#STRask with Greg Koukl

Questions about how to respond to someone who's asking for evidence for objective morality, what to say to atheists who counter the moral argument for God by rejecting the necessity of objective morality, and the definition of intuition.   An atheist who's debating me about objective morality ignores what I say about our just knowing it deep inside and keeps pressing me for evidence. What should I do? What should I say to atheists who counter the moral argument for God by rejecting the necessity of objective morality? What is intuition?

Questions about how we can be guilty when we sin if sin is a disease we're born with, how it can be that we'll have free will in Heaven but not have the ability to choose to sin, and whether morality and logic are correct because God says so or he says so because they're correct.   If sin is a disease we're all born with, how can we be guilty when we sin? Can you explain how we will retain free will in Heaven but will not have the ability to choose to sin? Is morality correct because God says so, or does he say so because it is correct? Is logic correct because God says so, or does he say so because it is correct?

Question about whether or not people with dementia have free will and are morally responsible for the sins they commit.   Do people with dementia have free will? Are they morally responsible for the sins they commit, like their hurtful words and aggressive actions towards others?

Questions about why Jesus didn't know the day of his return if he truly is God, and why it's important for Jesus to be both fully God and fully man.   If Jesus is God, then why didn't he know the day of his return, and if the answer is that he limited himself, wasn't it a lie to say that he didn't know? Why is it important for Jesus Christ to be both fully God and fully man?

Questions about whether it's wrong to feel a sense of satisfaction at the thought of some atheists being humbled before Christ when their time comes, and practical methods of engagement that can be used when conversing with conspiracy theorists.   Is it wrong that I sometimes feel a sense of satisfaction at the thought of some atheists being humbled before Christ when their time comes? What are some practical methods of engagement that can be used when conversing with conspiracy theorists?

Questions about how to respond to a family member who believes Zodiac signs determine personality and what to say to a co-worker who believes aliens created humans and put them on Earth 250,000 years ago.   How would you respond to a family member who believes Zodiac signs determine personality? What should I say to a co-worker who believes aliens created humans and put them on Earth about 250,000 years ago?

Question about how to go about teaching students about worldviews, what a worldview is, how to identify one, how to show that the Christian worldview is better than others, and recommended resources on the topic of worldviews.   I'm at a loss as to how to go about teaching my students about worldviews. What is a worldview, how do you identify one, how do you show that the Christian worldview is better than others, and what are your recommended resources on this topic?

Questions about reasons to think human beings are the most valuable things in the universe, how terms like “identity in Christ” and “child of God” can help someone who feels like a failure, and how to “give it to God” when you're being consumed by worry.   Can you expand on your belief that human beings are the most valuable things in the universe? People use terms like “identity in Christ” and “child of God” to help me in my struggle with low self-esteem and feeling like a failure. Can you help me understand what those terms mean? How do you lay something at God's feet? When I'm being consumed by worry, how do I “give it to God”?

Questions about what to ask someone who believes merely in a “higher power,” how to make a case for the existence of the afterlife, and whether or not we can use Revelation 22:18 as evidence that the Book of Mormon isn't divinely inspired.   What questions should I ask someone I'm working with to help him think beyond a belief in a “higher power”? How would you make a case for the existence of the afterlife, and is it necessary to use the Bible in order to do so? How would you respond to Mormons who objected to my using Revelation 22:18 to explain why I don't think the Book of Mormon is divinely inspired?

Questions about the point of getting baptized after being a Christian for over 60 years, the difference between a short prayer and an eloquent one, and disciplining yourself to read the Bible whether you feel like it or not.   I've been a Christian for over 60 years, graduated from seminary, briefly pastored, and am currently an elder in my church, but I was never baptized. At this point in my life, what would be the point of getting baptized? What difference, if any, is there between a short and to-the-point prayer and a wordy, eloquent prayer if both truly come from the heart? I love studying apologetics, but when it comes to reading my Bible, I find it difficult to want to do so. Is there a way to increase my desire to read it, or is this something I just have to discipline myself to do anyway?

Questions about how to recognize prophecies about the Messiah in the Old Testament and whether or not Paul is just making Scripture say what he wants it to say when he appears to use Old Testament passages out of context.   I heard a pastor connect Psalm 69:21 with John 19:28–30, saying it was Old Testament prophecy being fulfilled, but it doesn't look like prophecy to me. How is prophecy about the Messiah recognized? How do we know Paul is not just making Scripture say what he wants it to say when he appears to use Old Testament passages out of context?

Questions about how God became so judgmental if he didn't do anything to become God, and how we can think the flood really happened if no definition of a god includes the idea that he can get so angry he drowns every dog on earth.   God didn't do anything to earn being God, did he? How did he become so judgmental? We don't think the flood really happened, do we? No definition of a god includes emotion, let alone getting so angry he drowns every dog on earth.

