Answers to 78 Atheist Questions

This is a response video to Hemant Mehta’s 78 Questions for Christians.  

1. “Is Anne Frank burning in Hell right now?”
   To get to heaven, one must confess their sins and believe that Jesus is Lord (Romans 10:9). If Anne Frank held onto her Jewish religion, then yes, she is currently in hell.
2. “How About Mahatma Gandhi?”
   Gandhi held to his Hindu beliefs. Since Hinduism and Christianity are not compatible, then yes, he is not in heaven.
3. “Is Fred Phelps in Heaven? Because he believed in the divinity of Jesus.”
   Again, Romans 10:9. He confessed and believed that Jesus is Lord, then yes, he is in heaven.
4. “Should a killer who genuinely repents be able to go to Heaven?”
   Yes, yes he should. (1 John 1:9)
5. “Should a kind-hearted Atheist be forced to go burn in hell for all of eternity?”
   Yes. I should mention here that we are saved by faith that Jesus is Lord and savior. We are not saved by how good we think we are or by how much good stuff we do. (Ephesians 2:8-9)
6. “What about any non-Christians good person. Should they be burning in Hell?”
   Same answer as #5.
7. “Would you be happy in Heaven if someone you loved was in Hell?”
   As awful as this sounds, yes. If the person I loved died before me, then I would not be happy as long as I live. However, when I die, I don’t think I will be concerned with that. Heaven will be splendid beyond human description. When I’m there, I will be constantly praising God. The cares of this earth will not be with me in Heaven. Revelation 21 is a brilliant description of Heaven.  Verse 4 answers the question.
8.  “If your son or daughter were dying, and I hope that never happens, would you just pray for them? Or would You take them to a doctor?” 
   I’d do both. While I do believe in the power of prayer and in miracles, I do believe that God wants us to act. I believe that God will guide us on the right  path. If he wants us to hold off going to the doctor, I will. If he wants me to seek help, I will. I know  and believe that God is able to heal without the aid of humans, however, I do not think He often works that way.
9. “And if you say you’d do both, which one do you think has more of an impact?”
   Prayer definitely has more of an impact. (1 John 5:14, Matthew 21:21-22,  James 1:6)
10. “Whose prayers does God answer?”
    God answers all prayers. However, some prayers are answered with a “No,” some are answered with a “Yes,” and some are answered with a “Not yet.”  (1 John 5:14-15, Romans 8:28)
11. “And if it’s ultimately God’s will what happens, why even bother praying?”
    We pray to serve God (Luke 2:36-38) and we are commanded to in Philippians 4:6-7. We also pray to that we can gain God’s help with major decisions (Luke 6:12-13, Jesus praying before choosing The 12 Disciples). More on this topic Here.
12. “If you have cancer right now, what’s going to help you more; drugs or prayer?”
    Prayer. Prayer will help reveal what type of treatment you should receive. Prayer will also tell you if it is your time to leave earth. Ultimately, prayer will bring more peace and comfort. Also, prayer may bring a miracle if that’s God’s will.
13. “Let’s say you had an amputated limb. Would prayer ever bring it back?”
    I believe in miraculous healing. It believe that prayer could bring back an amputated limb. I believe that if God allowed it, a limb could reappear. However, I think God rarely shows His glory in that way for reasons that are beyond me. I also think that having an amputated limb is a chance to glorify God in the building of character. The strength of our faith is more important than our physical happiness.
14. “If you’d heard stories of an amputated limb ever growing back, how come there is never a camera around whenever anything like that happens?” 
    When people pray consistently and beg God for miracles, they are not concerned with capturing it in a picture or a video. They are concerned with the healing of the friend or family member. If their sole concern is to capture it on camera, they are praying with the wrong motives. (James 4:3)
15. “How come there are no cameras around with ANY miracles happen?”
    You mean the pictures of my friend getting out of the hospital 4 days before he was supposed to? He got a concussion, three small(ish) scull fractures, and something happened to his eye. He walked from ICU to a regular hospital room. He was out of the hospital in three days instead of a week. His mom posted pictures on Facebook.
