20 Common Objections to Christianity — And Reasons for Hope

Christian faith has never been immune to hard questions. The Bible itself is filled with laments, protests, and doubts (Job, Habakkuk, many Psalms). Honest questions are not the enemy of faith; they can be a doorway into deeper trust.

This post walks through 20 common objections and doubts and offers a traditional biblical response to each. The aim is not to “win arguments” but to show how Christian hope is rooted in Scripture, in history, and above all in the character of God revealed in Jesus Christ.

For each objection:

• Nature of the objection – Why it troubles people
• Biblical response – How the Bible and the Christian tradition answer
• Key Scriptures – Passages to read and reflect on

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1. “How can a good God allow so much evil and suffering?”

Nature of the objection
If God is loving and powerful, why war, abuse, cancer, and natural disasters? For many, the sheer scale and randomness of suffering seems to contradict God’s goodness or even His existence.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible never minimizes evil. It teaches:

1. God created a good world (Genesis 1–2).
2. Human rebellion and the fall (Genesis 3) unleashed a curse on creation, distorting relationships, bodies, and the environment (Romans 8:20–22).
3. God enters suffering in Christ – Jesus suffers with and for us at the cross (Isaiah 53; Hebrews 2:14–18).
4. God will ultimately defeat evil – There is a coming judgment and a renewed creation with no more death or pain (Revelation 21:1–5).

Christianity does not give a neat explanation for every specific pain, but it uniquely offers a God who suffers, redeems, and promises to end evil.

Key Scriptures

• Genesis 3; Romans 5:12; Romans 8:18–23
• Isaiah 53:3–6; Hebrews 2:14–18
• Revelation 21:1–5

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2. “God seems distant and uncaring.”

Nature of the objection
People pray and nothing seems to change. Headlines are filled with tragedy. God can feel like a cold, absentee landlord.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible insists that God is near, not far:

• In the Old Testament, God dwells among His people (Exodus 29:45–46; Psalm 34:18).
• In the New Testament, God draws near in Immanuel, “God with us”, Jesus Christ (John 1:14; Matthew 1:23).
• The Holy Spirit indwells believers (John 14:16–18; Romans 8:9–11).

Experientially, we can feel God’s absence (e.g., Psalm 13), but Scripture teaches that His apparent silence is not His absence. The cross is the ultimate proof that God cares enough to enter our pain.

Key Scriptures

• Psalm 34:18; Psalm 139:7–10
• Matthew 1:23; John 1:14
• John 14:16–18; Romans 8:26–28

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3. “Isn’t the resurrection just wishful thinking or legend?”

Nature of the objection
Dead people stay dead. Claims that Jesus rose physically sound like myth or psychological comfort from grieving disciples.

Traditional biblical response
From the earliest records, Christianity is built on the claim that Jesus bodily rose from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:14–20). Traditional arguments include:

• Early eyewitness testimony – Gospels written within living memory; Paul cites a creed within decades of the event (1 Corinthians 15:3–8).
• Multiple witnesses – Various people, groups, times, and places.
• Hostile witnesses transformed – Saul of Tarsus becomes Paul the apostle; fearful disciples become bold preachers (Acts 9; Acts 2–4).
• Empty tomb – A known tomb in Jerusalem; if the body remained, the enemies of Christianity could have ended the movement by producing it.

The resurrection is presented not as a private vision but a public, historical event with theological meaning.

Key Scriptures

• 1 Corinthians 15:1–8, 14–20
• Luke 24:1–12, 36–43
• Acts 2:22–36; Acts 9:1–6

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4. “If God is just, why is there so much injustice?”

Nature of the objection
Corruption, oppression, and unpunished crimes make it seem like evil often wins. Where is God’s justice?

Traditional biblical response
The Bible affirms our outrage at injustice:

• God hates oppression (Amos 5:21–24; Isaiah 10:1–3).
• Many psalms cry out, “How long, O LORD?” (Psalm 13; Psalm 73).

Scripture insists that:

1. God’s judgment is certain but often delayed – His patience allows time for repentance (2 Peter 3:8–10; Romans 2:4–5).
2. The cross is the center of justice – Sin is truly judged in Christ, so God can be both “just and the justifier” (Romans 3:23–26).
3. Final justice is coming – God will judge all wrongdoing and renew creation (Acts 17:30–31; Revelation 20:11–15).

Christian hope is that no injustice escapes God’s notice, even if earthly courts fail.

Key Scriptures

• Amos 5:21–24; Psalm 73
• Romans 3:23–26
• Acts 17:30–31; Revelation 20:11–15

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5. “Christians themselves are hypocritical and corrupt.”

Nature of the objection
Church scandals, abuse, greed, and power-grabbing make some people conclude that Christianity is false or dangerous.

