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Five Questions Responding to Seven Reasons to Reject Christianity
Joe Osmundson’s post on “Seven Problems in Christianity That Killed My Faith” is a heartfelt, thoughtful and rational attack on Christianity. It has received over 6000 claps and a great many comments suggesting that many if not most Medium readers share Joe’s very serious issues with Christianity. I hesitate to call it an “attack” because there is a sense of sadness and regret in having to say goodbye to a faith that once meant much to him.
As a believer such a rational and understandable presentation of why not to believe spurs a desire to respond, to defend the faith, to undermine the arguments presented. There are pretty solid responses to many of his questions and issues but others are far more qualified than I to provide the meat that Joe and those who applaud him can chew on.
The most basic one, of course, is: how can God be good if he is God? Archibald McLeish in his play based on the Book of Job succinctly summarized this eternal question: “If God is good, he is not God. If God is God he is not good.” McLeish put that memorable observation in the mouth of Job’s friend, commenting on the injustice visited on his suffering friend for no apparent reason.
All other questions seem to be subsidiary to that one. Rather than bringing out the old arguments and answers that still…