16. “If you had an exam coming up, what do you think would help you earn a higher score; prayer or studying for the test?”
    Both. While prayer helps us have a peace about the test, God doesn’t (usually) give us a pass on studying. If we sit around and don’t study, we aren’t honoring God. (Proverbs 13:4, Colossians 3:23)
17. “If you prayed for me over YouTube right now, do you think I would know it somehow?”
    I don’t think so. I don’t think that you’d think “Oh Hey, Tara prayed for me today.” I know that I feel prayed for when I know people have prayed for me. However, I personally don’t “feel” the prayers I don’t ask for.
18. “What matters to God more, the quantity of prayers or the quality of prayers.”
    Both are important. There aren’t any guidelines for how many words should be in a prayer. However, the Pharisees (religious people from Jesus’ day) were condemned for praying so that everyone could hear (Matthew 6:5-8). On the flip side, when have nothing to say, the Holy Spirit prays for us (Romans 8:26).  What matters most is our motive behind prayer. Are we being humble or are we asking in selfishness (James 4:3)? As for quantity, we are also told that we should pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17, Ephesians 6:18), so you can say that quantity matters.
19. “If its the quantity that matters, how come the most popular team doesn’t always win the Super Bowl?”
    I think the motive behind the prayer cone into play here. Why do you want them to win? You also need to think about this: which side is praying more/has more praying supporters? Maybe the prayer IS being answered.
20. “And if it’s the quality that matters, how come people we really love, people who are close to us, how come they die no matter what we say to God?”
    God knows what’s best. We may want someone to stay on earth as long as possible. However, that person could be living in extreme pain. God takes people when it’s their time (Ecclesiastes 3:1a). That person’s time may not be when we want it to be, but God knows what’s best for us and them (Romans 8:28).
21. “Is it possible that your prayers have no supernatural effect and only serve to make you feel better?”
    Here is a quote from GotQuestions.org (original article is here):If the Syrian woman with the demon-influenced daughter had not prayed to Christ, her daughter would not have been made whole (Mark 7:26-30). If the blind man outside Jericho had not called out to Christ, he would have remained blind (Luke 18:35-43). God has said that we often go without because we do not ask (James 4:2). In one sense, prayer is like sharing the gospel with people. We do not know who will respond to the message of the gospel until we share it. In the same way, we will never see the results of answered prayer unless we pray.
22. “And if that were true, would you ever admit it?”
    If that were true, I would admit it.
23. “Is there anything in your life right now that makes you doubt God’s existence?” 
    Not at the moment, but there have been times when I wondered if God was real.
24. “If you did doubt God’s existence, how would your life change?”
    I don’t think it would change that much. If (and when) I doubt, I will find answers in the Bible. Doubts themselves aren’t wrong. What we do with doubts could be (Jude 1:22, Hebrews 11:6)
25. “Was Jesus white?”
    Not likely since he was born in the Middle East. However, there is no specific mention as to what the color of his skin was. (read more Here)
26. “Why does it seem that God is more likely to help someone who is a talented athlete over a starving child overseas?”
    God values both. However, we hear more about athletes than we do starving children.  There are companies whose sole mission is to provide for impoverished and weather-damaged communities (such as Samaritan’s Purse).
27. “Why does God seem to hate Africa?”
    What makes you think that God hates Africa? There are plenty of civilized communities in Africa and there are plenty of starving children in the U.S. The other issues seen in Africa (i.e. HIV, genocide, piracy, etc…) are not uncommon in other parts of the world. (Ecclesiastes 1:9)
28. “If a group of people from, say, Africa, came to your community with the intent to convert you to their tribal faith, would you listen to them and take them seriously? Or would you just dismiss them because they don’t believe what you already believe?”