Questions about whether a deceased person's soul can live on in the recipient of his heart, whether 1 Corinthians 15:44 confirms that babies in the womb have a soul, why bodies are important, how to explain the soul to a child, and how the spirit relates to the soul.   Could the stories about recipients of donated hearts acting like the donors mean that if a person dies and his heart is donated to someone else, his soul lives on in the recipient? Does 1 Corinthians 15:44 confirm that babies in the womb have a soul when it says that if there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body? In light of your article “The Invisible Man,” why are bodies important? How would you explain the existence of a soul to a child or someone who has never heard of this idea? How does a person's spirit relate to his soul?

Questions about what to say to someone who believes in “healing frequencies” in fabrics and music, whether Christians should use Oriental medicine that's based on the concepts of qi, and how to respond to someone who says he's sending “good vibes” your way.   What would you say to someone who believes in “healing frequencies” in fabrics and music and claims there is biblical support for it? What are your thoughts on Christians using Oriental medicine specialists, who base their techniques on the concepts of qi, to diagnose and treat allergies? How would you respond to someone who sends “good vibes” your way when you ask for prayers?

Questions about why some churches say you need to keep the Mosaic Law and the gospel of Christ to be saved, and whether or not it's inappropriate for Christians to celebrate Passover since it's a celebration from Judaism and the Messiah has already come.   Why do some churches say you need to keep the Mosaic Law and the gospel of Christ to be saved? Is it inappropriate for a Christian to celebrate Passover since it's a celebration from Judaism and the Messiah has already come?

Questions about a resource for learning the vocabulary of apologetics, whether to pursue a PhD or another master's degree, whether to earn a degree in general apologetics or to pick a specific topic to study, and how tactics can be used in written communication.   I feel like I need a vocabulary lesson in Christian apologetics just to be able to keep up. Is there a reference guide you could suggest? I'm finishing up my MA in apologetics, and I'm not sure whether to pursue a PhD or another master's degree. Do you recommend earning an advanced degree in apologetics or choosing a specific lane (theology, philosophy, science, etc.)? How can tactics be used in written communication? Is it possible to use your tactics in a digital written age?

Questions about whether the fact that some people go through intense difficulties and suffering indicates that God hates some and favors others, and whether someone is being abused because God doesn't think she's worshiping him enough.   I constantly feel like God hates me because of a congenital defect that affects my career choices, my self-worth, and my bitterness towards God. Why does it seem like God hates some and favors others? If God lets Satan live to bring God glory and to test us, does that mean my friend is being abused by her mom's boyfriend because God doesn't think she's worshiping him enough?

Questions about asking God for the repentance of someone who has passed away, how to respond to a request to pray for a deceased person, reconciling Hebrews 9:27 with people who have died twice, and whether we'll be judged according to the revelation we received.   What are your thoughts on asking God for the repentance of someone who has passed away? When asked to pray for a friend's deceased mother's soul, what is a compassionate response that may lead to an opportunity to share the gospel? How do we reconcile Hebrews 9:27, which says it's appointed for each of us to die once, with people being raised from the dead by Jesus, Peter, and Paul and then dying a second time? Are people judged differently by God according to the revelation they received?

Questions about whether one can legitimately say evil is a privation of good, how the Bible can say sin and death entered the world at the fall if angels rebelled before man, and why God would judge Israel with a famine so great they would eat the flesh of their children.   Saying that evil is a “privation” is simply wordplay. How is the privation of a thing not creating the result of that privation? If one is denied oxygen, he will die, but you would blame the one denying the oxygen for that death. Scripture says sin and death entered the world at the fall, but didn't angels rebel before man? Wouldn't sin have been introduced then? Why would God judge the Israelites for sacrificing their children to idols by pronouncing upon them a famine so great that they would eat the flesh of their children?

Questions about how secular books assist our Christian walk and how Greg studies the Bible.   How do secular books like Atomic Habits assist our Christian walk? How do you personally study the Bible?

Questions about the Catholic Bible versus the Protestant Bible, whether or not the original New Testament manuscripts exist somewhere and how we would know if we found one, and the implications of not having the original manuscripts of the Bible.   How do you know you have the right version of Christianity? The Catholic Bible was assembled closer to the time of Jesus, and your church just took books out of that Bible. If an all-powerful God can't maintain the truth over time, he probably isn't real. Do you think the original New Testament manuscripts still exist somewhere, and if we ever found one, how would we know it was the original? What do we mean when we say we don't have an original copy of the Bible? Which parts aren't right, and how would we ever know?

