Have you ever experienced frustration in trying to share your faith with other people? Sometimes it feels as though I make all of the right points, cite the correct Scriptures, and sufficiently answer any questions that a skeptic might have only to be questioned one more time. What makes matters worse is that the same people ask the same questions, time and time again, after already having received an answer that should satisfy the most skeptical of minds. Like myself, you probably just want to throw up your hands and say, "Enough!" At moments like this, it is important to realize a very troubling and even more frustrating truth: not everyone is interested in the truth.
It's true! Not everyone who engages you in a conversation about the existence of God, no matter how sincere he or she comes across, is truly interested in having his mind convinced. A lot of people are only looking for one more excuse to not believe in God. Let me give you an example of a conversation you may have had with a skeptic.
Skeptic: If someone provided me with scientific evidence that God exists, I would consider the possibility.
You: Actually, there is a lot of scientific evidence that points to God's existence. First and foremost, the universe had to have come into existence through supernatural processes because science has never observed a universe coming into existence through natural means.
Skeptic: You can say that all you want, but I believe in the Big Bang. The Big Bang proves that there is no God.
You: Whether or not you believe in the Big Bang, it is unscientific to say that everything came out of nothing for no reason. Everything comes into existence as a result of something else.
Skeptic: Well, where did God come from then?
You: God is supernatural. He is not like anything in nature. But time, space, and matter had to have come from somewhere and nature could not have brought them into existence before nature existed.
Skeptic: That's ridiculous! Every time I ask for scientific proof from you, you just say, "God did it and that's good enough for me." It's religious zealots like you who were responsible for the Crusades, the Spanish Inquisition, and the Holocaust.
You, in this instance, presented scientific evidence that God exists. The Skeptic follows up by asking some more questions that appear fairly reasonable. After You sufficiently answer the Skeptic's follow-up questions, the Skeptic expresses his absolute disdain for the belief in God by then saying you have not brought up any evidence that is worth thinking about. It is maddening, but the Skeptic has made it clear that he doesn't really care about having his mind changed. He is only looking for an excuse to not believe and to convince you that your belief in God is stupid.
But how do you know that you are not guilty of the same intellectual crime? Are you open enough to hear the skeptic out and allow for the possibility that you might be wrong?
The difference that I observe most of the time is that the believer focuses on answering questions and commending the skeptic for good points he might have. It is not that you are 100% open to having your mind changed; nobody wants to have his mind changed! Someone who is truly open to having a conversation will not deflect a person's answers by mocking the points of the person they are debating. An honest seeker might ask more questions that are relevant to the conversation. They might also bring up counter points that are directly related to the topic you are discussing. Notice that in the above conversation, the Crusades have nothing to do with the creation of the universe.
If a skeptic is genuinely concerned with evidence, he or she will focus the conversation on evidence. When the conversation deviates from the topic and moves into a plethora of accusations, it is safe to assume that your friend is not really interested in having his mind changed.
Not every reasonable person is going to have a change of heart after one conversation. The goal is to be respectful, honest, and open to what your friend says. And don't get discouraged if your friend is seeking an excuse instead of the truth. Some of the most persuasive believers are people who rejected the truth of God for many years of their lives.
www.williamhseng.com
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