50 Simple Questions for Every Christian

by Guy P. Harrison

A friendly and conversational inquiry from a skeptic about basic Christian belief. Designed to promote constructive dialogue, Christians will find the book useful as a basis for developing their apologetics, while skeptics will welcome Harrisons probing rational analysis of religious claims.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction, Atheism, Philosophy, Skepticism, Christianity

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

I have a deep passion for science, history, anthropology, and nature. My mission is to inform and inspire as many people as I can about the workings and content of our world and universe. Reality is infinitely beautiful and endlessly fascinating. It's tragic that some people never quite glimpse the wonder of it all. Please don't be one of those people. I want you to be fully alive and awake as a human being.

Science is a body of knowledge and a practical tool available for everyone everywhere. Professional historians, anthropologists, and archaeologists tell the human story--your story. Listen to them. You live in exciting times because so much remains to be discovered and understood. In a sense, your home is an alien world filled with mystery and surprises. Learn, explore, dream. The more we know, the more we can imagine. The more we can imagine, the more we can do.

I am a positive and constructive skeptic. Think of me as a human who warns humans about being human. I use my imperfect brain to talk and write about the human brain's imperfections. I try to overcome my irrational beliefs and subconscious miscues so that I may better teach others about the problems of irrational belief and subconscious miscues.

I believe that our world could be much better - and a lot less crazy - if more people simply understood how science works and appreciated the protective value of scientific thinking in everyday life.

I've held numerous positions in the news industry, including editorial writer, world news editor, sports editor, photographer, page designer, and columnist. I've traveled extensively, having visited 30 countries on six continents. I have also had some very rewarding jobs teaching history and science to bright kids. My degree is in history and anthropology (University of South Florida). I've won some nice international awards for my writing and photography, including the WHO (World Health Organization) Award for Health Reporting and the Commonwealth Media Award for Excellence in Journalism.

What I am most proud of in relation to my work is that my writing has touched and helped many people. I consistently receive messages from around the world and it's always rewarding to learn that my words have inspired one more person to think in new and better ways.

When I'm not staring at a blank computer screen hoping my subconscious will deliver the next word, I'm likely running, hiking, reading, or teaching critical life lessons to my children via repeated viewings of Star Trek. When normal people are consumed with thoughts of politics, economics, or the Kardashians, there's a good chance I'll be daydreaming about time travel, the Singularity, ancient Greece, microbial life, the possibility of extraterrestrial life, World War II, robots, interstellar space travel, viruses, Homo erectus, the Apollo Moon landings . . .

Reviews

[Dwayne Fry · Rating 1 out of 5]

To be honest, I did not read this book in completion. I noticed the title while browsing books at the library and read enough to get an idea what it was about, checked it out and then skimmed it while waiting for my car to be worked on yesterday. I read enough to see what the book's real goal is.

The author poses "simple" questions for Christians. The author is an atheist and a skeptic (and the way he uses the word, frequently seems to be saying no religious person could be religious and a skeptic at the same time). The author often reminds us he's not trying to upset anyone, so often that I wonder who he's trying to convince that he's not offensive: himself or the Christian reader.

Quite honestly, I wasn't offended, upset or even challenged by anything I'd seen here. There are no new arguments. I have not even been a Christian for four years yet and there's nothing here that I haven't been confronted with.

The problem I have with the book and the reason I did not read it fully is this: Guy Harrison asks the "simple" questions, then tells us what is the typical Christian answer, then spends several paragraphs explaining why he doesn't like the answer. I often wondered if he is expecting Christians to change their beliefs so they are more comfortable for him or just easier for him to understand. The fact is, even Jesus himself had people turn away from him when he taught. (John 6:60-66.) To me, this is enough to answer one or two questions in Guy's book (such as "why isn't everyone a Christian?") but to him this would not be sufficient since I took it from the Bible and he seems to feel the Bible is not a reliable source.

So be it. I don't expect everyone to understand Christianity, nor do I expect to be able to explain it to everyone. To anyone, frankly. I don't understand atheism, but accept atheist's reasons for being atheists. I don't understand Islam, but have talked with Muslims about their faith a few times and didn't become frustrated that they didn't give answers I could completely understand.

Now, had I the time and patience (okay, to be honest, if I wasn't so darned lazy) I'd love to write a 350 page book to respond to Mr. Harrison's 350 page book. I am too lazy for that. So, I targeted one paragraph I would love to respond to in hopes to explain why this book was useless to me and would be to any thinking Christian:

"Suppose we could identify the most important and deserving prayer request of all and then measure its effectiveness objectively. Would that say something meaningful about the claim that God/Jesus answers prayers? I think so. Consider the prayer of a mother, spoken aloud or thought in silence, as she embraces her suffering and dying baby: "I beg you, God, save my baby. Please, God, don't let her die." This is a prayer for a young child, easily the most innocent and worthy of rescue of anyone. It's about as sincere and unselfish as any prayer could be. I think this is the prayer that provides us with an ideal way to judge whether or not God answers prayers." (Quoted from the fourth chapter "Does Jesus answer prayers?")

