I receive lots of emails from people. I respond to those seeking information and assistance. When I receive other types of contact I normally disregard them, especially if they are of the argumentative type. I simply do not have the time or interest in engaging people who seem to have no point in the communication but to air their supposed grievances.
I am making an exception for Hayden if that is his/her real name. I received the following message from Hayden:
Why should I believe in your version of Christianity over the thousands of others that exist? Because the Bible says so? Your opponents will say the same thing. The Bible can be used to justify almost if not all interpretations and versions of Christianity. Every Christian believes that they’re right, god is on their side and if you don’t adhere to their interpretation the punishment is to burn in hell forever. Christians everywhere are all pointing fingers at each other threatening one another with the prospect of burning in hell forever. That being the case, why should any of us take the Bible and Christianity seriously?
For the record, I’ve never interacted with Hayden in any context. I do not know if he contacted me because he watched or listened to a sermon that I taught, a conference presentation that I gave, or a conversation that I had on a podcast. I simply do not know why Hayden would contact me with his questions concerning Christianity. I am glad that he did though because I want to provide Hayden with answers to his questions.
If Hayden and I had a conversation I would respond to his questions this way:
(1) Study the Bible for yourself and then choose what “flavor” you believe best reflects what you understand the Bible teaches.
(2) Refuse to take part in the behavior you cite and that you find abhorrent and criticize.
(3) Not all Christians are as you describe. Many understand that there can be some room for interpretation on lots of subjects.
(4) Neither I nor anyone that I am acquainted with, point fingers at other Christians and tell them they are going to burn in hell because they do not believe the same things that I do. There are people like that but not everyone and certainly not a majority of Christians.
(5) Hayden, you are responsible as an individual to understand what God has revealed to you. You cannot gauge Christianity, the faithfulness of God, or the veracity of the Bible based on what imperfect people do or say.
(6) #1 above will require that you are a born-again believer in the Lord Jesus Christ. This is based on the following three verses of the Bible:
John 3:5-7 – 5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. 6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. 7 Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’
Romans 8:12 – 9 However, you are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him. 10 If Christ is in you, though the body is dead because of sin, yet the spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
1 Corinthians 2:6-14 – 6 Yet we do speak wisdom among those who are mature; a wisdom, however, not of this age nor of the rulers of this age, who are passing away; 7 but we speak God’s wisdom in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God predestined before the ages to our glory; 8 the wisdom which none of the rulers of this age has understood; for if they had understood it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory; 9 but just as it is written,
“Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard,
And which have not entered the heart of man,
All that God has prepared for those who love Him.”
10 For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. 11 For who among men knows the thoughts of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things freely given to us by God, 13 which things we also speak, not in words taught by human wisdom, but in those taught by the Spirit, combining spiritual thoughts with spiritual words.
14 But a natural man does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually appraised.
Hayden, I encourage you to read the Bible for yourself and ask God to help you understand what you are reading. He is willing to do that if you are willing to sincerely seek Him. I pray that you will.