What if my husband becomes a non-believer?

Question: Hello Brother Jeffrey, I hope all has been well. The situation I face now is this: My husband and I are currently separated for several reasons (him mostly not wanting the marriage at the time). My husband was a baptized Christian in the church when we married. He was raised in the church. We got…

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How Fundamental Is Faith to Christianity

by Afolabi Akinyemi (Nigeria) “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6). No other Bible passage describes the importance of faith to Christianity than the one quoted above. The…

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God and 1984

by Orlando Gonzalez Several days ago, I had gotten around to finishing George Orwell’s (pseudonym of Eric Arthur Blair) magnum opus, 1984. Despite being written about 73 years ago, I can certainly see that it still stands the test of time as one of the most recognizable and profound novels of the 20th and 21st…

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Liberal, Missouri: A Failed Experiment

by Roger Shouse in Biblical Insights, Vol. 6, No. 2, February 2000 The little town of Liberal, Missouri, lies near the Missouri-Kansas border, a few miles north of Joplin, Missouri. This sleepy little town of about 800 residents is typical of many small towns scattered throughout the United States. Liberal, Missouri, had a very interesting…

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Created for a Purpose

by Matthew W. Bassford One of the greatest apparent advantages of a godless way of life is the freedom that it allows. No longer must the unbeliever be concerned with the law of God and whether it permits him to do what he wants to. Instead, he is free to do whatever he thinks is…

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Claims of Contradictions in the Resurrection Accounts

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Claims-of-Contradictions-in-the-Resurrection-Accounts.mp3 by Jeffrey W. Hamilton Text: I John 1:1-4   I.         People who don’t want to hear a message will try to find some way to discredit either the messenger or the message             A.        If there is a perceived flaw, then they feel justified in tossing out everything they don’t want to accept             B.        Atheists and Muslims do…

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I’m afraid to convert

Question: Good evening, I hope you are doing well and staying healthy with your family. I found your website on the Internet while I was looking for advice from Q&A’s, and I read numerous articles of yours. I am in a long-distance relationship with my boyfriend for over two years. We intend to marry each other…

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Your Belief about Origins and Your Children’s Behavior

by Alan Smith PBS film critic and columnist Michael Medved shared this anecdote out of his Jewish heritage: “A few years ago, Rabbi Jacob Karmenetky made a trip to Israel accompanied by his teenage grandson. Ironically, these two deeply religious people were seated In the airplane next to a prominent Israeli socialist leader and outspoken…

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The Atheist’s Motives

https://www.lavistachurchofchrist.org/cms/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/The-Atheists-Motives.mp3 Text: Proverbs 4:20-27   I.         Consider the offer             A.        Atheism offers                         1.         No absolute morality. Everything is subjective.                         2.         No meaning to your life. Life is just a span of time, where you suffer for a while before you are squished into oblivion.                         3.         No hope about your future.             B.        Christianity offers                         1.         A clear, absolute morality with guidelines                         2.         There is…

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The Problem with a Comprehensible God

by Matthew W. Bassford In my time as a preacher, I’ve had my share of conversations with people who thought they had a moral or philosophical justification for their agnosticism/atheism. They found something in the Bible they didn’t like. Maybe it was God commanding the slaughter of the Canaanite children. Maybe it was God condemning…

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Racism Is Wrong

by Doy Moyer Racism is wrong. Do you know why? If you say that it is wrong, but do not ultimately know why, then all you are doing is expressing either your own personal preferences or mirroring the preferences of others. That is not acceptable, for preferences are subjective expressions, not objective moral statements to…

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The Failure of Moral Relativism

by Doy Moyer (By “moral relativism,” I mean in this context the idea that morals are merely human conventions and are relative, non-absolute, and changing according to our own personal or societal situation and desires. Morals are subjective, with no ultimate line or standard by which moral behavior is to be judged other than what…

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How can I have faith when so many are leaving the faith?

Question: I am a long time reader of your site and a Bible believer for 10 years, I’m afraid I am coming to my second and perhaps final crossroad in faith. At age 19, I learned of the likes of Harris, Dawkins, and most importantly Hitchens after trying to liberalize my beliefs due to same-sex…

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How could Adam and Eve not know of good and evil until they ate a fruit?

Question: Hi, How does one respond to someone who mocks the Christian faith by saying, “The first human did not have knowledge of right or wrong and only got such ability after eating a fruit.” He says that sounds like a far-fetched fairy tale. Answer: What changes between childhood and adulthood? Children do things that…

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Do historical facts make the Bible true?

Question: Brother, How would I handle the difference between the inspired text that makes claims and a comic book that someone can use to make claims? I was told this: “For instance, I can claim the existence of Spider-Man because he is from Queens, NY, and that is a real place with real historical figures…

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Can God be proven scientifically?

