10 Answers for Atheists: How to Have an Intelligent Discussion about the Existence of God

206 Pages·2012·1.06 MB·English

by  Alex McFarland

© 2012 Alex McFarland
Published by Bethany House Publishers
11400 Hampshire Avenue South
Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
www.bethanyhouse.com
Bethany House Publishers is a division of
Baker Publishing Group, Grand Rapids, Michigan.
www.bakerpublishinggroup.com
Bethany House Publishers edition published 2014
ISBN 978-1-4412-6658-3
Previously published by Regal Books
Ebook edition originally created 2012
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior
written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, DC.
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International
Version®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan
Publishing House. All rights reserved.
Other versions used are:
ASV—The American Standard Version, Thomas Nelson and Sons, first published in 1901.
NASB—Scripture taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972,
1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
DEDICATION
In honor of Norman L. Geisler—preeminent apologist and educator
and
the faculty, staff, and students of North Greenville University—“Where Christ Makes the Difference”
CONTENTS
Foreword (by Eric Metaxas)
Acknowlegments
Introduction
Section I
INSIDE THE MIND OF THE ATHEIST
1. 10 Kinds of Atheists
2. A Brief History of Unbelief
3. A Brief Critique of Atheism
4. A Brief Critique of Agnosticism
Section II
ATHEISM AND OTHER RELIGIONS
5. Four Forms of Theism
6. Alternatives to the Biblical God
7. Christianity and the God of the Bible
Section III
ANSWERING THE ATHEISTS
8. Civility and Healthy Discourse
9. Answers to 10 Questions About God and Christianity
10. 10 “Ghosts” that Haunt Atheists
Conclusion
Appendix: Answers to 30 Common Objections by Atheists
Endnotes
Glossary
Additional Resources
Foreword
I’m honored to have been asked to write the foreword for my friend Alex
McFarland’s terrific book. I’m thrilled that this book exists (which I can prove
and discuss intelligently), and I’m thrilled that Alex exists (which I can also
prove and discuss, albeit not quite as intelligently). The reason I’m thrilled is
that we desperately need win-some and intelligent voices like Alex’s to show us
the way forward on these and similarly important topics.
In 1 Peter 3:15, we are told, “Always be prepared to give an answer to
everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have.” This
doesn’t mean that all of us have to be as good at it as Alex McFarland, but it
does mean that we should make some effort in this direction, and reading this
book is a good start. Scripture also enjoins us to love God with all our minds
(see Luke 10:17). Having some sense of why we believe what we believe is a
part of doing this.
But the larger reason I’m grateful for Alex’s existence—and this book’s—is
that Alex shows us not only what to say, but also how to say it. Not knowing
what to say is one problem, but another is seeming to have all the answers and
thinking that it is all that matters. It’s not. How we express our answers to others
is equally important, and in this post-modern, image-oriented culture, it can even
be more important. Besides, we are enjoined to love our enemies, not to
bludgeon them with facts or arguments or anything else. So I’m grateful for
Alex’s understanding that truth and grace are inextricably intertwined. Christians
believe that Truth is a Person, and how He behaved and communicated while on
this earth are as important as what He said.
Which brings me to Alex’s and my mutual friend, Chuck Colson. Chuck was
originally slated to write this foreword, and when he passed away, Alex asked if
I could do it. So, you see that when I say I am honored to be asked to write this
foreword, I’m not kidding. Indeed, that’s an understatement. Chuck was a hero
in the faith to me and to Alex, and one of the main reasons for that has to do with
his life. Chuck knew better than anyone that we aren’t just supposed to have
answers; we are to be a part of that answer. Chuck communicated that way and
lived that way. I think his life—redeemed from the corruption and scandal of
Watergate and then sent by God to go into prisons around the globe—is as
powerful an apologetic for the existence of the living God as any book ever
could be. Indeed, it is far more powerful. After all, apart from God, how can we
possibly explain the dramatic changes that we sometimes see in a life redeemed?
So, I hope this book will help you better know some of the answers for why
we believe what we do. And I hope that like our friend Chuck Colson, you will
be inspired to go out and be a part of that answer as well.