The Case for Faith: A Journalist Investigates the Toughest Objections to Christianity

1) If there's a loving God, why does this pain-wracked world groan under so much suffering and evil?
2) If the miracles of God contradict science, then how can any rational person believe that they're true?
3) If God is morally pure, how can he sanction the slaughter of innocent children as the Old Testament says he did?
4) If God cares about the people he created, how could he consign so many of them to an eternity of torture in hell just because they didn't believe the right things about him?
5) If Jesus is the only way to heaven, then what about the millions of people who have never heard of him?
6) If God really created the universe, why does the evidence of science compel so many to conclude that the unguided process of evolution accounts for life?
7) If God is the ultimate overseer of the church, why has it been rife with hypocrisy and brutality throughout the ages?
8) If I'm still plagued by doubts, then is it still possible to be a Christian?

It's a great read, a book that makes you think, and a story that can change your life. Read "The Case for Christ" and see for yourself.


Excellent overview of answers to tough questions   February 4, 2002
Robert Beck (Midwest)
30 out of 37 found this review helpful

I've read several books purporting to provide answers to tough objections to Christianity, but this book succeeds like none of the others. First, it deals with the right questions -- the ones that seekers and skeptics are asking. Second, it goes to excellent sources for answers. Rather than the author merely providing his own perspective, he interviews knowledgeable scholars. They are able to offer solid yet understandable replies. Third, it's well-written. The interview at the beginning with Charles Templeton, who once was a friend of Billy Graham's but later lost his faith, is riveting! The entire book actually is the unfolding of a story -- the author reliving his own spiritual investigation from atheism to Christianity. Fourth, the book has a fine bibliography. If any reader wants more in-depth information (after all, one book can only provide an overview), good resources are offered. Will this book help Christians strengthen their faith? Undoubtedly. Will it help spiritual seekers move closer to God? I'm sure it will. Will it convince hard-core skeptics? Probably not. That doesn't mean there aren't great answers for them, merely that one book can't go in-depth enough to satisfy everyone. That's where the bibliography comes in. All in all, I give this book five stars because it accomplishes its objective of providing thoughtful answers to the Big 8 objections to Christianity. You will not be disappointed by this book!


Good starting point for anyone who wants answers   November 4, 2001
16 out of 19 found this review helpful

Although I'm not a Christian, recently I have been interested in exploring spiritual issues (probably a product of turning 30!). As a mechanical engineer, I tend to have a logical approach to life, and so I have rather systematically been reading literature ranging from books by atheists (such as George Smith) to books by people defending their faith in God (such as Patrick Glynn's "God: The Evidence"). Of all the books I've read (more than 30 at this point), I have to rank "The Case for Faith" and its companion volume "The Case for Christ" as among the best.

I know that conclusion will rankle people whose approach is to fold their arms across their chest and defiantly dare anyone to try to provide any evidence for faith. But adamant skepticism becomes just plain silly after a while. In my view, a person who's honestly evaluating the evidence will have to admit that there are, indeed, significant strands of evidence that point toward the veracity of the Christian faith. At least, that's my opinion at this point.

Contrary to some others, I think this book's treatment of the pain and suffering issue is well-reasoned and as persuasive as anything I've seen on the subject. If people want something more in depth, they should try the writings of Alvin Plantiga, the most respected philosopher of the 20th Century, who has written extensively on this topic from a Christian perspective. While this is an emotional issue (and one the author admits is a stumbling block for many), the existence of pain and suffering falls far short of disproving the existence of God. That's why few atheists even bring it up in debates anymore -- the last time one tried, Dr. William Lane Craig demolished him. Further, as Dr. Peter Kreeft points out in this book, critics must then wrestle with more than 20 arguments in favor of Christianity. And that's the point -- anyone can claim the Christian evidence falls short, but why can't they come up with a coherent philosophical viewpoint that accounts for ALL of the evidence? As the author claims in the last chapter of this book, only a theistic viewpoint -- in fact, only a Christian viewpoint -- can account for all of the evidence offered in these two books. That's why I'm taking the claims of Jesus seriously at this point.

Other chapters were very enlightening in helping me sort through my faith questions. The chapter on the impossibility of life emerging from nonlife was, in my assessment, extremely powerful. There seems no way around the scientific hurdles there. The author's interview with Dr. Ravi Zacharias on Jesus being the only way to God handled this touchy subject very well. And I could relate very much to Dr. Lynn Anderson's discussion of doubt. Doubts are what have kept me away from becoming a Christian.

Personally, I felt like the author went as far as he could in exploring these eight objections to Christianity. To pursue some of the rabbit trails others have suggested would have resulted in an encyclopedia. These books are like overviews. What I especially liked was the bibliography. This has pointed me toward books that go much further in depth on each objection covered in the book. All in all, I found "The Case for Faith" and "The Case for Christ" to be great resources. I recommend them both.