    I would hear them out. I would view them as people. I wouldn’t view their religion as truth. I would talk to them about Christianity with gentleness and respect. (1 Peter 3:15)
29. “Does God speak you personally?”
    Yes, but not with words. When God speaks to me, I feel at peace with decisions. When God doesn’t want me to do something, I feel uneasy about a decision. God speaks to me from the words written in the Bible. Some people receive dreams (such as this woman who came to Christianity from Islam) , others may audibly hear Him. It’s different for all, but reading the Bible is the most common way to hear God.
30. “If God spoke to you and told you to kill your child, would you do it?”
    He wouldn’t tell me to do that. God will never tell us to do anything against what He commanded (Psalm 89:34, Exodus 20:13). I can rest knowing that God will never command me to murder.  If ever I feel the urge to do something against the Bible, I know that God is not in that thing. (2 Corinthians 11:14)
31. “If God told you to kill me, would you do it?”
    See answer to #30.
32. “Is God always watching over you?”
    Yep! Hebrews 4:13, Psalms 33:13, Proverbs 5:21
33. “How’bout when you’re on the toilet?”
    Yep!
34. “What do you say to Muslims who believe that the Quran is the holy book?”
    I say that they are not reading truth. They don’t believe that Jesus was crucified and rose from the dead. That is the basis for the Christian faith, so they aren’t believing truth.
35. “Are they wrong?”
    Yes.
36. “Have you read the Quran?”
    Parts of it.
37. “Why do you so easily dismiss their holy book?”
    We are told to test each thought and spirit. (1 John 4:1-3) Anything that goes against what is taught in the Bible is false.
38. “And then why do you get upset at Atheists who dismiss yours?”
    I don’t…
39. “Is acting on one’s homosexuality a sin?”
    Yes. (Leviticus 18:22, Romans 1:26-28, 1 Timothy 1:8-11)
40. “Is homosexuality itself a sin?”
    Yes (see above verses)
41. “Do you believe that gays and lesbians should have the right to get legally married?”
    I do not at all support the LGBT community. They should not be married.
42. “Would your church ever marry a gay or lesbian couple?”
    I don’t think so, but you’d have to ask my pastor.
43. “If not, and you believe they should have the right to marry, why do you remain in that church?”
    While the couple may marry, I don’t think it’s right to marry them under God. God specifically tells us that homosexuality is a sin, so why would a gay/lesbian couple get married in a church knowing that God doesn’t condone homosexuality?
    I remain in a church were the values and instructions put forth by God are implemented. Even if I disagreed with something God said, I would be wrong to value my opinion above God’s by leaving the church. Being a Christian is dying to self. (Galatians 2:20)
44. “Why would God create people who are gay, then punish them for being gay?”
    God does not create people with homosexual tendencies. He can not act against what he commands. (more here).
45. “If God is already sending gay people who are acting on their homosexuality to hell, why do so many Christians feel the need to persecute them here on earth?”
    It is my belief that Christians who persecute those in the LGBT community think they can change their behaviors by yelling at them. I think, if anything, showing 1 Corinthians 13 love to anyone will show our passion for Christ more than yelling at them would.
46. Why is God playing ‘Hide-n-Seek’ with all of humanity?”
    He isn’t. Romans 1:18-20
47. “Do you believe that Jesus is coming back during your lifetime?”
    I believe that he could. However, I can not be certain.
48. “If you do, what do you say to al those people who have been saying the same thing for centuries and who are no longer with us?”
    No one is certain when Jesus will return. It’s simply impossible to know. Since Jesus ascended, people have been saying that He is coming back soon. It could be tomorrow, it could be 2,000 years from now. We simply don’t know.
49. “Why is the story of Jesus’ birth and life so similar to that of mythological beings who lived before his time?”
    Here is another quote from GotQuestions.org (full article here). Here is a comparison between Horus (the Egyptian god) and Jesus Christ.

