#STRask

Questions about how to respond to the critique that Christians care more about ideology than people, and whether we have freedom in America because Christians are more civilized or because the Constitution doesn’t allow Christians to enforce their laws.   Can you respond to the critique that Christians care more about ideology than people? Do you think we enjoy freedom in America because Christian...

Questions about how the similarities between Krishna and Jesus could be a coincidence and whether there’s any proof to substantiate the idea that Jesus studied Buddhism during his “missing years.”   How could the similarities between the Krishna story and the Jesus story (e.g., a star at his birth, his father traveling to pay taxes, a transfiguration, etc.) be a coincidence? Is there any proof to...

Question about how you can improve your informal writing (e.g., blog posts) when you don’t have access to an editor.   Do you have any thoughts or advice on how best to improve my informal writing (e.g., blog posts) when I don’t have access to an editor?

Question about the top three pitfalls to watch out for when you start using apologetics in conversations with others.   What are the top three apologist pitfalls—i.e., if you’ve just read Tactics, you’re ready to go, and Jehovah’s Witnesses show up at your door or your atheist coworker starts asking you about God, what are the top three things to watch out for?

Questions about whether “God the Father” is a sexist term that demeans women in general and mothers in particular, how long Hell has been there, whether God created it, and how to explain the kind of anger that would lead to the creation of Hell.   Can you respond to the critique that “God the Father” is a sexist term that demeans women in general and mothers in particular? How long has Hell been...

Questions about whether you should believe things you can’t fully comprehend, whether it’s just an arbitrary escape hatch to say God doesn’t require a cause, and how to respond to an atheist who grounds objective morality in an objective rule or criteria.   Should one believe things they can’t fully comprehend, and if not, at what level of comprehension of certain biblical truth statements ought t...

Questions about whether Romans 14:23 means that doing the right thing is a sin if you truly believe it’s wrong, and how to reconcile Hebrews 10:16, which says God will put his laws on our hearts, with Romans 7:7, which says that if it weren’t for the Law, we wouldn’t know sin.   How should we view Romans 14:23 when it comes to people whose consciences have become twisted to the point where they st...

Questions about how a fisherman could have written the book of Peter, why people say that not mentioning the destruction of the temple indicates an early date for the Synoptic Gospels when John doesn’t mention it either, and why one should think the Bible is special.   How did Peter, being an uneducated fisherman, write the book of Peter, which seems levels above what someone with no education cou...

Questions about why, if it’s impossible to miss God’s voice, the disciples incorrectly told Paul “through the Spirit” not to go to Jerusalem, people mistook God’s voice for thunder, the Bible says God speaks in riddles, Daniel had to ask for an interpretation, and more.   If it’s impossible to miss God’s voice, why did the disciples incorrectly tell Paul “through the Spirit” not to go to Jerusalem...

Questions about why, if we don’t need to learn to hear God’s voice, there’s a command to earnestly desire the gift of prophecy, why we would need to learn how to use other spiritual gifts but not this one, and why there are men who don’t perceive God’s voice in Job 33:14.   You say we don’t need to learn to hear the voice of God, but we’re commanded to “earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especi...

Questions about how to showcase God’s goodness when we’re really struggling in our suffering, an explanation of God’s response at the end of the book of Job, and whether we should conclude from Job that it’s inappropriate to ask God why we’re suffering.   How can we still glorify God and showcase his goodness when we’re really struggling in our suffering—exhausted, depressed, etc.? I understand Sa...

Questions about how to pray for persecuted Christians in light of the fact that God wills that some will be martyrs, and how persecuted Christians who are being threatened and beaten know if they should stay and preach the gospel or leave and protect their family.   I have a hard time praying “Old Testament promises” for protection and deliverance for persecuted Christians since I know that, in so...

Questions about how to discern when it’s time to walk away from a conversation, and how to cope with people charging you with being prideful and legalistic when you’re doing your best to be humble, fair, and gentle while sharing the gospel and defending the faith.   How do you discern when it’s time to walk away from a conversation? If the person is hard-hearted, is it worth it to keep trying to s...