Question: Your email address was given to me by a friend of mine recently. He said that you’d be willing to respond to questions. I have regarding faith in God and creationism. I am sending this message in hopes that this could be the case. I was raised in the Church of Jesus Christ of…

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Christianity that Is Appealing to Atheists

by Forrest Antemesaris I was a happy atheist. I didn’t sense a need for any kind of religion in my life. However, I wasn’t completely closed-minded toward religion. I visited a Baptist service, a Catholic Mass, and dabbled in the teachings of Buddhism (my favorite at the time). Yet, religion in all of its forms…

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The Faith of an Atheist

by William J. Stewart Some time ago, I had the opportunity to talk with a self-proclaimed Atheist. I found it to be a rather interesting conversation. He discussed several things which he found to be adequate evidence to discount the existence of God, none of which stood to any measure of inspection. Yet, he vehemently…

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What does it mean to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness”?

Question: Good afternoon, Jeffrey. I’ve been meaning to ask for a while now what it means to “suppress the truth in unrighteousness.” It’s something that gets said about atheists quite a bit. For the longest, in regards to Yahweh, I’ve thought it meant pretending He doesn’t exist for the sake of being able to sin…

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Can you help me with some questions from an atheist?

Question: I appreciate so much your willingness to answer questions. Here are the things which confuse me from an atheist: Why did Adam and Eve realize they were naked when there was not yet a concept of being clothed? Why was Adam lonely when he was in a perfect place and with God? I’m starting…

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Telling people they are sinning is ridiculous

Question: How can you tell people they are sinning when they engage in “fornication”? This is complete and utter ridiculousness. Let people do what they want without the guilt of having some mythical, non-existent, perverted, homophobic, misogynistic, megalomaniacal god controlling their lives. We are all just atoms in this complex universe; don’t pretend you have…

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The person handling the website is doing a great job

Question: Hi, Please tell the person who is doing the website that he is doing a great job. Every time I google the words “church of christ,” the La Vista Church of Christ website comes out on top or very nearly the top. This is coming from an atheist who was a member of the…

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Did Isaiah’s prophecy that Damascus would cease being a city fail?

Question: I am having a conversation with an atheist online and so far I have done well handling the so-called failed prophecies and contradictions he claims. He seems rather shocked and open to studying. I do need a little help with this one because I have never heard of it nor come across anyone disputing…

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Should I marry my atheist boyfriend?

Question: I was with this guy for over a year. We were friends and then started having sex and dating. He is an atheist. I am not. We broke up a month ago but still talk online a lot. We are still friends. He still claims he loves and still talks about wanting to be…

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The Law of Non-Contradiction

by Joshua Gurtler First published in Biblical Insights Magazine, May 2015 The Law of Non-Contradiction Argues for the God of the Bible and Against Atheism, Hinduism, and Buddhism There is an argument for God that I would like for you to consider. This argument says that without the Christian worldview (which is simply the comprehensive belief…

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How do I convince my atheistic dad?

Question: Hi Jeffrey, I have a question in regards to my father: My dad is a good man. He provides for me and my family (divorced from my mom for years now) and he never hesitates to help us when needed. My dad however does not believe in God. One statement he likes to use…

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My brilliant son has rejected God!

Question: Hello, ‘Religiously speaking’ it’s dry around here where I live. I have a super bright son, in his twenties, who has rejected God.  He wasn’t raised that way, but he’s gotten too intellectual. In desperation, I gifted him a stay on the Wheaton College campus for a week several summers ago to hear Ravi…

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Did the Egyptians keep Hebrew slaves?

Question: How can I prove to atheists that the Bible is true when some people claim that there were never records that the Egyptians kept Hebrew slaves? Why would there be no such records? Answer: See: Egyptian History and the Biblical Record – A Perfect Match There is evidence of Semites being used as slaves in…

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Arguing with Atheists

by Casey Head Via The King’s Way at Queen Way I work at a university. That’s something I thought I’d never say. I guess I’d better clarify. I’m not a professor, a graduate student getting paid to do research, a university official…or even a janitor or landscaper. I’m actually just an evangelist who happens to carry…

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Love the answer you gave to an atheist

Question: I’m a fan of your page on Facebook and greatly appreciate your answers. You do a fantastic job. Love this past answer you gave to the atheist. Keep up the good work and thank you. Answer: I really appreciate the encouragement.

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Hopefully, religion will be forgotten in the future

Question: How can you possibly deny scientific proof? The Bible is like Mother Goose or fairy tales. If you actually believe in the stories of Noah or Jonah, then you should possibly commit yourself to a mental institution. I do believe that the Bible has done good for people. It teaches people morals and the…

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Do atheists worship Satan?

Question: Hello, Earlier today a friend and I were talking about things in Christianity that tend to bother me.  One of those things was the mantra of “atheists worship Satan.”  It drives me crazy because first off, they believe in neither God nor Satan.  An illustration: a husband and a wife get into an argument. …

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Can a Christian be friends with an atheist?

Question: Good day sir, I am a woman. I have a friend who has morals and beliefs similar to mine. She is a focused, good person. I have known her for about six months now and, though it’s not long, I feel she is someone I would want to remain friends with. The only thing…

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I found some statements on an atheist site that disturb me

Question: Good day, brother! I’ve found from an atheist site these statements. Is God really all-powerful? Omnipotent? Is it true that He can do anything? If this is the case, why has God not already defeated and destroyed Satan? Wouldn’t it have made more sense to conquer Satan before Adam and Eve could be tempted…

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