    • He was born on December 25 of a virgin: Isis Mary
    • A star in the East proclaimed his arrival
    • Three kings came to adore the newborn “savior”
    • He became a child prodigy teacher at age 12
    • At age 30 he was “baptized” and began a “ministry”
    • Horus had twelve “disciples”
    • Horus was betrayed
    • He was crucified
    • He was buried for three days
    • He was resurrected after three days

    However, when the actual writings about Horus are competently examined, this is what we find:

    • Horus was born to Isis; there is no mention in history of her being called “Mary.” Moreover, “Mary” is our Anglicized form of her real name, Miryam or Miriam. “Mary” was not even used in the original texts of Scripture.
    • Isis was not a virgin; she was the widow of Osiris and conceived Horus with Osiris.
    • Horus was born during month of Khoiak (Oct/Nov), not December 25. Further, there is no mention in the Bible as to Christ’s actual birth date.
    • There is no record of three kings visiting Horus at his birth. The Bible never states the actual number of magi that came to see Christ.
    • Horus is not a “savior” in any way; he did not die for anyone.
    • There are no accounts of Horus being a teacher at the age of 12.
    • Horus was not “baptized.” The only account of Horus that involves water is one story where Horus is torn to pieces, with Isis requesting the crocodile god to fish him out of the water.
    • Horus did not have a “ministry.”
    • Horus did not have 12 disciples. According to the Horus accounts, Horus had four demigods that followed him, and there are some indications of 16 human followers and an unknown number of blacksmiths that went into battle with him.
    • There is no account of Horus being betrayed by a friend.
    • Horus did not die by crucifixion. There are various accounts of Horus’ death, but none of them involve crucifixion.
    • There is no account of Horus being buried for three days.
    • Horus was not resurrected. There is no account of Horus coming out of the grave with the body he went in with. Some accounts have Horus/Osiris being brought back to life by Isis and then becoming the lord of the underworld.

    When compared side by side, Jesus and Horus bear little, if any, resemblance to one another.

     

50. “How do you decide which sections of the bible are literally true and which ones are metaphorical?”
    Just as we use figures of speech in everyday language, the Bible also uses figures of speech. There are poems that use obvious personification in the Psalms (such as Psalms 98:7-8). There are many different types of writing in the Bible. It only takes common sense to know when to differentiate the clapping of trees and direct  commands from God.  (more on Biblical literalism here)
51. “What is the minimum requirement for being a Christian?”
    Romans 10:9-10
    “…because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.” 
52. “And who falls under that definition?”
    Mark 16:16
    “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”  I should mention that this verse is a direct quote from Jesus Christ. (Romans 10:9-10 and Mark 16:16)
53. “Fred Phelps?”
    As long as he believes and confesses
54. “Pat Robertson?”
    As long as he believes and confesses
55. “James Dobson?”
    As long as he believes and confesses
56. “President Obama?”
    As long as he believes and confesses
57. “Do you really believe that Mary was impregnated without ever having sex?”
    Yes I do.
58. “If someone came up to you and said she was pregnant, but she was totally a virgin, would you believe her?”
    No I wouldn’t. I believe that God would only allow that once. The purpose of God sending Jesus through a virgin is so that Jesus could be fully God and fully man. (more here and here)
59. “Why did God have to rape a teenage girl in order to become human?”
    He didn’t have to. Also, the idea that God raped a young lady doesn’t align with other parts of the Bible. Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed because of things like rape. Why would God use something that he detests? Also, she gives her consent before Gabriel leaves her. More here
60. “If you could go back in time to when Jesus was being crucified, would you try to save him? Or would you stand back and do nothing because your entire faith depends on him being crucified?”
    If I was a follower of Jesus when he walked on the earth, I would believe that His death is necessary for the salvation of the world. Thus I would not take the Savior of the world off of His cross.
61. “What would it take to change your mind about God’s existence?”
    If there was no God, I would believe that there is no God. However, I believe that we see God in nature. I don’t think there would be a world without God, thus, if there never was a world, I would believe that there is no God. But there is a world with beautiful creations in it. There is definitely a God and nothing you say will make me think otherwise. (Romans 1:19-20)
62. “Do you think it’s a little strange when someone says they’re gonna believe something no matter what? Even when all the evidence seems to point in the other direction?”
    It’s only strange when all the evidence points in the other direction. Read this article for a more in-depth look at common arguments against Christianity.
63. “What is something your pastor has said in church that your totally disagree with?”
    I once heard a pastor say that mentors are to speak to God for the person they’re mentoring. He implied that the everyday person without a mentor couldn’t speak to God. Romans 8::26 and Matthew 6:6 mention nothing about the necessity of someone praying your requests instead of praying yourself.
64. “When that happened, did you confront your pastor about it? Or did you just let it slide?” 
    We never mentioned it to the church leadership, but we left that church.
65. “Why are there so many Christian denominations? “
    Can you tell that I really like GotQuestions.org? Here’s another quote from an article on that website.

