Doubts & Questions

Questions, Challenges, and Big "What Ifs"

Jump Ahead

Got questions about Christianity? Skeptical about faith? You're in the right place. This page tackles common critiques head-on, breaking down tough questions with clear, straightforward answers.

Want to go deeper? Dive into in-depth articles that unpack the more complex and nuanced aspects of belief. Curious about where certain worldviews logically lead? Check out "What If" - a thought experiment series that explores what happens if we take today's most popular assumptions to their natural conclusions.

Still exploring? We’ve got a handpicked list of books, videos, and resources to help you dig even further. No fluff, no dodging - just honest engagement with the big questions.

Often Asked, Clearly Answered

Some questions never go out of style. For centuries - even millennia - people have raised the same critiques against Christianity, often believing them to be the ultimate knockout blow. Every generation rediscovers these objections, convinced they’ve found something new - when in reality, they’ve been asked and answered many times before.

This section tackles those big, recurring questions head-on - with clarity, logic, and no dodging. We don’t hold back, and we don’t sugarcoat. Instead, we provide straightforward, compelling answers that have stood the test of time.

Below, you’ll find a list of claims, critiques, and common questions. Click on any of them to explore the response. Let’s dive in.

Deep Dives: Going Beyond the Surface

Some questions are more obvious and frequently asked - but others lie beneath the surface, shaping the way we think about faith, truth, and the world in more subtle and complex ways. This section goes beyond the usual critiques and dives into deeper, more nuanced conversations - the ones that don’t always get asked, but should.

Here, we explore the tension points, paradoxes, and profound mysteries of Christianity - questions about science and faith, the nature of reality, morality, meaning, and the unseen patterns that shape the world around us. These aren’t just quick answers; they’re thoughtful, well-researched articles that unpack complexity and provide fresh insights.

📖 Below, you'll find a collection of in-depth articles tackling these deeper questions. Click on any topic to explore a rich, well-reasoned response.

What If? Challenging Assumptions

Some beliefs are so ingrained in our culture that we rarely stop to question them. Ideas like "physical reality is all that exists," or "morality is just a social construct" are often assumed without being tested. But what happens if we take these assumptions and follow them to their logical conclusion?

Do they lead to a world that makes sense - a world where meaning, morality, and truth can exist? Or do they collapse under their own weight?

This section explores what happens when we take these common ideas seriously, push them to their limits, and ask: Is this really the most rational way to see reality?

Explore More: Recommended Reads & Resources

Below is a list of some of the most common critiques against Christianity, followed by a comprehensive list of books that address these questions with intellectual depth, historical reliability, and theological clarity. These books are (accessibly) written by respected scholars, historians, theologians, and apologists.

I. Questions About God’s Existence

• "There’s no evidence for God."

• "Science has disproven God."

• "If God created the universe, who created God?"

• "Miracles are impossible—they violate natural laws."

• "The universe is eternal—we don’t need a creator."

Recommended Books:

• The Reason for God – Timothy Keller

• Mere Christianity – C.S. Lewis

• God’s Undertaker: Has Science Buried God? – John Lennox

• There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind – Antony Flew

• The Case for a Creator – Lee Strobel

• The Existence of God – Richard Swinburne

• The Blackwell Companion to Natural Theology – William Lane Craig & J.P. Moreland

• Why There Almost Certainly Is a God – Keith Ward

II. Questions About Evil and Suffering

• "Why does a good God allow so much suffering?"

• "Why doesn’t God stop evil people before they do harm?"

• "Isn’t suffering proof that God doesn’t exist?"

• "If God is loving, why would He send people to hell?"

• "The problem of hiddenness—why doesn’t God make Himself more obvious?"

Recommended Books:

• The Problem of Pain – C.S. Lewis

• Making Sense of God – Timothy Keller

• Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering – Timothy Keller

• God and Evil: The Case for God in a World Filled with Pain – Chad Meister & James Dew

• The Doors of the Sea: Where Was God in the Tsunami? – David Bentley Hart

• The Many Faces of Evil – John Feinberg

• Why Does God Allow Evil? – Clay Jones

• If God, Why Evil? – Norman Geisler

III. Questions About the Bible

• "Isn’t the Bible just a collection of myths?"

• "Hasn’t the Bible been changed over time?"

• "What about all the contradictions in the Bible?"

• "The Gospels were written long after Jesus’ life—how can we trust them?"