Questions about disappointment that the sign gifts of the Spirit seem rare, non-existent, or fake, whether or not believers can squelch the Holy Spirit, and whether 2 Peter 1:21 points to the Holy Spirit “impressing” us during prophecy.   I came to faith because the gifts of the Spirit that seemed integral to church life in the Bible made God so real and personal, but now that I've found the gifts to be rare, non-existent, or fake, I have doubts I know anything about God. Can the squelching of the Holy Spirit be supported biblically, and can we, as believers, squelch the Holy Spirit? Does 2 Peter 1:21 point to the Holy Spirit “impressing” us during prophecy?

Questions about whether or not someone can impart the gifts of healing, prophecy, words of knowledge, etc. to others and whether being an apostle necessarily means one is part of the foundation of the church according to Ephesians 2:20.   Can someone impart the gifts of healing, prophecy, words of knowledge, etc. to others? Is being the foundation of the church (see Ephesians 2:20) a necessary or accidental property of being an apostle?

Questions about what discernment skills we should develop to make sure we're getting wise answers from AI, and how to overcome confirmation bias when evaluating claims related to theism and Christianity.   What discernment skills should we develop to make sure we're getting wise answers from AI when asking the question “What would Jesus have me do in this situation”? How do you overcome confirmation bias when evaluating claims related to theism and Christianity, and is it possible to have strong beliefs and still be objective?

Questions about how to respond when someone says, “Just follow the science,” and whether or not it's a good tactic to cite evolutionists' lack of a good biogenesis theory in support of the teleological argument.   How should I respond to the phrase “Just follow the science?” Is it a good tactic to cite evolutionists' lack of a good biogenesis theory in support of the teleological argument?

Questions about how to respond to someone who thinks we shouldn't say anything against Voodoo since it's “just their culture” and arguments to refute a proponent of the African traditional religion as a means of worshiping the almighty God.   When I expressed concern about a movie dealing with Voodoo magic, one of the students said that it's “just their culture,” as if we shouldn't say anything against voodoo since it's a cultural practice. How should I have responded? What arguments would you present as a polemic to refute a proponent of the African traditional religion as a means of worshiping the almighty God?

Questions about why it was necessary for Jesus to come if people could already be justified by faith apart from works, and what the point of the Old Covenant was if God was going to make the New Covenant.   Since Old Testament Jews and Gentiles could be justified by faith apart from works, it seems there was already a path for salvation in place, so why was it necessary for Jesus to come? What was the point of the Old Covenant if God was going to make the New Covenant?

Questions about whether or not pornography is really wrong and whether or not AI-generated pornography is a sin since AI women are not real women.   I'm a 13-year-old boy who has been struggling with pornography—and with my faith as a whole—for a while now, and I've been wondering: Is it really wrong? Jesus said that if you look at a woman in lust, you have already committed adultery with her in your heart, but AI women are not real women, so is AI-generated pornography a sin?

Questions about whether God is just a way of solving a mystery by appealing to a greater mystery, whether subjective experience falls under a category of knowing, why people in the Bible got to hear and see God but we don't, and an analogy between God and Hitler.   How would you respond to Matt Dillahunty, who says that God is just a way of solving a mystery by appealing to a greater mystery? Does my undeniable, subjective experience of God fall under a category of knowing in epistemology? Why did the people in the Bible get to hear and see God while they were alive, but we have to die first? How would you respond to someone who asked, “If a Jew during the Holocaust was spared the gas chamber in favor of spending the rest of his life with Hitler, would he call that Heaven?”

Questions about what to say to longtime, active churchgoers who don't believe in the Trinity or the deity of Christ, and a challenge to the idea that it's possible for someone to have a relationship with Jesus today.   What should I say to family members who have been active churchgoers for 40 years, but who don't believe in the Trinity or the deity of Christ? Do you claim to have a relationship with Jesus—someone you never met—who died 2,000 years ago and hasn't been seen since? That seems like the definition of a delusion, an imaginary friend in the sky.

Questions about initiating conversations with someone who thinks he's going to Heaven but who isn't showing any signs he's following God, how to talk to unsaved friends and family who identify as Christians, and resources to help someone learn what true Christianity is.   How can I initiate a conversation with my brother who thinks he's going to Heaven because he has an intellectual belief that Jesus is the Son of God, but who doesn't really show any signs that he's following God? How would you suggest talking to friends or family who identify as Christians despite strong evidence they're merely nominal or cultural Christians? Are there resources I can share with my brother that will help him learn what true Christianity is?

Questions about whether “repent from your sin and believe” describes a works salvation and Greg's stance on the idea of “easy beliefism”—i.e., the idea that all one must do to be saved is believe in God.   I do not agree with the “repent from your sin and believe” salvation, which seems to be a works salvation. How can someone repent without faith? What is Greg's stance on the idea of “easy beliefism”—i.e., the idea that all one must do to be saved is believe in God?