Notice, first, that Mr. Harrison is trying to play on our emotions, not engaging our intellect. He's created a scenario that is gut-wrenching and a horrid nightmare to most anyone that gives a fig about the welfare of children. Notice, too, that instead of possibly polling a few Christians (he claims over and over that he interviews Christians often) as to what they consider an "unselfish" prayer, he creates one of his own. Notice, thirdly, that he agrees for himself and his reader that this is the "most important and deserving prayer". He's setting up a straw-man, which he goes on in the next few paragraphs to knock down by talking about children living in impoverished countries and how they die often despite the prayers.

My reaction to this scenario, as given, is that perhaps God has decided it would be best, it would be more merciful for the child to die and climb into the waiting arms of Jesus rather than to continue to live and suffer. If Mr. Harrison is truly trying to understand Christianity, then he should at least understand that to us dying is not the end of it all. Sure, we're saddened when people die as we will miss them. Sure, we don't believe we should commit suicide so we can see Jesus sooner. We see life as a gift and it isn't for us to take. Only God can make that decision. If Mr. Harrison can't at least acknowledge this as our belief, he will never understand us. I'm not even suggesting he agree with it, just at least acknowledge it.

The other mistake Guy Harrison makes in the above paragraph is to take the judgement away from God and make it himself. Harrison concludes that this child is more worthy of rescue than anyone. God would see us all as equally worthy of "rescue". I would repeat again, if God is real and heaven is real, maybe the true "rescue" is to take the child into his arms rather than let it continue to suffer.

If Guy Harrison were to ask me what an unselfish prayer is, I would give a very different idea of prayer. Probably the most unselfish prayer I've ever uttered is, "God, show me the best way to serve you." And that is not even the most unselfish prayer I've heard. There's a popular Christian song that says, "break our hearts for what breaks yours". I think the most unselfish prayer I can think of is in the 84th Psalm: "My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." I will be honest about why I am writing this paragraph. I don't intend for any non-believers to see it and understand it, it is really my hope that any Christian that might be mislead by Harrison's notions of unselfish prayer would see it and be reminded that while there is nothing wrong with praying for the health and well-being of a loved one, all things are in God's hands. If a loved one is ill or dies, it's not because God doesn't love us or doesn't answer prayers. And not only do I find prayers to serve or know God better to be the most unselfish, they've also been the prayers that bring the most peace and happiness to my soul.

I won't discount the entire book. There is a chapter in there somewhere stating that many Christians don't read the Bible. I do think we should all read the Bible enough to get familiar with it and make an effort to read it every day. However, if Guy Harrison would take an honest crack at the Bible at some point, he might find the answers to all the other questions in his book.

[Book Shark · Rating 5 out of 5]

50 Simple Questions for Every Christian by Guy P. Harrison

“50 Simple Questions for Every Christian" is a friendly skeptic’s challenge to Christians about their beliefs. In a respectful conversational tone, Guy P. Harrison guides the reader through fifty stimulating questions about Christian beliefs. Harrison’s responds to each question in a thought-provoking manner while remaining courteous. This interesting 350-page book is composed of fifty questions that cover the gamut of Christian beliefs.

Positives:
1. Elegant and engaging conversational tone, a Guy Harrison trademark.
2. The most interesting topic of discussion, religion, in the hands of a master thinker. This book covers a wide range of Christian beliefs.
3. A well-researched book that is well referenced and cited.
4. An intellectual treat. Thought-provoking responses to interesting questions while never once being condescending or disrespectful.
5. This book is a challenge for Christians to think deeply about their beliefs. Harrison typically provides common apologetic answers and proceeds to dismantle them with lucid precision.
6. So many great reasons why skeptics walk away unconvinced from basic Christian claims. “Shouldn’t the courage to accept reality as it is and not as we would prefer it to be an admirable quality?”
7. Religion and politics. “Asking people about their religion is not rude when they are the ones who made a big deal about it. It’s not only appropriate to explore such extraordinary claims by candidates; in a democracy, it’s a responsibility.”
8. The efficacy of prayers. “The real world looks just like it might look if prayer didn’t work and no gods existed.”
9. Why everyone is an atheist…” As many skeptics point out over and over, everyone is an atheist. It’s just a matter of degree. Nobody thinks every god is real.”
10. Book contains many interesting results from surveys, “According to a 2009 survey by the Harris Poll®, 76 percent of adult Americans believe in miracles, and 95 percent of born-again Christians do.”
11. The importance of keeping ignorance in perspective, “Common sense should tell us that our ignorance proves nothing, least of all the existence of gods.”
12. Modern brain biology as it relates to beliefs, “Science has revealed much about the brain’s ability to fool us into thinking we have physically experienced things that never really happened.”
13. A look at prophecies. “According to the Bible, Jesus said he would return very soon, within the lifetimes of those people he was speaking to.”
14. The Ten Commandments an interesting critical look and how it conflicts with the Constitution. “It’s not about trying to insult God, oppressing anyone’s religion, or refusing to acknowledge the significant role of Christianity in society. It is about recognizing that seeking to impose the very specific religious laws of some undermines fairness for all.”
15. A really good chapter on Christianity’s role in American history.
16. So was Hitler an atheist? And what does it prove? Find out.
17. Fine-tuning argument in a different light. “If our planet is fine-tuned for life, then why does life have such a hard time here?”
18. The difference between not believing and rejecting, “A typical atheist, for example, doesn’t really “choose” to be a nonbeliever. She is a nonbeliever because she is not convinced that Jesus or any other gods exist. This is a very important point. Christians often confuse not believing in Jesus with rejecting Jesus, but the two are very different.”
19. Evolution and how it relates to Christianity. “The problem with evolution lies with religion and culture, not with science.”
20. Science and religion. “But they should not interpret the absence of scientific proof for scientific assault. Maybe it is not science in general that some Christians don’t feel comfortable with; rather it is this absence of validation from science that bothers them.”
21. Is religion good for societies? “There is no proof that more religion leads to less crime in a city, state, or country. In fact, a lot of good evidence points in the opposite direction.”
22. Perhaps my favorite point of the book, “The Bible’s greatest problem is not that it often makes God look like a deranged, bloodthirsty maniac, or even that it contains numerous errors. No, the real reason the Bible hasn’t been able to convince everyone everywhere that Jesus is the only path to heaven is that it is poorly written and structured. Virtually everything about it is wrong if its purpose is to speak for God to the world.”
23. How vision and memory works. “You can “see” past events happening in your head and have total confidence that they happened exactly that way—even though they didn’t”.
24. The problem of evil dissected. “It is beyond all reason that a god who is good and loves people would initiate and maintain a course of action that includes so much unjust harm to so many people.”
25. The value of skepticism. “Good skeptics are people who make the decision to use their brains, to be honest, and to try their best to live in the real world—whatever world that may turn out to be. More than anything, being a good skeptic is about courage and commitment”.
26. Excellent notes and comprehensive bibliography.