• "Didn’t the early church just pick and choose which books to include in the Bible?"

Recommended Books:

• The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? – F.F. Bruce

• Jesus and the Eyewitnesses – Richard Bauckham

• Can We Trust the Gospels? – Peter J. Williams

• The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

• Cold-Case Christianity – J. Warner Wallace

• Inspiration and Incarnation – Peter Enns

• The Historical Reliability of the Gospels – Craig Blomberg

• How We Got the Bible – Neil Lightfoot

IV. Questions About Jesus

• "Did Jesus really exist?"

• "Did Jesus claim to be God, or was that added later?"

• "Did Jesus really rise from the dead?"

• "Is there any historical evidence for Jesus outside the Bible?"

• "How can we trust the Gospel accounts when they contradict each other?"

Recommended Books:

• The Resurrection of the Son of God – N.T. Wright

• Did Jesus Exist? – Bart Ehrman (agnostic historian who argues Jesus was a real historical figure)

• The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus – Gary Habermas & Michael Licona

• The Case for Christ – Lee Strobel

• Can We Trust the Gospels? – Peter J. Williams

• Jesus and the Eyewitnesses – Richard Bauckham

V. Questions About Christianity’s Influence on History

• "Hasn’t Christianity been oppressive throughout history?"

• "What about the Crusades, the Inquisition, and witch hunts?"

• "Did Christianity support slavery?"

• "Hasn’t Christianity hindered scientific progress?"

• "Hasn’t religion caused more wars than anything else?"

Recommended Books:

• How Christianity Changed the World – Alvin Schmidt

• Bullies and Saints: An Honest Look at the Good and Evil of Christian History – John Dickson

• For the Glory of God: How Monotheism Led to Reformations, Science, Witch Hunts, and the End of Slavery – Rodney Stark

• The Book That Made Your World: How the Bible Created the Soul of Western Civilization – Vishal Mangalwadi

• Why You Think the Way You Do: The Story of Western Worldviews from Rome to Home – Glenn Sunshine

• The Triumph of Christianity: How the Jesus Movement Became the World’s Largest Religion – Rodney Stark

• Christianity on Trial: Arguments Against Anti-Religious Bigotry – Vincent Carroll & David Shiflett

• What If Jesus Had Never Been Born? – D. James Kennedy & Jerry Newcombe

• Under the Influence: How Christianity Transformed Civilization – Alvin Schmidt

• The Genesis of Science: How the Christian Middle Ages Launched the Scientific Revolution – James Hannam

VI. Questions About Faith & Salvation

• "Why is Christianity so exclusive—aren’t all religions equally valid?"

• "Isn’t faith just believing without evidence?"

• "What about people who never hear the Gospel—do they automatically go to hell?"

• "Isn’t it arrogant to claim Christianity is the only true religion?"

• "If God is loving, why doesn’t He just forgive everyone?"

Recommended Books:

• The Reason for God – Timothy Keller

• No Other Name? Can Only Christians Be Saved? – John Sanders

• Is Jesus the Only Savior? – Ronald Nash

• True for You, But Not for Me – Paul Copan

• Faith and Reason – Ronald Nash

• The Gospel in a Pluralist Society – Lesslie Newbigin

VII. Questions About Christianity & Modern Culture

• "Hasn’t Western society moved beyond religion?"

• "A loving God wouldn’t send people to hell—Christianity is just fear-based control."

• "How can Christians oppose LGBTQ+ lifestyles and still claim to love people?"

• "Isn’t Christianity anti-science and anti-intellectual?"

• "Why should we take ancient religious beliefs seriously in the 21st century?"

Recommended Books:

• Confronting Christianity: 12 Hard Questions for the World’s Largest Religion – Rebecca McLaughlin

• Finding Truth – Nancy Pearcey

• Total Truth – Nancy Pearcey

• Unimaginable: What Our World Would Be Like Without Christianity – Jeremiah J. Johnston

• The Secular Creed: Engaging Five Contemporary Claims – Rebecca McLaughlin

• Love Thy Body: Answering Hard Questions about Life and Sexuality – Nancy Pearcey

This list, while far from being exhaustive, provides some of the best and most authoritative books available on these topics. Whether you're a skeptic searching for truth, a believer strengthening your faith, or someone engaging in discussions with others, these books are invaluable resources for deepening your understanding of Christianity.