Questions about how to engage someone wearing a button that reads, “Jesus had two dads, and he turned out just fine,” and how to be kind and loving without compromising truth with someone in a Bible study who says her adult child goes by “they/them.”   How would you engage someone wearing a button that reads, “Jesus had two dads, and he turned out just fine”? How can I be kind and loving without c...

Questions about whether Christian business owners should provide a livable wage, whether doing a corporate sponsorship that promotes one’s business contradicts Matthew 6:3, and whether the parable of the rich fool refutes America’s approach to retirement.   Do Christian business owners have a moral responsibility to provide a livable wage? Would doing a corporate sponsorship with an organization w...

Questions about leaving a church with biblical theology because they refuse to preach on divisive topics, whether it’s okay to write an apologetics book under a pen name out of fear of repercussions, and how to reconcile Romans 13:1–5 with rulers who are unjust.   Should I leave a church that has solid biblical theology but refuses to preach on divisive topics (LGBTQ, abortion, anything political,...

Questions about whether Jesus lied in Mark 5:39, proving that lying can’t be a sin, when he said, “The child has not died, but is asleep,” and what Jesus meant when he said we need to be “born of water and the Spirit” in John 3:5.   Jesus never sinned. Jesus lied in Mark 5:39. Therefore, lying can’t be a sin. What did Jesus mean by “born of water and the Spirit” in John 3:5?

Questions about whether the principle that a house divided against itself can’t stand would apply not only to Satan casting out demons but also to God allowing evil, whether or not God is the author of everything he permits for a purpose, and the primary sin of Eve.   Wouldn’t the principle in Mark 3:24–25 that a house divided against itself can’t stand apply not only to Satan casting out demons b...

Questions about giving a biblical perspective to a single friend who is a relatively new Christian and is planning to use IVF to have a baby, and whether or not it’s wrong to pray for a baby for a single Christian who wants to adopt.   A Christian friend who is relatively new to the faith confided that she isn’t sure marriage is for her and is planning to use IVF to have a baby. How can I talk to...

Questions about whether there’s a gracious way to explain to manipulative and demanding patients that they’re giving Christianity a negative reputation, and how to deal with friends who send a lot of end-time prophecy videos that take Bible verses out of context.   As a Christian nurse, is there a gracious way to explain to manipulative and demanding patients who claim to be Christians that they’r...

Questions about how to handle objections from Christians who think we should all be harvesters and should not focus on gardening, and whether attending a service at a mosque would communicate approval of the religion (similar to attending a same-sex wedding).   How do you handle objections from Christians who think we should all be harvesters and should not focus on gardening? Should Christians at...

Questions about what qualifies as witchcraft, where the line is between witchcraft and science manipulating nature to accomplish things, whether the devil is omnipresent, and whether a demon can possess a location and affect the people at that location.   What specifically qualifies as witchcraft, and where’s the line between witchcraft and science manipulating nature to accomplish things? Is the...

Questions about favorite books that left a lasting impression on Greg and Amy, their response to Christians who warn that all fantasy novels (including C.S. Lewis’s books) tap into demonic ideas, and where to draw the line when it comes to the fantasy genre.   Which books (fiction or non-fiction) are your favorites and left a lasting impression? How would you respond to Christians who warn against...

Questions about whether matter and energy already existed before the Big Bang, how to respond to a Christian friend who believes Genesis 1 and Genesis 2 describe two separate creation events with two sets of humans, and the source of Moses’ creation information.   What do you think of the argument that matter and energy already existed before the Big Bang—that it was compacted by gravity, then the...

Questions about why, if Adam and Eve were in perfect community with God, we would need to be in a fallen world to fully know God, and why God cursed nature after the fall.   If Adam and Eve were in perfect community with God, why would we need to be in a fallen world to fully know God, and did God create a set of circumstances that would bring about a fallen world solely to reveal his other qualit...