Negatives:
1. I would have liked a table on say the twenty most popular Christian denominations and their most distinctive qualities.
2. A couple of questions that I was hoping would be asked. What is the soul? What is a spirit?

In summary, an intellectual treat. Guy Harrison has earned his reputation of delivering high-quality thought-provoking books. The 50 insert thought-provoking topic series by a masterful writer with lucid, well-reasoned and respectful arguments is a Harrison trademark. It’s not a matter of faith with Guy Harrison; it’s a matter of trust. A skeptical look at Christian beliefs, this is a page-turner of a book, I highly recommend it!

Further suggestions: "Why I Became an Atheist: A Former Preacher Rejects Christianity" and "The End of Christianity" by John Loftus, "Sense and Goodness Without God: A Defense of Metaphysical Naturalism" and "Why I'm Not a Christian" by Richard Carrier, "Natural Atheism", "Atheism Advanced: Further Thoughts of a Freethinker" and "Cruel Creeds, Virtuous Violence: Religious Violence Across Culture and History" by Dr. David Eller, "Man Made God: A Collection of Essays" by Barbara G. Walker, "The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values" by Sam Harris, "The Invention of the Jewish People" by Shlomo Sand, "The Portable Atheist" by Christopher Hitchens, "The End of Biblical Studies" by Hector Avalos, "Forged..." by Bart Ehrman, "God: The Failed Hypothesis. How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist" by Victor J. Stenger, "Godless" by Dan Barker, "Christian No More" by Jeffrey Mark, and "The Invention of God" by Bill Lauritzen.

[Scout Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

50 Simple Questions for Every Christian is a book for religious and non-religious people. It's for Christians who are open minded enough to think about some questions about their religion. It's for other religious people and non-religious people to learn about and possibly question Christianity.

I read this after I read 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in God, also by Guy P. Harrison. This book was a bit similar and written in the same style, just focusing exclusively on Christians this time. I like the author's thinking, and generally agree with him. The main thing I didn't love (and didn't love about his other book either) was that he is a very cold-hard-facts kind of guy, and discredits things like miracles (not that I'm a big miracle-believer, but still)... He really stuck to the skeptical, stick-with-facts, rational, logical viewpoint and didn't appeal as much to the emotional side of some issues.

Good Things/Good Quotes
"Another common error that Christians make when thinking about nonbelievers is that they believe atheism is a declaration that no gods exist. It is not. Again, remember atheism is no belief in gods." (Harrison, 54).

"First, burden of proof rests on the shoulders of the person making the claim [that god is real] and no one else. If, for example, someone says to me, "Fairies are real and you should believe in them," it's not my responsibility to prove that fairies don't exist. It's the believer's job to make the case for fairies." (54).

Good chapter about women in Christianity.

He quoted Ruth Hurmence Green:
"As long as women fail to denounce the Bible, they are in danger from it, for it has long been and continues to be their greatest oppressor. Its scriptures demean her and deprive her not only of her self-respect, but of veritable control over her body. The body makes her a slave, a piece of property and the mercy and whim of the male and in a state of total submission to her husband, who may even act as her abuser. She is regarded by the scriptures as the receptacle of the male seed and the means of reproducing the human race, and this is her only function."

In the chapter about atheist dictators, Harrison clarified the claim about Hitler being an atheist - it's pretty clear he was not. Harrison gave eight Hitler quotes where he mentions belief in 'God'..

