10 Answers for Skeptics

By Alex McFarland and Dinesh D’Souza

In 10 Answers for Skeptics, McFarland identifies the ten most common types of skepticism that plague doubters' minds and offers believers proven strategies for connecting intellectually and spiritually with those who are skeptical about the claims of Christianity. Today's skeptics are looking for authenticity, integrity, and straightforward truth. Readers will learn how to answer intimidating questions, identify the root issue behind those questions, and dismantle the "spiritual bombshells" dropped by atheists. Plus, they'll find encouragement to face hostility by persevering in love--the ultimate apologetic Christians can offer as witness to our loving God.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
• Release date: Oct 1, 2011
• ISBN: 9781441266590

Alex McFarland

Alex McFarland is a speaker, author, and advocate for Christian apologetics and host of the radio program Exploring the Word.

Book preview

PRAISE FOR 10 Answers for Skeptics

It’s not an easy task to answer tough questions briefly and to the point, yet Alex McFarland does it with flair! Seldom will one find so many hard-hitting responses in a single volume. Alex takes seriously the research that indicates that many, if not most, religious doubts, questions and anger directed at God comes not from a lack of answers but from a variety of emotional hurts and other existential issues. I highly recommend this quick read that allows skeptics to survey such a broad range of issues.

Gary R. Habermas

Distinguished Research Professor, Liberty Baptist Theological Seminary

Alex McFarland has written yet another volume that is both engaging and enlightening. After reading this book, you will have a better sense of why skeptics think and feel the way they do. Not only will you be able to see through the smoke screen of their objections and catch a glimpse of what’s really troubling them, but you’ll find yourself becoming more compassionate as you share the truth of the gospel of Christ. This is an enjoyable read.

Michael Licona, Ph.D.

Apologetics Coordinator, North American Mission Board

Alex McFarland is someone for whom I have unbridled respect. He is a prolific author, and one of the leading Christian apologists of our day.

Janet Parshall

Host of In the Marketplace, Moody Radio

Alex McFarland’s previous books, tireless speaking schedule and near-constant presence in the media have made him perhaps the leading figure of the rising generation of Christian apologists. Alex’s answers in 10 Answers for Skeptics are clear, direct and accessible, but they are not simple and trite. Most of all, this book is filled with compassion. Alex never forgets that the purpose of Christian apologetics is not to win arguments, but to win people.

Warren Cole Smith

Associate Publisher, WORLD Magazine

Why are some of your friends and relatives not Christians? Know your audience! Know your audience! Know your audience! 10 Answers for Skeptics will help you know your audience and show you how to reach them. Great insights from Alex McFarland!

Dr. Frank Turek

Co-author, I Don’t Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist

President of CrossExamined.org

© 2001, 2005 by International Bible Society®

© 2011 Alex McFarland

Used by permission of International Bible Society®.

Published by Bethany House Publishers

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Bethany House Publishers is a division of

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Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014

ISBN 978-1-4412-6659-0

Previously published by Regal Books

Ebook edition originally created 2011

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—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, 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

Other versions used are:

CEV—Contemporary English Version. Copyright © American Bible Society, 1995.

ESV—Scripture taken from the English Standard Version, Copyright © 2001.

The ESV and English Standard Version are trademarks of Good News Publishers.

NASB—Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

NKJV—Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

TNIV—Scriptures taken from the Holy Bible, Today’s New International Version® TNIV®.

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to all who truly seek truth;

it is they who will find it.

CONTENTS

Acknowledgments

Foreword (by Dinesh J. D’Souza)

Section I

INSIDE THE MIND OF THE SKEPTIC

1. Responding to Someone Who Is Skeptical About God

2. The Necessity of Facing Tough Questions

3. Listening Before You Speak

Section II

ANSWERING THE SKEPTICS

1. The Educated Skeptic

2. The Wounded Skeptic

3. The Frightened Skeptic

4. The Proud Skeptic

5. The Orphaned Skeptic

6. The Tolerant Skeptic

7. The Sensual Skeptic

8. The Seeking Skeptic

9. The Syncretistic Skeptic

10. The Honest Skeptic

Conclusion: Where Do We Go from Here?

Appendices

Appendix 1: Making a Defense of Christianity

Appendix 2: Facts About Other Religions

Appendix 3: Conversational Answers to 40 Common Questions

Appendix 4: Understanding the Resurrection

Appendix 5: Real-World Answers to 20 Commonly Asked Questions

Endnotes

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The publication of 10 Answers for Skeptics has come about through the dedication and involvement of a number of people. I am grateful for every person involved with this special project. Special thanks are due to the great folks at Regal Books, especially Bill Grieg III, Steve Lawson, Kim Bangs and Elaine Montefu, to name just a few.

I want to thank my friend and colleague Tom Neven (whose labyrinthine knowledge of nearly everything landed him an appearance on Jeopardy). Tom’s assistance in formatting and clarifying this material was invaluable. Also, Dr. Elmer Towns, dean of Liberty University, has deeply impacted my life as a professor, Sunday School teacher, friend and colleague. The basic idea for this book came about in a conversation with Dr. Towns.