Traditional biblical response
The New Testament predicts and condemns hypocrisy:

• Jesus harshly rebukes religious hypocrisy (Matthew 23).
• Paul warns that false teachers and wolves will arise (Acts 20:29–30; 2 Timothy 3:1–5).

A few key points:

• Christians still sin; the gospel is not about their goodness but Christ’s (1 John 1:8–10).
• The failures of followers do not disprove the truth of Christ, just as counterfeit money does not mean real currency doesn’t exist.
• Throughout history, there are also many examples of faithful, sacrificial Christians (Hebrews 11; “cloud of witnesses” in Hebrews 12:1).

The Bible calls the church not to self-righteousness but to ongoing repentance and reform (Revelation 2–3).

Key Scriptures

• Matthew 23:1–28
• 1 John 1:8–10
• Acts 20:29–30; 2 Timothy 3:1–5
• Revelation 2–3

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6. “Isn’t faith just blind belief without evidence?”

Nature of the objection
“Faith” is often caricatured as believing something even when all the evidence points the other way, or switching off one’s brain.

Traditional biblical response
Biblically, faith is trust in a trustworthy God, not belief without reason:

• Faith is often based on what God has already done (Deuteronomy 7:7–9; Psalm 78).
• Jesus appeals to His works and resurrection as reasons to believe (John 10:37–38; John 20:27–31).
• Hebrews 11 describes faith as confidence in unseen realities, rooted in God’s character and past faithfulness, not irrational fantasy.

Christians are called to love God with their minds (Matthew 22:37) and to give reasons for their hope (1 Peter 3:15).

Key Scriptures

• John 20:27–31
• John 10:37–38
• Hebrews 11:1–3
• 1 Peter 3:15

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7. “Isn’t the Bible full of contradictions and myths?”

Nature of the objection
Different Gospel details, difficult Old Testament stories, and supernatural claims lead some to see Scripture as unreliable or legendary.

Traditional biblical response
The church has historically confessed the Bible as God-breathed and trustworthy (2 Timothy 3:16–17; 2 Peter 1:20–21). Traditional responses:

• Apparent contradictions often have plausible harmonizations when context and genre are considered.
• The Gospels display marks of independent eyewitness testimony: minor differences in detail but strong agreement on core events.
• Archaeology has repeatedly confirmed many historical details (Luke’s place names, titles, etc.).
• The Bible itself invites careful study and testing (Acts 17:11).

Christians don’t deny there are hard texts, but believe that over time they are best understood in light of the whole canon and God’s character.

Key Scriptures

• 2 Timothy 3:16–17
• 2 Peter 1:20–21
• Luke 1:1–4
• Acts 17:11

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8. “Isn’t Christianity just another myth among many?”

Nature of the objection
Many religions have dying and rising gods or moral stories. Some conclude Christianity is one more human attempt to make sense of life.

Traditional biblical response
While Christianity shares some broad themes with other stories (sacrifice, redemption), it:

• Is heavily anchored in real history – dates, rulers, locations (Luke 3:1–2; 2 Peter 1:16).
• Centers on a Jewish messiah within a long, specific story of Israel.
• Was proclaimed in the very city where Jesus was killed, among people who could check the claims (Acts 2:22–24).
• Claims that the myths and longings of the nations are faint echoes of the true story fulfilled in Christ (Acts 17:22–31).

The apostles insist they are not following “cleverly devised myths” but what they saw and heard (2 Peter 1:16–18; 1 John 1:1–3).

Key Scriptures

• Luke 3:1–2
• 2 Peter 1:16–18
• Acts 17:22–31
• 1 John 1:1–3

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9. “Doesn’t human greatness show we don’t need God?”

Nature of the objection
Technological progress, medicine, art, and science can seem to show that humanity is self-sufficient.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible acknowledges human greatness and creativity but grounds it in the image of God:

• Humans are made “a little lower than the heavenly beings,” crowned with glory and honor (Psalm 8:3–5).
• Our capacity for reason, morality, and creativity reflects God (Genesis 1:26–28).

At the same time, Scripture is brutally honest about human sin and limits:

• Even our greatest achievements are tainted by pride and injustice (Genesis 11:1–9; Romans 3:23).
• Death remains undefeated by human effort (Hebrews 9:27).

Christianity says we are both glorious and fallen; therefore we need grace, not flattery.

Key Scriptures

• Genesis 1:26–28
• Psalm 8:3–5
• Romans 3:23
• Hebrews 9:27

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10. “Why trust a God who lets His followers suffer?”

Nature of the objection
Persecuted Christians, martyrs, and everyday hardships raise the question: if God loves His people, why does He allow them to suffer so deeply?