"[I]f my intent was to confuse, leave lots of room for interpretation, and help corrupt people do bad things, then I might supernaturally guide the production of a book that is not even a single book with a clear theme but a collection of books with disparate stories and messages... To top it off, I would drop in a few lines to say that faith, trusting, and believing without evidence are far superior to thinking and knowing. Add it all up, and I would have a surefire recipe for confusion, abuse, disagreement, and disharmony that would endure for centuries, just like the Bible." (272).

The chapter on Why Hasn't the Bible Convinced More People? was good.

The author argued that religion should be questioned, and we should be skeptical, and that shouldn't be socially taboo. I definitely agree.

Not my favourite parts
There were some chapters that didn't interest me at all, so I skipped them. What do prophecies prove?, How can we be sure that Jesus performed miracles?, Is the universe fine-tuned for us?, What has archeology proved?, Will the end times ever end?, Are angels real?, etc. Not to say these chapters are bad, just that they didn't personally interest me.

The chapter on Why Do People Go to Hell? was a bit of a let-down. I was hoping the author would go away from the "is hell even real?" for a minute to discuss the MORALITY behind Hell - people often do bad things because of the bad things, like abuse, neglect, etc. that happened to THEM.

This book took me more than a month to read because it is pretty long, the writing is intense (hard to digest more than a bit at a time).

Would recommend to adult readers interested in reading about religion, who are interested in being critical thinkers.

[Edward Swalwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Whilst it's a common conceit among atheist argument books that the text is written for the 'theist', and to some extent I think it's true, this book is unique in that I honestly think it would be valuable for theists to read even if we accept they would not be 'converted' by anything that an atheist could argue. It's one of the few books that is useful to believers and nonbelievers both.

Guy Harrison doesn't argue his point - indeed, he rarely pushes a singular 'point' - but simply does as his title suggests: he poses questions. The points he raises are to explain why he believes the questions are worth asking. And by and large, he succeeds - insofar as he does raise the question, and show why it needs to be answered. He occasionally offers his own view, but mostly he just lets the questions speak for themselves. Equally, whilst Guy Harrison often goes through several possible answers and explains why he thinks the questions remain, he doesn't attempt to answer any of the questions - for atheist or theist - and just leaves the fact the questions exist to provide any argument the books has.

It's telling that there's no conclusion, and the introduction sets the premise and leaves it at that - if you're looking for a philosophical, anecdotal, or logical proof - an argument or a treatise on faith or religion - then this book is probably not what you want. If you're looking for an intelligent and well-illustrated (with both data and anecdote) elucidation of the problems facing atheists, barring us from belief, the book does that well.

The discussion within each question is interesting for the most part - some of the questions fell slightly flat with me (either because I knew the standard responses and they weren't moved forwards in any way, or because they echoed earlier questions) - but on the balance each was well reasoned, and Harrison covered all the reasons I count myself an atheist, and raised several that I'd never considered (and provided the evidence to back them up). It did run a bit long, but in spite of this I'd strongly recommend this book be read, and that everyone know their opinions on some of the big questions - in particular, if they consider them answered.

[Jamais · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like life, the unquestioned belief should be avoided. //50 Simple Questions for Every Christian// asks Christians to look carefully at their beliefs, and posits fifty questions, ranging from such basics as whether America is a Christian nation to whether the resurrection happened. These are some great questions, and those serious about their religion should reasonably ask them at some point.

However, rather than debating why they are great questions, the questions are answered by someone skeptical of religion, meaning that they are answered looking to discredit religion rather than to take an honest look at it. Although the stated purpose is to build a bridge between atheists and believers, only the most patient believer is going to be able to read the entire book. It fails pretty thoroughly in its purpose of building a bridge, and pretty much demonstrates why atheists are not taken serious by the religious; such disproven chestnuts as religion being behind all wars or the religious being incapable of rational thought are pulled far too many times. This is a great book for those looking at why atheists disrespect the religious, but very little else; avoid if you are looking for any kind of actual discourse.

As originally written by Jamais Jochim for the http://sanfranciscobookreview.com/.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple questions they may be - but they are tough ones for any Christian to answer. This is a remarkably well written book by an atheist. The author doesn't want to pick a fight engage in argument. He just wants to have a conversation with Christians to explain why non-believers have difficulty accepting the claims and world view of Christians. The questions are explored with superb clarity and show a deep understanding of Christian thought. There is no sign of antagonism and the evidence and reasoning offered is compelling. The only (very minor) criticism is that I don't think the author's definition of irreducible complexity (an "intelligent design" concept) was accurate or fair. Apart from that, this book is a must read for anyone interested in Christian thought and the reasons for many people's genuinely held skepticism.

[Nick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first chapter, the last chapter, and largely skimmed through the rest. It wasn't worth the time. The author doesn't seem like he's engaged with the Bible or with any people who could legitimately answer these questions. Frank Turek, Ken Hamm, Nabeel Qureshi, F.F. Bruce, J Warner Wallace, Lee Strobel, John MacArthur, Voddie Baucham, Erwin Lutzer, and the list could go on and on and on. Even low hanging fruit like C.S. Lewis is completely absent from both his ideas and his bibliography in the back. People on YouTube seem to now make a living answering these questions all the time. This author has no real interest in the answers or searching for answers. His identity, his faith, is in his skepticism, and frankly I no longer have enough faith to be an Atheist (also a book this author could read).