Special thanks are also due to the following people who have graciously invested themselves in my work of apologetics: my wonderful public relations/media team at Hamilton Strategies in Pennsylvania; my friend and advisor Mr. Marshall Barnes; Chad Cannon and Gracie Lasater at Outreach, Inc.; Arline Bell and the NRB television network; Larry Patton and all the staff at TCT; and everyone at the American Family Radio Network.

For everything that true friendship includes, I thank God for Jeffrey Foskett, Ric Davis, Chris Gambos, Keith Lowder, Warren C. Smith and especially Larry and Marianne. Thanks are due to the gracious pastors of more than 1,000 American churches who have allowed me to come and speak on the very topic at hand, I thank you. Finally, I thank the Lord Jesus Christ, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Alex McFarland

June 2011

FOREWORD

I decided to enter the world of apologetics one afternoon while watching a pastor being completely overwhelmed by Christopher Hitchens in a televised debate. The pastor insisted on using Scripture, but Hitchens had a simple response: He did not accept the authority of the Bible. Hitchens easily carried the debate with his wit and because he appealed to the shared language of the audience—the language of reason.

Since that afternoon, I’ve gone on to debate Christopher Hitchens more than eight times myself. In fact, we’ve become good friends and have had an ongoing conversation both through our debates and on a more personal level. Our conversations about faith and Christianity rely mainly on rational arguments for the existence of God and the importance of religion. Of course, I could defend these beliefs through biblical proofs, but he would not accept the arguments. Reasoned arguments are the only way I can speak with him about God and Christianity.

What is so striking about New Atheists like Hitchens is their nearly missionary zeal. Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris and, of course, Hitchens have become a type of atheist pastor, preaching to worldwide congregations and marketing bestselling books. Their work has created a wide body of atheist thinking with which we must contend.

As this New Atheism continues to grow, however, we are also seeing more books and data being written and compiled in support of belief in God. The interest in this side of the debate can be seen not only in bestselling theists on the New York Times bestsellers list but also in the number of debates and conferences sponsored by faith-based organizations. Over the last several years, such events have increased in frequency and in attendance, as believers and non-believers alike have turned out by the thousands to consider the arguments for and against God.

I met Alex McFarland through speaking at his conferences. Alex is the organizer of the National Conference on Christian Apologetics, and I quickly recognized his passion for seeing lives transformed. Alex is a dynamic, creative and entrepreneurial person. His enthusiasm is contagious not only in person, but also in his writing.

Alex’s latest contribution to the field of apologetics, 10 Answers for Skeptics, is a unique blend of reason and experience. The result is a book that offers answers to intellectual barriers as well as the experiential challenges to faith that trouble many skeptics. Alex’s two decades of experience speaking in churches and on campuses has afforded him hundreds of opportunities to understand how apologetics and evangelism work in tandem. 10 Answers for Skeptics provides a rational defense of the faith by appealing to reason—the starting place for every skeptic and a tool too often missing from the apologist’s toolkit. Moreover, with a minister’s care, he does not ask the reader to consider only the mind. He asks every skeptic to take account of the heart as well.

While skeptics may retort that the mind is supreme and the heart secondary, many of the leaders of the New Atheism are wounded theists. At some point in their lives, a loved one was hurt or a catastrophic experience pained them so greatly that they went on to erect intellectual barriers against God. Alex’s experience has given him the knowledge to deal with this wounded theism. This is a fine book that will benefit both believers and skeptics alike.

Dinesh J. D’Souza

President of The King’s College

New York City

May 2011

SECTION I

Inside the Mind of the Skeptic

1

Responding to Someone Who

Is Skeptical About God

Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.

JOHN 8:32

I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ.

PHILEMON 1:6

Imagine this scene: You and a few friends from church are gathered around a table, having a morning Bible study at your local coffee shop. You’re not being loud or obnoxious; you’re not accosting people at other tables, asking them if they attend church; you’re not telling people they’ll go to hell if they don’t think like you do. You’re just quietly studying a passage of Scripture, talking about what you think it means and how you can apply it to your lives.

Suddenly, a man sitting nearby, apparently listening in on your conversation, begins to call out in a less-than-conversational tone, Bull—! Bull—! You continue your study, trying to act like everything’s normal, but every few minutes, the man yells, Religion is bull—!

Now, you’re probably thinking to yourself, That would never happen. People don’t act like that. Most of the time, you’d be right. The vast majority of religious skeptics do not yell at strangers in coffee shops. They’re much more likely to engage someone they know in a private discussion around an area of disagreement or doubt. They might challenge a Christian speaker during a question-and-answer session. Maybe they’ll write a letter to the editor of their local newspaper if a religious group, or a member of a religious group, does or says something that upsets them. They are very unlikely to cause a scene in a public place because people they’ve never met happen to be studying the Bible.

