As a theist, you will occasionally meet a non-believer who wishes to argue against your world view. If you are interested in discussing the matter, you may want to prepare yourself by learning these simple responses to common anti-truth arguments.

The word "God" is without meaning. You don't really know what you're talking about when you talk about "God."

"No, it's not, and yes, I do."

God is not good. For example, in the Old Testament, he commanded Joshua to commit genocide.

"The elimination of evil is good. The people God commanded Joshua to kill were evil, so it was a good thing. And if their children had been spared, they would have grown up evil, too."

Why does God allow babies to die?

"Babies go straight to Heaven."

Why does God allow horrible disasters?

"When there is a disaster, the evil are destroyed, the just are miraculously saved, and the babies go straight to Heaven."

How can an eternity of punishment be just?

"Rejecting God is the worst possible sin. No punishment is too severe."

How can you say that someone who lives a good life should go to Hell because they are not religious?

"Because rejecting God is the worst possible sin."

It isn't fair that good people who do not believe in Jesus go to Hell.

"Yes it is."

It isn't fair that people who do not know about Jesus go to hell.

"God gives everyone a chance to believe in Jesus. If they don't see the opportunity, then they are blind and would have rejected Jesus anyway."

It's worthless to say God is "good" in a moral sense when you mean that whatever God does is, by definition, good.

"No it's not."

How can God be omnipotent and all good if he allows suffering?

"God gave humanity the gift of free will. If he didn't allow bad things to happen, then we wouldn't be free."

If God is omnipotent and knows what we are going to do before we do it, in what sense do we have free will?

"You could do something other than what God knows you're going to do, but if you did, he'd know about it."

If God is all good and created everything, why did he create horrible diseases?

"Diseases are part of the workings of the world, and God often uses them to punish sinners. Also, if you are in bad health, God is probably testing you or you deserve it."

How can God be omniscient, omnipotent, all good, and the creator of all things when those qualities lead to logical contradictions?

"It's a mystery."

How can Jesus have risen from the dead in three days if the first day was Friday? Wouldn't the third day be Monday?

"It's a mystery."

How can God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit possibly be three separate entities and still be one God?

"It's a mystery."

Why doesn't God prove he exists?

"He proves he exists every day. You just have to believe in the proof to see it."

Why doesn't God still do miracles?

"God does miracles every day. You just have to believe in them to see them."

The Bible says that men are the masters of women.

"That's true."

The Bible says that children who disrespect their parents should be put to death.

"That's true."

The Bible says you should not eat lobster.

"That part's only for Jewish people."

The Ten Commandments were only given to Jewish people.

"They were meant for everyone."

Didn't Matthew and Luke copy from Mark?

"No."

In the Bible, how did Pharoah's magicians turn sticks to snakes?

"Demons did that."

Couldn't a non-Christian attribute Jesus' or Moses' miracles to demons?

"No."

Why are there so many contradictions in the Gospels?

"There are no contradictions in the Gospels."

But the Gospels can't even agree on how many people showed up at Jesus' tomb.

"There are no contradictions in the Gospels!"

What sense does it make that God had to have a son and then let him die to make up for the sins of humanity?

"The most wonderful kind of sense."

How can Jesus be both completely human and God?

"He was born that way."

Jesus said that he would return during the generation of the people he spoke with, but he didn't.

"He did return after three days, and besides what he meant was that he'd return while there were still Jewish people, or that he would return to a future generation, or that there's one guy from back then who's still around. There are lots of possibilities."

Why didn't Jesus do any really big miracles, like make a mountain, to convince the whole world of his divinity?

"What's the point of faith if there is proof?"

Why didn't Jesus condemn slavery?

"People were not ready for and end to slavery back then."

Why didn't Jesus condemn the unfair treatment of women?

"Women were not ready to be treated well back then."

Why didn't Jesus save himself from the cross?

"Jesus' willingness to die for the sake of humanity and the willing martyrdom of many of his apostles is one of the strongest proofs for the truth of his ministry. Only the truly divine could inspire such devotion."

Does the willing suicide of Japanese kamikaze pilots prove the Emperor of Japan's divinity?

"Don't be stupid."

It's not right to make atheist children say the Pledge of Allegiance since it has a statement about God in it.

"Well then, I guess it's inappropriate for atheists to use money since it has the word God on it."

It's not right to have "In God we trust" on money because that's an establishment of religion.

"No, it's just a statement of fact. This is a Christian nation."

This is not a Christian nation.

"Yes it is."

Churches don't all agree.

"All true churches agree."

Your arguments aren't very convincing.

"Enjoy your eternity in Hell!"

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