I was an atheist for a large chunk of my life, grew up an atheist, in a non-believing household, so the whole "only grew up that way" argument simply doesn't make sense to me. If you are legitimately curious, and really seeking, you will find answers.

This author seems to have gone to random people on the street who claim any sort of Christian faith, and then take their answers as the truth. If you are legitimately curious about some of these questions, there are people who can answer them. If you just want to ask random people on the street, then you are going to get exactly the kind of answers you think you are going to get.

His refutations of Christianity really fall into . . . three categories:

1. I don't understand/like/agree therefore it must be wrong. When the author discusses Jesus on the cross, the author uses the idea of human sacrifice and says it is barbaric and most civilizations figured out how barbaric that was a long time ago. Your feelings towards historical events are completely irrelevant. Your ideas of how God should do things, or how you want God to do things are completely worthless. The one who creates the universe gets to make the rules.

2. History and logic only confirm what I know to be true. When all you are willing to look at is one side of the issue, this tends to happen. I'd recommend Truth Changes Everything, Is Atheism Dead?, Epoch, or looking into Wall Builders, Dave Stotts, Kenn Hamm. I mean any book that asks you to think outside your bubble. Even a cursory glance, if you are honestly curious, will show you that most of what you learned in high school history was wrong. Instead, we are far more invested in just confirming what the author already knew.

3. No answer is ever going to satisfy my need to question. C.S. Lewis talks about people who continually want to see through everything. The point of a window is to see what lies beyond, but when all you want to do is continually seek what is beyond the next thing, it is the same as being blind. This is a form of Post-Modernism, where we are deconstructing everything. We can never build up, we can never understand, we can never have an answer because I just want to cling to my question, and any answer supplied is simply an invitation to ask three dozen more questions. I don't want answers, I won't accept answers, all that matters is that I can never understand.

Here are some simple answers to your simple questions:

1. Christianity makes sense when you understand man's sinful nature and the damage my sin does to my relationship with God. If I refuse to admit that my sin is sin, or try to minimalize or ignore sin, then no it doesn't make sense. If I refuse to admit that I need God, in fact I want God, then no it doesn't make sense.

2. A god is an idol that man has built to worship and try to fill the hunger in their life. The most common god is the god of self, where god tells me I am right, I am good, and everything I think I know is right. God is the being outside of space, time, and matter because He existed before space, time, and matter. He is the unmoved mover who set the universe into motion.

3. It is not rude to ask about one's Christian faith. It is rude to never accept an answer. It is rude to continually question every answer, or dismiss an answer without thinking about it. It is not rude to disagree or to have more questions, but eventually if you are really curious you will find someone more qualified to give an answer.

4. Technically God the Father answers prayers. We pray to the Father, in the Spirit, through the Son. God answers prayers, but often in ways we don't expect. We need to remember that I am not God. I do not know what is best, and I am trusting that the omnipotent, omniscient, sovereign God will do what is best. My prayers do not change Him, but I believe they change me to be better aligned with His will.

5. A Christian is someone who believes in their heart that Jesus has been raised from the dead, and declares with their mouth that Jesus is Lord. That is the most basic of answers. We next need to add some information about sanctification and discipleship, but faith and trust in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is what makes someone a Christian.

6. Undoubtedly Christianity makes society better. Both things like science and invention, to things like music and art, and even things like politics and the criminal system all have deep, deep roots in Christianity. From the everyday invention of reading glasses (to help read the scriptures) to modern medicine, to three part harmonies and realistic beautiful art. Christianity opened the world of creation to man and made it something for us to enjoy and conqueror. The pagan human sacrifices the author claimed ended early in history (HA!) only ended because of Christianity. Seriously, go read Truth Changes Everything. He explains it wonderfully.

7. Atheism is a belief in nothing. It is a religious system that denies the supernatural in favor of materialism. It lacks explanations for the beginning of the universe, man's place in the world, doesn't care about people and has no reason to care about anything. It lacks explanations for why they world is the way that it is, and struggles to answer any of the meaningful questions in life. Historically, when nations become materialistic they quickly dissolve into chaos and death camps for those who don't follow along (Mao, Pal Pot, Stalin, to name a few). Communism starts where Atheism starts is how Marx started his book.

8. Biblically, miracles are when one of God's chosen people affects creation in a way that would be impossible. They are exceedingly rare, even in the Bible only a handful of people are able to affect creation in such a manner. Moses, Joshua, Elisha, Elijah, and Samson (oddly enough) I believe are the only O.T. Figures. N.T. Jesus and the twelve Apostles, and Paul but he's also an Apostle, just a little different. Exceedingly rare, do they occur today? I would doubt it, but I am not God, God can use miracles if He should so desire.

9. Life demands a designer. An eyeball has more features than a high-end camera used in Hollywood, 3D perspective, 180 degree viewing, color, instant focus, instant light adjustment, can be pointed at anything with barely a thought, and weighs next to nothing. If any piece of the eye is broken, damaged, or missing, it will not work properly. It is impossible to create an eyeball through millions of years step-by-step. It is all or nothing or it is an instant detriment to a species. And that's just the eyeball, not even the brain it connects to, or any of the rest of the body. You'd have to be crazy to think someone had to design a paperclip (those had to be invented) but an animal's circulatory system happened by random chance.