    The Lutheran denomination was named after Martin Luther and was based on his teachings. The Methodists got their name because their founder, John Wesley, was famous for coming up with “methods” for spiritual growth. Presbyterians are named for their view on church leadership—the Greek word for elder is presbyteros. Baptists got their name because they have always emphasized the importance of baptism. Each denomination has a slightly different doctrine or emphasis from the others, such as the method of baptism; the availability of the Lord’s Supper to all or just to those whose testimonies can be verified by church leaders; the sovereignty of God vs. free will in the matter of salvation; the future of Israel and the church; pre-tribulation vs. post-tribulation rapture; the existence of the “sign” gifts in the modern era, and so on. The point of these divisions is never Christ as Lord and Savior, but rather honest differences of opinion by godly, albeit flawed, people seeking to honor God and retain doctrinal purity according to their consciences and their understanding of His Word.

    I should also mention that Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormons (Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints) are not Christian denominations.

66. “And are the people who are in those different denominations bad Christians? Are they wrong?”
    They aren’t bad Christians and they aren’t wrong. As long as our motive is to worship God in all his Glory, we do nothing wrong. If our motive for a specific type of worship is more for show-off purposes, then we aren’t being humble like we should be. (Matthew 6:5-6, Matthew 6:16-17)
67. “Which denomination is right?”
    The one whose sole mission is to teach the Bible and raise up Christians who would die for their faith. The denomination who focuses on showing themselves as more righteous than the other denominations is a group that takes after the Pharisees (people who Jesus constantly rebuked).
68. “Or which group of denominations is right?”
    The denominations whose sole mission is to teach the Bible and raise up Christians who would die for their faith.
69. “Who or what do you think is responsible for natural disasters like earth quakes and tsunamis?” 
    Our sinful nature. Once Adam and Eve were cast out of the garden for sinning, God allowed us to make our choices apart from God. When we live apart from God and in the world, we aren’t in God. 1 John 2:15 and James 4:4 show us that to be a friend of God is to be an enemy of the world. God can not abide with sin, thus when he left earth, sin entered. Perfection left and imperfection (wars, natural disasters, etc.) entered.
70. “Can you pause this video and tell me what the Ten Commandments are?”
    Not in order, but I can name them all. (No other gods before Him, don’t take the name of God in vain, do not make idols, honor the Sabbath, honor your parents, don’t lie, don’t murder, don’t steal, don’t commit adultery, don’t covet/envy)
71. “And if you know them, and good for you if you do, who do so many Christians believe that the first four of them being on government property and in the classrooms?” 
    The country was established by protestant men. They (and I) believed that a nation unified by God will stand. It is important to have a country unified by a common beliefs and it just happens that those men believed that God should be at the forefront of this country.
72. “Would you feel comfortable saying the Pledge of Allegiance in class every day if the word were ‘One nation under no god indivisible with library and justice for all’?”
    I would not feel comfortable saying that.
73. “Do you think it’s just a coincidence that different religions are popular in different parts of the world?” 
    I don’t believe in coincidences. It makes sense that a religion is most popular in a certain place. For example; Christianity started in Judea/Israel. Paul’s missions spread the Gospel from Judea to Rome. Rome split between eastern Rome (which I think became Byzantium) and western Rome (which became the countries of France, Spain, Germany, and much of western Europe). The split of Rome allowed for the dispersement of Christianity. In eastern Asia, religions such as taoism stayed where they originated because very few outsiders were allowed in or out. The dispersement of religions depends of the activeness of the certain religion. Mark 16:15 commands Christians to preach the Gospel to everyone. Thus Christianity is is many countries.
74. “Do you believe that if you were born in Saudi Arabia you would be a Muslim rather than a Christian?”
    If I was born in Saudi Arabia, I would most likely be raised a Muslim. However, I believe that if God wanted me to be a Christian, he would place people and events in my life that would point me to Him. It also would be my job to seek truth.
75. “Is it possible that religion has less to do with what’s true and more to do with the circumstances of where and when you were born?”
    Nope. John 14:6, Ephesians 6:14, Psalm 119:160, 1 John 3:18
76. “Do you believe childbirth is an example of a miracle?”
    Yes, I do. I believe that every breath we take is a miracle.
77. “Does that mean Hitler was once a miracle baby?”
    Yep.
78. “And if childbirth is a miracle, how come that miracle happens thousands and thousands of times a week?”  
    Romans 1:19-20
    “For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”