However, I was at the coffee shop in Charlotte, North Carolina, that morning, witnessing the scene I just described. I observed as the mood in the bustling Starbucks became increasingly uncomfortable, not just for the men in the Bible study, but for all the customers and employees. As the Christian men stared down at their Bibles, the skeptic uttered periodic epithets from behind his open newspaper. His tone and assertiveness reminded me of people with Tourette’s syndrome—those who suffer from uncontrollable outbursts and tics. This man seemingly couldn’t help himself in his hostility toward religion, in this case represented by a few men reading their Bibles, bothering no one.

It’s time for me to make a confession. Not one of the Christians present in the coffee shop that day attempted to reach out to the outspoken skeptic in our midst. Admittedly, it might have gone badly if we had. However, if any of us had been able to engage that man in conversation, I suspect we would have discovered that he, like most skeptics, had a reason—or possibly several reasons—for being hostile toward a group of religious people.

Now, maybe this man really was suffering from some sort of mental or emotional disorder and wasn’t entirely in control of his response to the Bible study group. Still, his outburst got me thinking about how his outward response mirrored the inward response of many skeptics. In a sense, what he was doing was little different from what people over the years have done when it comes to God and religion: Whether muttering from behind a newspaper, writing long treatises, or simply harboring inner doubts and fears, skeptics question the veracity of religious truth claims—and while some skeptics question religion in general, a large number focus on one specifically: Christianity.

It can be tempting for Christians to simply write off or ignore those who reject the gospel—we may consider them contrary, stubborn or just plain crazy. But what if we took the time (and invested the energy and emotion) to get below the surface and find out what drives a person’s skepticism about God? What if we asked some questions, really listened to the answers, tried to understand the person’s reservations, and then offered sincere, thoughtful responses rather than quick-fix formulas? My hope for this book is that it will help you both to understand some of the most common types of skepticism and to see how you may be able to minister to skeptics whom God places in your life.

There have always been skeptics. Some are bright and sincere, but also misguided or unwilling to embrace the truth once they have encountered it. Some have been hurt by earlier encounters with religious people and institutions. Some have a particular axe to grind, while others are just generally angry, as was apparently the case with the man in the coffee shop. Every Christian is bound to meet a few skeptics, be they peers, college professors or naysayers with a media megaphone. Books such as The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins and Misquoting Jesus by Bart Ehrman have generated media coverage of the resurgence of religious skepticism. There are websites that exist solely to try to debunk Scripture. Some are specifically aimed at teens, urging them to renounce their faith on camera and post online the visual record of their newfound skepticism.

Many of the questions being raised by high-profile skeptics are also on the minds of people I meet. Having traveled extensively throughout the country during the last 20 years, I have come to understand that doubters fall into several categories, some of which overlap. I have found a few nuances unique to each of the different skeptic’s positions. Identifying what type of skepticism is really present—and interacting with a person in light of this—can dramatically change how a person responds to the Christian faith.

In the chapters that follow, we will look in-depth at 10 types of skeptics. I will discuss the different types of skeptics I have encountered and ways in which we can talk to them about our faith. First, there is the educated skeptic, who has intellectual objections to the faith and has learned bias against Christianity. This type of skeptic often takes pride in his level of education and may be totally unaware of his own prejudices or the prejudices of those he reads. He is often blind to the walls he has erected or the gymnastics he employs to reach his conclusion about Christianity.

Next we’ll look at the wounded skeptic, who in many cases has abandoned God and the Church after a negative church experience. These victims of toxic faith often swing like a pendulum from religious zeal and perhaps legalism to an aversion to spiritual matters because of past pain.

There’s also the frightened skeptic, who may be afraid of how God’s interference would change his life. Such a skeptic may (incorrectly) assume that belief in God means switching off one’s brain and blindly embracing a world of unreality. He may be afraid that God will ask him to do something totally out of his comfort zone. (It is worthwhile to note that those serious about following God who are fully yielded to Him almost certainly will be led into situations outside their comfort zone. However, God has purposes for this that are ultimately benevolent and beneficial, to which countless believers past and present will attest.) The frightened skeptic may have seen some Christians who were not the best examples of living the faith and fear he may turn out like them.

We’ll look at the proud skeptic, who tends to be arrogant and aggressive and has an unshakable belief in his own intellectual prowess. With such people, long-term relationships and repeated expressions of Christian love are much more effective than a data dump of Christian apologetics or gotcha arguments.

With the orphaned skeptic, we are dealing with a person who, while growing up, had an absent father—either literally or one who was absent in terms of any meaningful interaction with his child. Why, these skeptics ask, should they trust a heavenly Father when their experience tells them that fathers are unreliable or unapproachable? It doesn’t have to be an actual father, either. Perhaps a Joe Church neighbor ignored them at their point of need. Rather than rush into another scenario of potential abandonment, these skeptics employ protective mechanisms, and guards go up.

One of the most challenging skeptics to engage is the tolerant skeptic. This person wants all beliefs to be true and thinks that discussing religion is simply not polite dinner conversation. Proselytizing people from