10. I have read the Bible cover-to-cover multiple times. It can be hard to read, but with commentators like Warren Wiersbe who focus on the grammatical-historical understanding of the text it can be understood by anyone.

11. Because we are all sinful creatures. Remember that sin you didn't think was a big deal in the first chapter, it is in every piece of who we are and what we do. Putting our faith in Jesus is only the first step, it takes a lifetime of faithfully walking with the Lord to continually purge our sin. It doesn't end until we are dead.

12. Historical science. The historical evidence is overwhelming. Jesus is the single most important figure written about through all of history. Fight and deny it all you want, but there is more evidence for the resurrection than literally any other historical event. You have to get to the modern age (think printing press) to even come close to the assurance. Seriously, this is Frank Turek all the way.

13. Because Jesus and the Bible say so. There is a lot in that answer. You really should get a better understanding of how we know we can trust the Bible, but we are simply answering simple questions. We know it intrinsically as well. We want our good deeds to matter and we want other people's bad deeds punished. We forget we are not God, but we still cry out for justice, that sense of justice demands an eternal place of rest for both the righteous and the wicked, we simply have a messed up (sinful) view of what righteousness and wicked look like.

14. God is the perfect judge, and He uses people and nations to carry out His judgement. God gave the Canaanites 400 years to repent, and then He used the nation of Israel to punish them. In general, God is not necessarily violent, it is our sin that infects creation. God is simply judging sin.

15. Prophies prove that God is not bound by time and space. They were also proof of who spoke for God in the past. God no longer uses prophecies because He speaks to us through His Bible.

16. The Ten Commandments are more of an outline for the moral laws of the Old Testament. Christians are not bound by the Ten Commandments, but are bound to the commandments of the New Testament.

17. The "real" Ten Commandments is more of a got-ya question, largely insincere, from someone who does not understand how to read the Old Testament rules given to the ancient Israelites. There are three types of laws given, moral, civil, and ceremonial. You need to be able to differentiate, and the only ones repeated in the N.T. are the moral, outlined by the Ten Commandments, and expanded upon elsewhere in Leviticus ana Deuteronomy. An easy test, if the rule comes with the death penalty, it is a moral law, and if you have to clean something it is ceremonial. Moral laws are meant for all people at all times.

18. Christianity is the best for women. In fact, it is so good, women have dominated the church since at least the 1200's. Christianity elevates women to levels never before seen, nor seen in any other culture. Women can own property, women are protected, women are given rights, women are not sex objects meant only to satisfy the desires of men. Women can hold prominent positions in the church. There is a reason the Feminist movement took off in the Christian West and not the Pagan east, or the Islamic Middle East. Women benefit immensely from Christianity.

19. You have to weigh the facts for yourself. Even Jesus had people walk away from Him and refuse to believe. Some of the smartest people in all of history have been men of Christian faith. Newton, Bach, all the Founding Fathers, Gregor Mendel, to name a measly few. I mean, you are in good company with Christians.

20. In the Biblical sense, yes. Being born again is unique. Anything else like it has largely been stolen because of Jesus immeasurable influence on the world.

21. Absolutely, faith is the best. In every measurable statistic people of faith are happier, more fulfilled, and more complete as people. Throughout history man has had faith in something. Not always the "right" faith, but faith none the less. Again, even faith in Atheism is faith.

22. Christians should raise their children to be Christians. If nothing else, the secular public school system has been an abysmal failure. But the Bible is clear that children should be brought up in their faith. Unfortunately, something like 90% of Christians still send their kids to public school to be raised as materialists.

23. During His earthly ministry, Jesus did indeed heal the sick. Today? No, Jesus is in heaven with the Father advocating for us. There can be more to this, God the Spirit is at play, and we should look at how God has advanced modern medicine, most advancements coming exclusively from Christianity, but this has already gone too long.

24.Historical science shows us Jesus the man existed. More proof for Him than any other historical figure.

25. What about other gods? The argument of an abundance of gods doesn't eliminate the need and truth of a single True God. If anything it hurts the argument for Atheism. A math test with multiple answers only has one correct answer.

26. According to data and what empirical evidence can exist to measure happiness, yes. But that is not the Christian's main goal. Happiness is fleeting, Christians have more joy, and remarkably enough, are known to be joyful even in times where Joy does not make sense. Wurmbrandt spent 20 years in a Communist prison, and remained joyful growing closer to God, not further.

27. The U.S. being Christian is irrelevant to the truth and facts of Christ. The U.S. was founded on Christian ideals, but ultimately the Holy Spirit is about individuals, not entire nations.

28. Historical evidence tells us Jesus performed miracles. Many people wrote about it, had no reason to lie about it, and even died proclaiming that He did. This is evidence you'd accept for any other area of life.

29. Evil Atheist dictators prove that man is sinful and needs someone to save them from their sin. All have sinned, we are an evil race that deserves judgment and damnation. Just like all the evil everyone performs.