Traditional biblical response
Jesus explicitly warns His followers of suffering (John 16:33; Matthew 16:24–25). The New Testament teaches:

• Suffering does not mean God’s rejection (Romans 8:35–39).
• God uses trials to refine faith, produce perseverance, and conform us to Christ (James 1:2–4; Romans 5:3–5; 1 Peter 1:6–7).
• The sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory to be revealed (Romans 8:18; 2 Corinthians 4:17–18).

The cross shows that God’s own Son suffered; our suffering is not a sign of abandonment but a sharing in Christ’s path with a promised resurrection.

Key Scriptures

• John 16:33; Matthew 16:24–25
• Romans 8:18, 35–39
• James 1:2–4
• 1 Peter 1:6–7

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11. “Isn’t Christianity too exclusive and intolerant?”

Nature of the objection
Jesus’ claim to be “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6) strikes many as narrow, especially in a pluralistic world.

Traditional biblical response
Christianity is exclusive in truth yet radically inclusive in invitation:

• Jesus uniquely claims to reveal the Father and provide atonement for sin (John 14:6; Acts 4:12).
• At the same time, the gospel is offered to all nations, all peoples (Matthew 28:18–20; Revelation 7:9–10).
• Everyone is equally in need of grace, and everyone is equally invited (Romans 3:22–24).

Every worldview makes truth claims; Christianity asks to be evaluated on who Jesus is and whether He rose, not on caricatures.

Key Scriptures

• John 14:6
• Acts 4:12
• Matthew 28:18–20
• Romans 3:22–24

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12. “How can hell be real if God is loving?”

Nature of the objection
Eternal judgment appears harsh and incompatible with a God of love.

Traditional biblical response
Jesus speaks more about hell than anyone else in the New Testament (e.g., Matthew 5:29–30; 10:28). Traditional teaching emphasizes:

• God respects human freedom – Persistent rejection of God leads to separation from Him (Romans 1:18–25).
• Hell is viewed as both just punishment and the tragic end of chosen rebellion (2 Thessalonians 1:8–10).
• The cross shows that God desires none to perish and has paid the highest cost to rescue us (John 3:16–17; 2 Peter 3:9).

Christianity holds together God’s love and God’s justice; hell is sobering, but the emphasis of the New Testament is God’s long-suffering patience and wide-open invitation.

Key Scriptures

• Matthew 5:29–30; 10:28
• Romans 1:18–25
• 2 Thessalonians 1:8–10
• John 3:16–17; 2 Peter 3:9

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13. “Why should we believe in miracles in a scientific age?”

Nature of the objection
Modern people understand natural laws. Miracles seem like violations of those laws or pre-scientific explanations.

Traditional biblical response
Biblically, natural order is God’s regular way of running the world, and miracles are His extraordinary acts:

• God sustains creation by regular patterns (Genesis 8:22; Colossians 1:16–17).
• “Laws of nature” describe what God usually does; they don’t prevent Him from acting differently if He chooses.
• Miracles in Scripture are rare, purposeful signs confirming God’s message or messengers (John 20:30–31; Hebrews 2:3–4).

Christianity doesn’t pit God against science; it sees science as studying God’s ordinary work and miracles as His special interventions.

Key Scriptures

• Colossians 1:16–17
• John 20:30–31
• Hebrews 2:3–4

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14. “Doesn’t science explain the universe without God?”

Nature of the objection
As science explains more (cosmology, evolution, brain chemistry), God seems less necessary as an explanation.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible presents God not as a “god of the gaps” but as the Creator and sustainer of all:

• God creates and continually upholds the universe (Genesis 1:1; Acts 17:24–28; Hebrews 1:3).
• Scientific explanations describe how things happen; they do not address why the universe exists or why laws of nature are ordered and intelligible.
• Many Christians see discoveries like the beginning of the universe and fine-tuning of physical constants as consistent with belief in a wise Creator (Psalm 19:1–4; Romans 1:20).

Christian faith is compatible with science understood as a method of studying God’s world, not as a total worldview that excludes God by definition.

Key Scriptures

• Genesis 1:1
• Psalm 19:1–4
• Acts 17:24–28
• Hebrews 1:3
• Romans 1:20

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15. “Aren’t miracles impossible because they break natural laws?”

Nature of the objection
If natural laws are fixed, then miracles (like resurrections) are impossible by definition.

Traditional biblical response
From a Christian perspective:

• Natural “laws” are descriptions of God’s regular action, not constraints on Him.
• If God created and sustains the universe, He is free to act in special ways (e.g., parting the sea, raising the dead) without undermining the basic order.
• The issue is not whether miracles can occur in theory, but whether they have in fact occurred—which is a historical question (e.g., for the resurrection).

Thus, miracles are extraordinary but not incoherent in a theistic universe.

