A book about God: an introductory word to the questions.
Dear readers,
You have arrived at pages dedicated to answering the most often asked questions used to reject Christianity and God. However, this website has its own peculiarities that I ask you to keep in mind:
(1) Its original form is a book, meaning that it is appropriate to read the individual questions in the order in which they appear, because they are connected to each other to a certain degree.
(2) The book is over 300 pages. The answers are not exhaustive and, to a certain extent, cannot be 100% satisfactory. Their main goal is to encourage you to further exploration and research.
(3) For readers of the English 'mutation', it is necessary to call attention to the fact that some questions, in respect to emphasis, have been adapted to Czech readers (which covers readers from a Euro-American context). They respond to questions which are asked in our country. In other parts of the world, however, these questions may not be relevant at all or may be less relevant. Nevertheless, I believe that, on the whole, they reflect questions that a great proportion of people across cultures and geographical distances ask.
Introduction
When a person of the 21st century with average intelligence looks at the world around him, he/she must acknowledge that something is not right. People murder, hate, assault, rape, and exploit one another. They are selfish, thieving, greedy, and jealous. They are willing to ruin the lives of others or even nations for money. The natural world has gone crazy with earthquakes, weather fluctuations, floods, and tsunamis. There are so many diseases, genetic defects/ abnormalities, epidemics, kinds of pain, suffering, depression, hopelessness, and emptiness. In two words—evil and uncertainty!
At the beginning of my introduction, I do not want to give the impression that the world is only evil and corrupted. Thank God, much good exists. The above-mentioned facts are a hard reality each of us must cope with. Some people proclaim that an all-knowing and loving God, who desires a relationship with people, will show them how to find meaning in life. At this point such statements begin: 'If a loving God exists, then…' or questions such as, 'Why did God allow this or that?'
These questions are valid and it is natural for people to ask them. The good news is that satisfactory answers to them exist! However, we do not know all the answers. Some are very complicated and we see many answers as if through a mist. God Himself confirms this to us, that our understanding is (at least for now) partial. Nevertheless, I believe that sufficient and satisfactory answers exist to points most often asked when questioning whether God exists and what He is like. The answers to these questions will not prevent a person from accepting the reality that there is a loving God who has our best in mind.
In this book, I will try to briefly answer the most often asked questions about the existence of a loving God. Please keep in mind that a book of 100 pages could be written on one question alone! For this reason, it is not possible to go into a thorough reasoning of my claims and conclusions. Some of my answers, therefore, will suffer a certain simplification, which will not satisfy those who think more deeply about things. I do not consider this a barrier, though. I realise that, along with each answered question you will also have to look for your own answers. My goal is to point out that satisfactory answers exist, but I also want to encourage you to look for God yourselves. Do not be satisfied with widespread prejudices and cheap statements that say, in the end nothing matters, that you are nothing but a mistake of nature. YOU ARE NOT! You have been created by a perfect God who cares about you. Does this seem to be an unreal statement? Then come, let us discuss the reasons why I believe this statement.
A closer look at the questions presented
What comes to your mind when you hear the word Christian? In the Czech Republic in the heart of Europe, for example, many people have a negative view that could be summed up in several responses: backward, serious/solemn, moralisers, small-minded and without humour, enemies of true humility, hypocrites, dumb sheep, people who must obey a list of rules, puppets, and many other rather unflattering associations. The word church for many is almost a swear word and Christianity itself is more likely connected to the church building, with Mary, the Crusades, the Inquisition, prayer, and such things.
Unfortunately, true Christianity has very little in common with these associations. True Christianity, found in the Bible, is about Jesus Christ, hope, love, forgiveness, and a relationship between God and mankind. This is what I want to show you.
From the beginning, I want to submit that many of the ideas and main arguments I use are not my own. I am paraphrasing answers that were formed from the thoughts/thinking of many wise Christians (some from previous generations). They are generally known and used in defence of the Christian faith throughout the world. Some answers mirror my own thinking that has formed over the past several years as I have studied similar questions. Nevertheless, I have tried to make sure that most answers are not missing the main and important thoughts of people with much more to say about that topic.
In conclusion, I would like to add one important fact. No answers in and of themselves will convince anyone to change their view of God. There are no exceptions, not even you, unless you want to change. This book cannot cause you to repent and believe. Therefore, I ask one thing of you. While you are reading, please put aside all your prejudices and honestly examine the arguments and thoughts given here. You might not become a Christian, but you will, at least, have rid yourself of many prejudices people often have, and you will know what you do not believe. In other words, you will continue to be a non-Christian, not because you do not have enough information, but in spite of it. On the other hand (this is my hope), that God may open your heart and you will be able to know the love, forgiveness, and hope He offers you.
The questions are grouped according to topics so the answers will form the most logical conclusions. The following topics will be dealt with separately: general questions about God, the question about the reliability of the Bible, the person of Jesus Christ, science and faith, the teachings of Christianity itself, and the question of the occult and the supernatural. It is possible to jump from one question to another, but I recommend studying them in order, because I am trying to develop the basic thoughts step by step. In some cases, an answer will form only part of the puzzle, and it will be necessary to add others answers to see the whole picture. Therefore, it will be assumed that the reader has gained certain knowledge outlined and explained in the first half of the book when reading the second half.