A theist is a person who believes in the existence of a god or gods (polytheist), specifically of a Creator who intervenes in the universe. While a theist is not necessarily a Christian or a believer in a non-Christian religion, he does accept that the most plausible explanation for the universe is the existence of a god or gods.
A Christian is a person who believes in the God of the Bible. A Christian believes in the Triune God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit) and that the Son of God, Jesus Christ, the Second Person of the Triune God, took on the nature of a man, was born of a virgin in a lowly manger, lived a sinless life as a human male, was falsely accused and suffered an excruciating death as a common criminal on a Roman cross, and resurrected three days later. While Jesus was hanging on the cross, God the Father took out His wrath with mankind's sins on His beloved Son as He was being crucified, thereby opening the kingdom of heaven to all who believe and trust in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior (the great exchange of Jesus' righteousness for our sinful flesh). A Christian is a member of the invisible church and will spend eternity in everlasting bliss with the Triune God, the non-fallen angels and all the other believers.
The path from theism to Christianity frequently involves two parts: (1) a logical or apologetical acceptance that the events of the Bible, in particular the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, did occur as part of human history and (2) a spiritual component in which the Holy Spirit works faith via the Word of God and sacrament. Therefore, this webpage is logically broken up into two parts, the first part focusing on the apologetical arguments for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and the second part focused on the Word of God, with particular emphasis placed on repentance and forgiveness.
The following questions are questions that address the major stumbling blocks to Christianity, focused on creation versus evolution (and an old earth/universe versus a young earth/universe) and the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. After these questions there is another section focused on the primary doctrines of the Christian faith and Bible passages supporting those doctrines.
1. Select the chatbot to answer your questions. Note that the chatbots starting with ChatGPT require pasting into the input field for that chatbot before an answer is given.
The following chatbots require pasting into the appropriate field before a response is given.
2. Apologetical arguments for the life, death and resurrection of Jesus. Select from the following questions (radio buttons) or enter one of your own in the text field at the end.
Christianity is predicated on New Testament events that happened two thousand years ago and on Old Testament events that happened hundreds and thousands of years before that. What evidence exists to support the accuracy of events that happened so far in the past?
What evidence exists that Jesus lived on the earth two thousand years ago? Is Jesus' existence upon the earth two thousand years ago accepted by non-Christian historians?
What evidence exists that Jesus performed miracles? Is there any non-Biblical support for Jesus performing miracles?
What evidence exists for Jesus being crucified on a Roman cross? Is there any non-Biblical support for this happening?
What evidence exists for the resurrection of Jesus? Is there any non-Biblical evidence that indirectly supports the resurrection?
What evidence, Biblical and otherwise, exists that the tomb of Jesus was being watched by guards at the time his body disappeared from the tomb?
Since the penalty for soldiers failing their duty to secure the tomb would be a painful death, what is the probability that the disciples robbing Jesus' body from the sealed tomb, the story propagated by the Jewish leadership, actually happened?
What evidence exists that early Christians were willing to die rather than renounce their faith in Jesus? How likely is this to have happened if Jesus' resurrection was a lie?
Is there any non-Biblical evidence that Jesus lived a life free from sin?
Is there any non-Biblical evidence that King Herod had all the baby boys in the area of Bethlehem murdered?
Is there any non-Biblical evidence for an unusual stellar event around the time of Jesus' birth?
The primary attack of non-Christians on the Bible is not on the life, death and resurrection of Jesus but instead on the pre-flood history described in the first few chapters of Genesis. Given this, what are the strongest and weakest arguments for a young earth/universe as described in a six-day creation (Genesis 1)?
Is there any non-Biblical evidence for a worldwide flood?
Given that the global flood described in Genesis involved underground waters being violently released upon the earth, wouldn't this event likely involve earthquakes and underwater volcanoes? Given this, could not this violent event not only account for the various fossil layers but also for major shifts in earth's topology? Does this logic therefore put scientific dating and earth topography into the same category as Creation versus scence for the existence of the earth and universe?
The Bible attributes sin, suffering and death to the free-will choices of Adam and Eve to sin as described in Genesis 3. Is there any other non-Biblical explanation that addresses the suffering and death within the world with the same clarity/probability?
Assuming the Bible to be true, which is more likely to explain how distant starlight has reached the earth: (1) the stars were created millions and billions of years ago, directly contradicting the Biblical account of the six-day creation or (2) that light from stars billions of light years away actually arrived in dramatically less time?
A view that has been asserted is that God when He created everything, created all things with an apparent age. Adam and Eve were not babies, the plants, trees and animals were mature, etc. This view asserts that even the galaxies were created with an apparent age. This is not the "light in transit" view of the universe, but rather that the light from distant stars appeared as if it had already traveled for millions of years (just as Adam and Eve appeared to have lived for some number of years). Given the existence of an all-powerful God, can this be used to combine a six-day creation with the apparent age of the earth and the universe?
Enter a user-specific question in the text field below.
The following questions are from the book 10 Answers for Atheists by Alex McFarland.
Why is the following statement untrue? Christianity has caused a lot of harm in the world, so why would anyone want to be a part of it? Christianity posions everything! It's a harmful blight on the world, infecting everything it touches and causing far more harm than good. After all, atheists didn't go on violent crusades or burn witches at the stake. People who believe in a biblical God do these kinds of things, If we could get rid of Christianity (and every other religion), we'd all be better off, wouldn't we?
Why is the following statement untrue? Christianity is a nice myth or fairy tale, but it's not based in history. In reality, Jesus never existed, so there's no point in worshiping Him or even contiuing to promote a religion named after Him. Since Jesus never existed, we know the Bible can't be trusted and neither can its wild claims.