Key Scriptures

• Genesis 18:14 (“Is anything too hard for the LORD?”)
• Jeremiah 32:17
• John 11:25–26
• Acts 2:22–24

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16. “Isn’t consciousness just brain chemistry?”

Nature of the objection
If thoughts and feelings are only chemical reactions, then there is no soul or spiritual reality.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible portrays humans as embodied souls (or “living beings”), with both material and immaterial aspects (Genesis 2:7; Matthew 10:28):

• Our minds and brains are closely connected, but the Bible suggests personal identity survives physical death (Luke 23:42–43; 2 Corinthians 5:6–8).
• Our capacity for abstract thought, self-awareness, and moral responsibility reflects being made in God’s image (Genesis 1:26–27).
• Christian hope affirms both the value of the body (resurrection) and the reality of the soul.

Science can study brain processes, but it cannot answer whether there is more to personhood than matter.

Key Scriptures

• Genesis 2:7
• Genesis 1:26–27
• Matthew 10:28
• 2 Corinthians 5:6–8

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17. “Isn’t morality just a product of evolution or culture?”

Nature of the objection
If morality evolved to help societies survive, or if every culture has its own values, then “right” and “wrong” are not real, just useful illusions.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible teaches that:

• God has written a moral law on human hearts (Romans 2:14–15).
• This inner sense is damaged by sin but not erased.
• Objective moral values (e.g., that torturing children for fun is wrong) make sense if there is a holy, personal God whose character is the standard of goodness (Psalm 119:68; Micah 6:8).

While cultures differ on some details, widespread moral intuitions (about justice, honesty, care for the weak) point to something deeper than mere social convenience.

Key Scriptures

• Romans 2:14–15
• Micah 6:8
• Psalm 119:68
• Romans 1:28–32

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18. “Doesn’t science show we’re just accidents with no purpose?”

Nature of the objection
A purely naturalistic story of the universe suggests no ultimate meaning—just chance, matter, and time.

Traditional biblical response
Scripture teaches that:

• God created the world with intention and declares it “very good” (Genesis 1:31).
• Humans are created for relationship with God and to steward creation (Genesis 1:26–28; Isaiah 43:7).
• History is moving toward a meaningful goal—the renewal of all things under Christ (Ephesians 1:9–10; Revelation 21–22).

Christianity sees human beings as wanted, known, and called, not cosmic accidents.

Key Scriptures

• Genesis 1:26–31
• Isaiah 43:7
• Ephesians 1:9–10
• Revelation 21:1–5

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19. “If all religions exist, why think Christianity is uniquely true?”

Nature of the objection
Many faiths and spiritual paths exist. It can feel arrogant to claim that one of them is true in a way others are not.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible recognizes partial truths in other beliefs (Acts 17:22–23), but claims that:

• God has given a unique and final revelation in Jesus Christ (Hebrews 1:1–3).
• Christianity’s distinctives — grace, incarnation, cross and resurrection — are not mere cultural options but God’s decisive act in history (1 Corinthians 15:3–4).
• Jesus is not one more teacher but the Lord who will judge the nations (Acts 17:30–31).

Christians are called to hold this conviction with humility and love, not pride (1 Peter 3:15; Philippians 2:3–5).

Key Scriptures

• Hebrews 1:1–3
• Acts 17:22–31
• 1 Corinthians 15:3–4
• John 14:6

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20. “Is history really going somewhere, or is ‘hope’ just a story?”

Nature of the objection
Some see history as cyclical or random. Promises of a better future can feel like wishful thinking in the face of recurring wars and disasters.

Traditional biblical response
The Bible presents history as a unified story:

1. Creation
2. Fall
3. Redemption
4. New creation

Key points:

• God is Lord over history, working out His purposes even amid human sin (Daniel 2:20–21; Romans 8:28).
• Christ’s death and resurrection are the turning point of that story (Galatians 4:4–5).
• Jesus will return to judge and renew the world; this is the anchor of Christian hope, not human progress alone (Acts 1:11; Revelation 21:1–5).

Christian hope is not optimism about human nature but trust in a God who keeps His promises.

Key Scriptures

• Daniel 2:20–21
• Galatians 4:4–5
• Romans 8:28–30
• Acts 1:11
• Revelation 21:1–5

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Conclusion: Hope That Faces Questions, Not Hides From Them

Doubts and objections are not signs that you’ve failed at faith; they are part of being honest in a complex, painful world. The Bible does not offer quick fixes or tidy slogans. Instead, it offers:

• A God who hears lament
• A Savior who enters our suffering
• A cross where justice and mercy meet
• An empty tomb and a living hope

You may not find every answer satisfying or complete, but the invitation of Christ is to bring your hardest questions to Him, not to hide them. The same Scriptures that challenge us also promise:

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”
— Matthew 11:28