Tag Archives: Religion

47. Can we “just know” that God exists?

Posted on June 16, 2013 by 500 Questions

I often hear believers say that they “just know” that God exists. This seemingly innate awareness of God’s existence can be used as grounds to override and dismiss any and all evidence to the contrary. My own wife uses this … Continue reading →

Posted in God's Behavior | Tagged , , , | 48 Comments

40. Should Noah’s Ark be taken literally?

Posted on December 23, 2012 by 500 Questions

The story of Noah’s Ark is one of the most important stories of the Old Testament, because it is one of the few miracles that would’ve left behind a literal “flood” of evidence for us to examine. But before we can … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 62 Comments

31. Can God be both perfectly merciful and perfectly just?

Posted on April 14, 2012 by 500 Questions

The great thing about God is He’s chalk full of admirable traits; He’s kind, loving, just, merciful, Republican, and He hates all the same things we hate. He’s also perfect — perfectly good, perfectly just, and perfectly merciful. Or is … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Contradictions, God's Behavior | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 165 Comments

29. Was Jonah really swallowed by a whale?

Posted on March 18, 2012 by 500 Questions

Growing up Pentecostal, I was raised to believe the Jonah story was a literal event. But even back then, I found the story a little difficult to swallow (pun intended). I used to imagine that when Jonah was inside the … Continue reading →

Posted in Old Testament | Tagged , , , , , , | 70 Comments

28. If someone never hears the gospel, can they still go to heaven?

Posted on March 9, 2012 by 500 Questions

The obligatory opening joke… A missionary travels to a remote village and tells everyone about Jesus. He tells them, “If you do not accept Jesus, you will burn in hell for all eternity.” Before the missionary leaves, the tribal elder … Continue reading →

Posted in God's Behavior, New Testament | Tagged , , , | 212 Comments

27. Do we choose our religion, or does God choose it for us?

Posted on February 5, 2012 by 500 Questions

Your religious beliefs typically depend on the community in which you were raised or live. The spiritual experiences of people in ancient Greece, medieval Japan or 21st-century Saudi Arabia do not lead to belief in Christianity. It seems, therefore, that … Continue reading →

Posted in God's Behavior | Tagged , , , , | 38 Comments

22. Was God really hoping Adam would find a suitable partner among the animals?

Posted on October 4, 2011 by 500 Questions

In Genesis chapter 1, God created every animal with a mate, including man. So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. ~ Genesis 1:27  But in chapter 2, … Continue reading →

Posted in God's Behavior, Intelligent Design?, Old Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 30 Comments

16. Why is Matthew the only gospel to mention that people rose from the dead after Christ’s resurrection?

Posted on May 24, 2011 by 500 Questions

Three out of four gospel writers agree: Zombies didn’t invade Jerusalem. “And the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints which slept arose, and came out of the graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and … Continue reading →

Posted in New Testament | Tagged , , , , | 36 Comments

11. Doesn’t the existence of many religions discredit them all?

Posted on May 3, 2011 by 500 Questions

There are several reasons why having multiple religions does a disservice to them all: It reduces the chances of anyone finding the correct religion (assuming there is one). It exposes mankind’s inability to distinguish a true religion from a false one. It shows that … Continue reading →

Posted in God's Behavior, New Testament, Old Testament | Tagged , , , , , , , | 68 Comments