No matter what explanation Christians give for the alleged resurrection of Jesus, miracles just don't happen. People die, and they stay dead. Many have claimed that they've seen Big Foot, the Loch Ness Monster and even Elvis Presley alive and well. What's so different about Christianity's claim that Jesus is alive?
A long time ago primitive people couldn't explain things, so they made up gods. We know better today. Science can explain everything, so God is unnecessary. Even though there are some things science can't explain, eventually it will come up with answers. So, who needs gods or God when science holds all the answers?
Many who call themselves Christians are hypocrites, so why should anyone believe their religion is true? Christians like to talk big about their God and how Jesus is so loving and forgiving, but all you have to do is look at Christians and see their hypocrisy to know that their faith is false. If Christianity were true, Christians wouldn't act the way they do.
Isn't it possible that Jesus was a space alien? Since there's no God, there must be another explanation for Jesus. Maybe He was really a space alien - who visited our planet, imparted some galactic wisdom and, being so smart, realized He was better off somewhere else, so He took off on His spaceship. And if something beyond our world really does exist, why does it have to be the God of the Bible? Maybe it's really a giant Flying Spaghetti Monster. His holy meatball and spaghetti "body" watches over all and created all.
More in-depth apologetical questions are available via the Apologetics Hub. Please reference this hub if you are still unconvinced of the validity of the Bible.
3. The Christian faith - select from the following statements (radio buttons) or enter one of your own in the text field above.
God does not wish for anyone to perish but that everyone should come to repentance and be saved (2 Peter 3:9). Therefore, although we are unable to save ourselves by creating faith in ourselves, God is reaching out to us through His Word (i.e., the Bible). Faith comes by hearing (or reading) the Word of God (Romans 10:17). Therefore, you should start with reading the Gospel of John (alternatively, you can start with the creeds below or with the "What we believe" nodes above).. Since the Holy Spirit works through God's Word, you are strongly encouraged to read, meditate and pray to God based on these passages. As you delve deeper into God's Word, you should bring any questions or concerns you have with a local pastor or priest (you can get answers here, but not true emotional or spiritual interaction). You should also seriously consider joining a local Bible-believing church as regular worship and fellowship are key to continued growth in God's Word.
The Christian faith is predicated on the truthfulness of the Bible and is summarized in the three creeds (Apostles', Nicene and Athanasian). Therefore, a basic understanding of the Christian faith can be obtained by studying the explanations of the various parts of these three creeds.
Apostles' Creed
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man; and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate. He suffered and was buried. And the third day He rose again according to the Scriptures and ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father. And He will come again with glory to judge both the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end.
And I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord and Giver of Life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified, who spoke by the prophets. And I believe in one holy Christian and apostolic Church, I acknowledge one Baptism for the remission of sins, and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Whoever desires to be saved must, above all, hold the catholic faith.
Whoever does not keep it whole and undefiled will without doubt perish eternally.
And the catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in unity, neither confusing the persons nor dividing the substance.
For the Father is one person, the Son is another, and the Holy Spirit is another.
But the Godhead of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit is one: the glory equal, the majesty coeternal.
Such as the Father is, such is the Son, and such is the Holy Spirit: the Father uncreated, the Son uncreated, the Holy Spirit uncreated; the Father infinite, the Son infinite, the Holy Spirit infinite; the Father eternal, the Son eternal, the Holy Spirit eternal. And yet there are not three Eternals, but one Eternal, just as there are not three Uncreated or three Infinites, but one Uncreated and one Infinite.
In the same way, the Father is almighty, the Son almighty, the Holy Spirit almighty; and yet there are not three Almighties but one Almighty.
So the Father is God, the Son is God, the Holy Spirit is God; and yet there are not three Gods, but one God.
So the Father is Lord, the Son is Lord, the Holy Spirit is Lord; and yet there are not three Lords, but one Lord.
Just as we are compelled by the Christian truth to acknowledge each distinct person as God and Lord, so also are we prohibited by the catholic religion to say that there are three Gods or Lords.
The Father is not made nor created nor begotten by anyone. The Son is neither made nor created, but begotten of the Father alone. The Holy Spirit is of the Father and of the Son, neither made nor created nor begotten but proceeding. Thus, there is one Father, not three Fathers; one Son, not three Sons; one Holy Spirit, not three Holy Spirits.
And in this Trinity none is before or after another; none is greater or less than another; but the whole three persons are coeternal with each other and coequal so that in all things, as has been stated above, the Trinity in Unity and Unity in Trinity is to be worshiped.
Therefore, whoever desires to be saved must think thus about the Trinity.
But it is also necessary for everlasting salvation that one faithfully believe the incarnation of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, it is the right faith that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is at the same time both God and man.
He is God, begotten from the substance of the Father before all ages; and He is man, born from the substance of His mother in this age: perfect God and perfect man, composed of a rational soul and human flesh; equal to the Father with respect to His divinity, less than the Father with respect to His humanity.
Although He is God and man, He is not two, but one Christ: one, however, not by the conversion of the divinity into flesh but by the assumption of the humanity into God; one altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person.
For as the rational soul and flesh is one man, so God and man is one Christ, who suffered for our salvation, descended into hell, rose again on the third day from the dead, ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father, from whence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
At His coming all people will rise again with their bodies and give an account concerning their own deeds. And those who have done good will enter into eternal life, and those who have done evil into eternal fire.
This is the catholic faith; whoever does not believe it faithfully and firmly cannot be saved.