30. The universe is so fine-tuned it is absurd. Realize, that if their were a dime's worth more matter, the universe would have collapsed it on itself. A dime less, and the universe would expand too fast. If the earth were just a little closer or further away from the sun. If the magnetic field were even slightly lessened, we'd never be able to live here. Even the Atheist Christopher Hitchens once admitted that he had no answer for the fine-tuning of the universe.

31. Honestly, no, we could not design a better world. Just because you don't like something, or don't understand it, doesn't mean it isn't doing exactly what it needs to. Regardless, we have no ability or power to create said universe.

32. Archaeology has proved that the Bible is accurate beyond measure. Again, more accurate than any other historical document. The finds have been numerous. The ancient Hittites, Pontius Pilot, the Dead Sea Scrolls may be the greatest archaeological find of all time, and it confirms the accuracy of the Bible. You have accepted less than this in other areas of life.

33. Everyone does not need to be a Christian for Christianity to be true. Honestly, this argument is simply self-defeating. Why isn't everyone an Atheist, or a Muslim? I mean, I've met people who can't add numbers, that doesn't disprove the entire field of mathematics.

34. The problem with evolution is the total lack of scientific backing. Evolution claims to be a hard science, insisting that it follows the scientific method. However, it has never been observed nor repeated. People treat it more like blind-faith, then a Christian has ever treated their faith. The fossil records, paleontology, all of the "proof" for evolution is given less scrutiny than this book is trying to give Christianity. And men like Ken Hamm, and thousands of others, have all offered easy explanations that dismiss the idea of evolution. Evolution is a matter of faith, not science.

35. When you ask to be safe rather than sorry, I assume you are referring to Pascal's Wager. A solid philosophical argument, but does nothing to address the facts and truth of history. I think I'd rather be safe than sorry, it's why I lock my door at night, or put my leftover food in the fridge. Seems like if I can do it with the trivial, I should keep the eternal in mind.

36. God chose to sacrifice His Son as a sin offering for His people. Jesus took the punishment we deserve.

37. There is a lot of evidence to suggest a world wide flood. However, similar to evolution, this is going to be based on faith and how you choose to interpret that evidence. We can't use observational science to answer historical questions. Again, we don't do that anywhere else in life, why here?

38. After the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, birth location and family do not matter. There is neither Jew nor Gentile. If you are referring to the ancient nation of Israel, I mean there are reasons, but does it really matter to you day-to-day life. This sounds like an excuse to ask questions. As far as the world as a whole, it doesn't matter. People come to Christ from all corners of the earth. God chooses to place people where He wills for His glory.

39. Christianity and Science do not conflict. That is a straw-man argument created by Atheists to attack men of faith. Historically, the greatest scientists in the world were all men of faith. Science apart of Christ was stuck in magic and paganism for millennium. It was only with Christ that science blossomed. The most famous example of Galileo and the Catholic Church had more to do with Galileo being unable to prove his hypothesis. He also claimed the rotation of the earth caused the tides. The church simply wanted him to prove it.

40. People go to hell as punishment for their sin. To be good, to be Holy, God must judge sin. If God does not judge sin, then He is an imperfect God not worthy of our worship. We can either place our sin on the cross where Jesus was punished for us, or we can take our sin with us and take the punishment ourselves. Heaven would be Hell for people who didn't want to be with God. People choose where they want to spend eternity.

41. It depends on what you mean by trusting an atheist. Christians are called to extend to them mercy and grace. To show them Christ through our lives and actions. I've worked with them, I've been friends with them . . . but I would be wary of much more. I generally don't learn from them, generally don't trust that they have my, or anyone except their own, best interests at heart.

42. The Bible has convinced 2.2 Billion people, you yourself say that is impressive.

I am out of room here. Goodreads won't let me write anymore, but you can see that all of these questions do indeed have simple answers. If he were honestly asking these things, he could find what he was looking for. The fact that even I can answer them shows he isn't being genuine and this book is just a baseless attack against Christians.

[uosɯɐS · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Christian who takes seriously the charge:

"Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15, 2nd of 3 sentences )

...should probably read a book like this at least once in their life.

And with that, I have concluded my 36 Books of 2013!

----
10/21/2020
I keep remembering that this book had a section that gave an exercise of trying to design your own religion, or at least write you own 10 Commandments. The author gave his own example, I don't remember what the rules were, but the point of the exercise was that mere human beings could come up with better rules than the ones supposedly given by God. It also now occurs to me this is an interesting exercise both for discovering ones own values, as well as trying to think about systems and predict unintended consequences.

Some "rules" (though I like the Pirates of the Caribbean quote "They're really more what you'd call guidelines") that I might use:

1) Put your own oxygen mask on first.
2) Be kind, everyone is fighting a hard battle - attributed to Plato.
3) Curiosity is a high virtue. Questions are a goodness. (Using Heinlein phraseology)
...I'll have to keep thinking of more.

10/30/2020
4) Thou shalt try to avoid logical fallacies (and cognitive biases).

