50 Simple Questions for Every Christian

356 Pages·2013·7.55 MB·English

by  Guy P. Harrison

“A sober, thoughtful, and engaging series of inquiries for us Christians. Answering them
or at least responding to whether they are ‘simple’ or the ‘correct’ questions is the kind of
challenge we should embrace wholeheartedly.”
REV. BARRY LYNN, author of Piety & Politics
“A thoughtful, conversational, and eminently engaging book. Harrison offers a
respectful and yet frank and undauntedly critical approach to Christianity. Believers
and nonbelievers alike will find this a worthy, provocative read.”
PHIL ZUCKERMAN, author of Faith No More
“An enlightening and enjoyable book that every Christian on the planet should not
just read but keep on their nightstand. Harrison does not argue or attack. He simply
explains what skeptics think and does so in a way Christians are sure to appreciate and
find useful.”
, instructor of philosophy, Portland State University
“Carl Sagan taught us that we make life significant by the courage of our questions and
the depth of our answers. Harrison offers fifty such questions for Christians to better
know their own religion. A thought-provoking, revealing, and friendly book.”
CAMERON M. SMITH, author of The Fact of Evolution
“Harrison has done the impossible, he has critically analyzed myth, dogma, and belief
in the most respectful and accessible way. Many have tried, he has succeeded.”
JAKE FARR-WHARTON, author of Letters to Christian Leaders
“With persistent but gentle words, Harrison injects logic, science, and rational thinking
into the discussion of Christian religions, asking only for consideration of facts without
the emotional reaction of considering all questions as attacks. . . . Deserves serious
consideration by believers and nonbelievers alike.”
NICK WYNNE, author of Florida in the Great Depression
GUY P. HARRI is an award-winning journalist and the author of 50 Popular
Beliefs That People Think Are True, 50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God,
and Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know about Our Biological Diversity.
US $18.00/$19.00 CAN
P R O M E T H E U S B O O K S
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2119
www.prometheusbooks.com
Cover design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht
_____________________________
Guy P. Harrison
simple questions for
every Christian
WHAT ARE MIRACLES?
WHY ISN'T EVERYONE A CHRISTIAN?
WILL THE END TIMES EVER END?
IS FAITH A GOOD THING?
HAVE YOU READ THE BIBLE?
IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A CHRISTIAN NATION?
DOES THE COMPLEXITY OF LIFE REVEAL AN INTELLIGENT DESIGNER?
WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH EVOLUTION?
WHAT ABOUT ALL THE OTHER GODS?
WHY DO PEOPLE GO TO HELL?

PRAISE FOR OTHER BOOKS BY GUY P. HARRISON
50 Popular Beliefs That People Think Are True
(Prometheus Books, 2012)
“What would it take to create a world in which fantasy is not
confused for fact and public policy is based on objective reality?
I don’t know for sure. But a good place to start would be for
everyone on Earth to read this book.”
—Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist,
American Museum of Natural History
“Harrison has added to the growing body of skeptical literature
a contribution that will continue to move our culture toward one
that openly embraces reason, science, and logic.”
—Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic,
columnist for Scientific American, and
author of The Believing Brain
“Being a skeptic can be hard work, but Harrison makes it a lot
easier. . . . This is the book I wish I had written.”
—Phil Plait, author of The Bad Astronomer
“Deserves to be shelved alongside the works of such giants of the
field as Randi, Shermer, Kurtz, and Nickell. ... A valuable, not
to mention very entertainingly written, addition to the literature
of skepticism.”
—Booklist
Race and Reality: What Everyone Should Know about Our
Biological Diversity (Prometheus Books, 2010)
“This is a very important, profound, enjoyable, and enlightening
book. It should go a long way in helping disprove man’s most
dangerous myth.”
—Robert W. Sussman, professor of anthropology,
Washington University; editor of
Yearbook of Physical Anthropology, and
editor emeritus of American Anthropologist
“A tour de force that conveys the current science on racial
classification in a rigorous yet readable way. A book so clearly
written, so elegantly crafted, so packed with nuggets that
even those who think they know it all about race and racial
classification will come away changed.”
—David B. Grusky, professor of sociology,
Stanford University
50 Reasons People Give for Believing in a God
(Prometheus Books, 2008)
“Deep wisdom and patient explanations fill this excellent book.”
—James A. Haught, editor of the Charleston Gazette
“Engaging and enlightening. . . . Read this book to explore the
many and diverse reasons for belief.”
—Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic,
columnist for Scientific American, and
author of The Believing Brain
“Doesn’t bully or condescend. Reading Harrison’s book is like
having an amiable chat with a wise old friend.”
—Cameron M. Smith and Charles Sullivan,
authors of The Top 10 Myths about Evolution
Visit the author’s website at www.guypharrison.com
Guy P. Harrison
50
simple questions for
every Christian
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2119
Published 2013 by Prometheus Books
50 Simple Questions for Every Christian. Copyright © 2013 by Guy P. Harrison.
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, digital, elec­
tronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, or conveyed via the
Internet or a website without prior written permission of the publisher, except
in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Trademarks: In an effort to acknowledge trademarked names of products men­
tioned in this work, we have placed ® or ™ after the product name in the first
instance of its use in each chapter. Subsequent mentions of the name within a
given chapter appear without the symbol.
Cover design by Nicole Sommer-Lecht
Inquiries should be addressed to
Prometheus Books
59 John Glenn Drive
Amherst, New York 14228-2119
VOICE: 716-691-0133 • FAX: [phone]
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Harrison, Guy P.
50 simple questions for every Christian / by Guy P. Harrison,
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-61614-727-3 (pbk.: alk. paper)
ISBN 978-1-61614-728-0 (ebook)
1. Christianity—Miscellanea. 2. Apologetics—Miscellanea. I. Title.
II. Title: Fifty simple questions for every Christian.
BR121.3.H373 2013
230—dc23
2012044569
Printed in the United States of America on acid-free paper
Dedicated to the world’s Christians.
May they find peace and happiness.

CONTENTS
Introduction 9
1. Does Christianity make sense? 13
2. What is a god? 21
3. Is it rude to ask? 25
4. Does Jesus answer prayers? 33
5. Who is a Christian? 41
6. Does Christianity make societies better? 45
7. What is atheism? 49
8. What are miracles? 57
9. Does the complexity of life reveal 67
an intelligent designer?
10. Have you read the Bible? 73
11. Why do some Christians do bad things 79
in the sight of Jesus?
12. How can we be sure about the resurrection? 83
13. How do we know that heaven is real? 89
14. Why is God so violent? 97
15. What do prophecies prove? 103
16. How important are the Ten Commandments? 109
17. Do you know the real Ten Commandments? 117
18. Is Christianity good for women? 121
19. Is it smarter to believe or not believe? 125
20. Is the born-again experience in Christianity unique? 131
21. Is faith a good thing? 141
22. Should children be Christians? 147
23. Does Jesus heal the sick? 153
24. How do we know that the man Jesus existed? 159
25. What about all the other gods? 165
26. Are Christians happier? 171
27. Is the United States of America a Christian nation? 177
28. How can we be sure that Jesus performed miracles? 183
7