Table Of ContentC S
B G
C S
B G
My Story
James B. Polson
© 2019 James B. Polson
Can a Skeptic Believe in God?
My Story
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Library of Congress Control Number: 2019910778
ISBN 978-1-400328055 (Paperback)
ISBN 978-1-400328062 (eBook)
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A
The author is grateful to his wife, Nancy, his pastor, Ralph “Yankee”
Arnold, and his dear friend and brother in Christ, Jay Kominsky, for
their valuable advice.
D
This book is dedicated to my beloved wife, Nancy, whose love, faith, and
prayers have strengthened and brightened my life for more than sixty
years.
C
Acknowledgments
Dedication
Introduction
Coming to Grips with Eternity
A Glimmer of Hope
Seeking Assurance
A Faithful Bible Teacher
God’s Answer to My Skepticism
Selected Bible Prophecies
Conclusion
Bibliography
Appendix: How You Can Have Eternal Life as a Gi
I
This is my story, but it is really written to help you if you will ever face
your own death someday and would like to know, for sure, where you
will spend eternity. Maybe you are skeptical about whether it is possible to
know anything at all about life beyond the grave and you are not interested
in tales from charlatans and fanatics. I understand. I was also a skeptic, but I
was driven by the thought that if there was even a small fraction of a chance
that I could spend eternity tormented in hell, and I could do something now
to change that, the stakes were high enough that I would be foolish not to
check it out while I was still able. So I ventured forth to see if I could
discover any truth about God and eternity. If you would like to bene�t from
what I learned, read on.
C G E
My father was a good role model for seeking truth. Although
encumbered with the imperfections of being human, he was known
as an honest man among his family and friends. In addition, he had a high
regard for science, education, and the arts. He was a factory worker in my
early years, but by working during the day and attending night school at a
university, he earned a degree in chemistry and became a chemical engineer.
My mother was a talented artist who added beauty to our modest home. My
parents sought the truth about God by regularly attending church, but for
me church was a mixed blessing. e pastor used the Bible when he
preached, and many people seemed to gain biblical insights from his
messages. But I did not. I was confused for a long time about what one must
do to escape from punishment in hell for one’s sins. However, by the time I
entered college, I was studying the Bible prayerfully on my own and, I think,
had placed my faith in Jesus alone for the forgiveness of my sins. However,
when some acquaintances asked me how I knew there was a God and how I
knew Jesus is the Son of God, I drew a blank. I said simply, “You gotta have
faith,” as though having faith, supported by nothing, was God’s test of your
character. at answer did not satisfy my acquaintances nor did it satisfy me,
and I guess I knew in the back of my mind that my theological knowledge
was a house of cards constructed on thin air.
In 1959 I married a lovely young lady who had dedicated her life to the
Lord, and we planned to build a home that was honoring to God. She
graduated from nurses’ training, and I graduated from the University of
Missouri, and, following graduation, I volunteered for the US Army. Once in
the Army, I was isolated from my Christian friends and no longer attended
church. I quit reading my Bible and quit praying, and over the course of a
couple of years, my faith gradually dwindled away. I also became very
sel�sh. When I was released from active duty, I had one purpose in mind,
and that was to create a pro�table career for myself. To achieve this purpose,
I entered graduate school at the University of Missouri.