[Justin Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guy Harrison uses soft, yet precise words to get his 50 questions across in this book. What I think is one of the best parts of this book is the fact that it's conversational. Harrison poses quick, yet deep questions that should be asked of the Christian, or questions that the Christian should ask themselves. The Socratic method wins the day in this book, and Harrison conclusively shows that the atheist only need remove the foundation of the Christian by injecting logic into the assumptions of Christian beliefs. Though I did find minor errors in the book, I feel that the highlights, and often easily quotable content of the book makes me forgive them. My favorite questions would have been, 5. Who is a Christian?, 10. Have you read the Bible?, 22. Should children be Christians?, 35. Is it better to be safe than sorry?, and 47. Why does a good god allow so much suffering in the world?

[TheShrike · Rating 4 out of 5]

As opposed to some of the more aggressive "New Atheists" - Guy takes a much softer approach.

In short, he starts each section with a simple question whereby showing - or at least suggesting - that religion (not even specifically Christianity) is illogical or hypocritical or contradictory.

They eviscerate most religious beliefs in a gentle manner - they push you to think about the questions without forcing you to choose any specific answer. He just wants you to think about the concepts and ruminate over them.

For example - he asks what exactly is God. And then proceeds to explain that throughout history there have been many many different conceptualizations. How do you know which is the correct one? How do you know YOURS is the right one?

Highly recommended.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

As both a religious nonbeliever and former believer, I found this book to be polite, respectful in tone, and highly effective in disabusing me of any myths and misconceptions I may have held about those not of my former sect, who still believe and the object and subject of their belief. More importantly, I'd recommend it to the religious as well, for it raises questions that any thinking Christian should consider -- but this is more than just a book of questions and arguments. After all, skepticism is the enemy only of that which is false, and that which is true need fear it not!

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a collection of responses to 50 questions you might encounter while talking to a Christian. It is nice to have this book, since it eliminates having to reinvent the wheel. The author treats Christians very gingerly so at to avoid offending them.

[ette · Rating 3 out of 5]

I skimmed this book. Much of it seemed to be covered in another book of his I did finish. However, I do appreciate his arguments on things I have questioned as well. I also like that he is very respectful in tone.

[Bworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for people who believe as well as those that don't. Why wouldn't you ask questions about Christianity (or any other faith for that matter)? We all check reviews and do our homework before purchasing something. It's a pity most people don't do the same with their religious beliefs.

[Mike Greiner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this book should actually be named "Helping Christians Understand 50 Things that Puzzle Atheists About Christianity." I liked the quick chapters and there were many good thoughts in the book, I'm just not sure it would appeal to most Christians in the way the title might assume.

[Nathan Schwartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well put together. It’s a little bit aggressive, so I don’t think it would actually work to give it to a Christian. The likely response would be to find the questions insulting. But it’s a pretty fun and interesting read.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is a book worthy of being a best-seller, it's this book. It contains all the questions I have asked about Christianity before and more. Read this book with an open mind, and one would surely grow and mature intellectually. Thumbs up.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some books by skeptics can be scathing and rude, but this one is not. I found it clear, considerate, and well written. I enjoyed this book a lot.
Joel

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this book to gain a better understanding of the view of those who are skeptical of Christianity. It was a tough read since the views of the author are so very different from mine.

[John Michael Strubhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only thing that one can accuse Guy P. Harrison of is being honest. This book only asks honest questions about what Christians believe and the author only asks that Christians honestly confront those questions, and he does so in the most respectful way imaginable (certainly more respectful than I would be). He does not attack Christians or any other religious believers. Guy P. Harrison simply addresses the claims made by various sects of the faith honestly and openly. Any Christian who would refuse to address these questions simply has his or her head buried in the sand. I would not expect this book to turn a Christian into an atheist, but it should make a Christian sit up and take notice of how people outside the faith view the addressed beliefs and attitudes. Christianity can be a great force for good if the baggage is left at the station. If you're a Christian, I challenge you to read this book and think seriously about the questions posed. You might find that it changes your idea of what the religion should be and that it makes you a better Christian as a result.

[Johan Pelgrim · Rating 5 out of 5]

An honest and open pondering about 50 simple questions. I laughed out loud when guy explained for 3/4 of a page why he is well qualified to give the answer to the question on how many gods there are and then wrote: "I don't know. I have no clue". I also felt connected when Guy wrote about finding solace in the various ways life on earth can end apocalyptically. I said the same thing to my kids when I was watching some episodes of "How the universe works" (great TV show by the way!) where they explain a neutron star can emit a ray of strange particles, and when that ray hits us we're screwed. Very comforting for me in a weird way, and humbling of course. And simply adding to the wonder and mystery of being alive.

[Karen · Rating 1 out of 5]

How insulting. Mr. Harrison's intent, according to the book description is, "designed to promote constructive dialogue"? Epic fail, dude. He poses questions that of course require faith and then goes into a diatribe about his own (lack of) belief in anything and the stupidity of anyone who does. How constructive. I think the only thing anyone who tries to read this drivel can feel is pity for his obvious misery with life.

In case he has any genuine desire to create a dialogue in the future, I think a few lessons from any middle school debate club might be helpful. Oh, and a god. Any god besides himself. Ha.

[BJ Hinkle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I've read for challenging your own beliefs. If they can't survive scrutiny, it's time to reevaluate.