Why should any one have to accept ancient hearsay as evidence for the existence of a god?

A skeptic asks: “Why should any one have to accept ancient hearsay as evidence for the existence of a god? If Jesus is who he said he was, then he shouldn't have any problem personally convincing me of that fact, especially considering the penalty with which he is supposedly ready to zap anyone who doesn't believe. In fact, I'd say, all things considered, he is a twisted monster for not doing just that.”

You are right to be suspicious about fallible people. But if God really is omnipotent, there is no reason why He cannot use fallible people to carry out His plans—including plans to reveal Himself and get it right.

God does not promise to prove Himself unequivocally to those who believe that He is a “twisted monster,” but to those who approach Him in humility. It may be a good idea to think about your own fallibility as a judge in these things.

The apostle Paul, writing to people in Rome, did not appeal to “ancient hearsay” at all, but to their own present experience. He pointed to their awareness of the fingerprints of the Creator in the grandeur of creation. He also pointed them to their need for salvation because they all fell short of the moral judgments they made of others. There (we) are all hypocrites, in need of mercy.

More information on-line

Author: Richard B. Keyes. Text supplied by AIIA Institute.

Richard Keyes is Director of L'Abri MA, a residential study center in Southborough, Massachusetts. L'Abri was founded in Switzerland by the late Dr. Francis Schaeffer in 1955. Mr. Keyes is also and author and lecturer. Since 1997 he has served as an AIIA Resource Associate (worldviews).

Text Copyright © 2002, 2004, AIIA Institute, All Rights Reserved—except as noted on attached “Usage and Copyright” page that grants ChristianAnswers.Net users generous rights for putting this page to work in their homes, personal witnessing, churches and schools.

AIIA Institute

Christian Answers EffectiveEvangelism™ site - Learn how to be more effective in sharing the Gospel If you are a follower of Jesus Christ who is interested in sharing your faith with skeptics, including agnostics and atheists, please visit our page about Atheism in our EffectiveEvangelism.com site.

Go to index page