha question crafted to stump Christians or argue them into a corner. They are, as the books title indicates, nothing more than simple questions. Each one is fair and worth considering. These are the questions non-Christians ask aloud or in the privacy of their thoughts when they think about Christianity. Many Christians will find these questions familiar because at some point in their lives they have probably wondered about them too. In most cases, however, they likely were left unanswered or perhaps were answered by a pastor, priest, or fellow Christian. But those answers were likely very different from the ones found in this book.

This book presents a skeptics perspective, the view many Christians never hear. It is important for them to become aware of these ideas in order to expand their worldview, improve their knowledge, and come to better understand so many of their fellow humans. I know from experience that many Christians are not familiar with or misunderstand many of the ideas presented in this book. It has nothing to do with intelligence or education. This is about having the will to think vigorously and honestly within the safety of ones mind. Unfortunately, critical thinking about religion is often discouraged and sometimes forbidden in many churches and families. But no one should feel compelled to restrain their intellectual wanderings. Thinking is the greatest of all our abilities. To suppress it is to deny our humanity.

If Christianity is trueobviously true, as many Christians saythen why isnt everyone a Christian? Why are there billions of Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists, atheists, and other non-Christians? This book provides an answer to this important question that every Christian should be asking. Of course, many Christians already claim to know the answer; they say the existence of nonbelievers is the result of corrupt organized religion, Satans influence on the world, or simply Gods plan. But these reasons are not why non-Christians say they do not believe. They have very different explanations.

We all have to share this planet, so we should make the effort to understand one another. To that end, it is necessary for Christians to grasp why so many people think Christianity doesnt make sense. It is all too common for many Christians to dismiss atheists and other nonbelievers as immoral, rebellious, damaged, or dishonest people. Not only is this inaccurate; it does not help move us toward a safer and saner world. Making such baseless assumptions about non-Christians is destructive for all because it promotes fear, prejudice, disunity, and hate.