Challenge Response: The Best Possible World Wouldn’t Have Non-God Objects

Is the best possible world one in which only God exists? Do non-God objects pose a problem for the Christian view of God as a maximally great being?  My response to this week’s challenge:

Challenge: The Best Possible World Wouldn’t Have Non-God Objects

A tweet from the skeptics at the Reasonable Doubts podcast inspired today’s challenge:

What do you say? How do you answer this challenge? Leave your ideas in the comments below, and we’ll hear Brett’s answer later this week.

Challenge Response: Is Heaven a Selfish Desire?

Since Brett and Alan are both out this week, we chose a challenge that Brett answered earlier this year for the STR Blog. Here’s his answer to this week’s challenge question:

Challenge: Is Heaven a Selfish Desire?

Ready for this week’s challenge? Here’s a question we received:

Is Heaven a selfish desire? Christians are told throughout their teachings that they are to be selfless. Does this mean that to desire Heaven is selfish (and therefore wrong) since it’s a reward at the end of life?

Give us your answers for this one, and we’ll post a video from Brett on Thursday.

Challenge Response: Abortion Wins Souls for Christ

Here’s my response to the challenge that abortion wins souls for Christ.

Challenge: Abortion Wins Souls for Christ

Here’s an objection I’ve heard surprisingly often:

If you do believe that children are innocent in the eyes of God, wouldn’t it be reasonable to suggest that abortion doctors are winning more souls for Christ than Christian missionaries? Why not bomb a pre-school? That would surely win a lot of souls for Christ.

So what do you think? Is it reasonable to suggest that we should kill people into the Kingdom? I’ve heard people (utterly despicably) use this question to try to lessen opposition to abortion among Christians, saying that killing unborn babies is in the babies’ best interest. But I think this particular formulation of the question is being used as a “taking the roof off” tactic—that is, it’s trying to show that the Christian worldview is absurd and that we’re not living consistently within it. In this formulation, the asker is assuming we’d be opposed to missionary killing, but he’s challenging us to explain how we reconcile our actions and our beliefs.

To answer this challenge, you’ll need to think through some theology—what we know to be true about God, man, and the role God has given us. We’ll hear Alan’s answer on Thursday.

Challenge Response: Only Tyrants Demand Worship

We’re wrapping up our New Zealand speaking tour, but were still able to answer this week’s challenge!

Challenge: Only Tyrants Demand Worship

I found this challenge in “Top 50 Questions Christians Can’t Answer.” Can you answer it?

God wants everyone to worship and follow him and, if they don’t, they burn in hell for all eternity. What does this type of attitude say about his character? By definition, he would be described as a tyrant.

Is God a tyrant? What do you think? How would you respond? Leave your ideas in the comments below, and we’ll hear from Brett on Thursday.

Challenge Response: The Life Is in the Blood

I respond to this week’s challenge that claims Leviticus 17:11 teaches that life begins only after blood is in the human embryo. This challenge is intended to undermine a Christian’s pro-life view.

Challenge: The Life Is in the Blood

The challenge this week was suggested by one of our readers:

I have heard pro-choicers argue that we shouldn’t believe life begins at conception because Leviticus 17:11 says the life is in the blood. I know they have missed some things because the context is about sacrifices, but what is a good response to this?

What do you think? How would you answer this challenge? Give it your best shot, and then we’ll hear from Alan on Thursday.