Questions about whether Jesus' commands in the Gospels were for the Jews only or for the present-day body of Christ, whether God chose to be illiterate when he came to earth, and whether we should only pray for the specific items mentioned in the Lord's Prayer.   Were Jesus' commands in the Gospels only to be followed by the Jews back then and not the present-day body of Christ? Why do you think God chose to be illiterate when he came to earth? When Jesus taught the Lord's Prayer, did he mean we should only pray that way and not ask for any other specific items?

Questions about whether the concept of God's omniscience is just a fear tactic to control your mind and what to say to someone who thinks it's possible for God to lie and that Jesus' coming might have been an elaborate scheme to make us think he loves us.   I would love to hear your thoughts on God's omniscience. God uses fear tactics to control your mind. He loves you so much that he's watching your every move and knows your every thought? Is this good? What do I say to someone who thinks it's possible for God to lie, that he treats us like his playthings, and that Jesus' coming might have been some elaborate scheme to make us think he loves us?

Questions about how God could be perfect if he regrets something he did, whether there's a difference between God's sovereignty and God's providence, and what Nehemiah meant when he said God “put it into his heart” to do certain things.   Does Genesis 6:6 mean God made a mistake since it says he regretted that he had made humans? How could God be perfect if he regrets something he did? Is there a difference between God's sovereignty and God's providence? When Nehemiah says in 2:12 and 7:5 that God “put it into his heart” to do certain things, is this just another way of describing God's guidance?

Questions about what the absence of marriage in Heaven will mean for you and your spouse, thoughts regarding two Christians signing a prenup, whether it's okay to want to get married because you want to have sex, and a wife taking over spiritual leadership.   My pastor said marriage won't be necessary in Heaven anymore, so where does that leave me and my wife? The thought of my wife of eight years and mother of my child being “just a friend” makes my heart hurt. What are your thoughts on two Christians signing a prenup before getting married? Is it okay for me to want to get married because I want to have sex a lot? Does the spiritual leader role fall on my shoulders when my husband is not spiritually leading our family?

Questions about the definition of inerrancy, whether or not Mark and Luke were associates of Jesus, and whether or not Mark and Luke wrote Mark and Luke.   What is the definition of Bible inerrancy? Were Mark and Luke associates of Jesus, and did Mark and Luke write Mark and Luke?

Questions about why Christians buy health insurance if they really believe God answers prayer and whether or not one should end all prayers about desires for a spouse with “If it be your will.”   Why do Christians buy health insurance? Don't Christians believe God answers prayer? If God loves you and cares about you, then he certainly wants you to be healthy, correct? Should I end all my prayers about desires for a spouse with “If it be your will”? Should I consider the possibility of God not giving me the spouse?

Questions about whether God creating everything means he created evil too, and how a grief counselor can answer a question about whether God causes or allows death and sickness.   How should my daughter answer a friend at school who said, “If God created everything, he must have created evil too, like cancer, right?” As a grief counselor, how should I answer this question I'm often faced with: Does God cause or allow death and sickness?

Questions about whether there's Scripture to support a Christian church joining in worship services with an LDS church, whether it's a genetic fallacy to say we shouldn't sing any songs created by bands from NAR churches, and whether it's a sin not to fast.   Is there any Scripture that would support a Christian church joining in worship services with an LDS church? How would you handle this situation if it were happening in your small community? Is it a genetic fallacy to say we shouldn't sing any songs created by bands from NAR churches, even if they're biblically sound? Is it a sin not to fast?

Questions about whether it's a sin to remove someone from life support, whether it would be morally wrong to attend a legal assisted suicide of an unbelieving loved one, and what to say to a pregnant Christian who is justifying choosing abortion by saying God's grace will cover it.   Is it a sin to remove someone from life support who has been declared clinically dead and has lost brain function? Would it be morally wrong to attend a legal assisted suicide of an unbelieving loved one? How would you recommend handling a situation where a pregnant Christian is justifying choosing abortion by saying God's grace will cover it?

Questions about whether pretending to denounce your faith to save your life will cause you to lose your salvation, whether lying to save others' lives is comparable to lying about your faith to save yourself, and advice for someone struggling with crippling intellectual doubts.   Can a Christian pretend to denounce his faith to save his life so that he can continue to live his life for God, or will he lose his salvation? If lying to save others' lives is acceptable, is denying your faith to save yourself or your family acceptable when you don't mean it? Do you have any advice for someone struggling with crippling intellectual doubts?

Questions about whether Greg and Amy are illegitimately claiming they're the experts on what makes someone a Christian and a tactic to use with someone who counters any evidence offered by saying that other experts disagree.   Who made you the experts on what makes someone a Christian? What tactic can I use with someone who counters any evidence I offer by saying that other experts disagree with me?

Questions about whether God created other human beings not described in Genesis 1–2, whether the children of Adam and Eve had to commit incest, and whether women are more naive or less intelligent than men since Eve was deceived and not Adam.   Did God create other human beings not described in Genesis 1–2? If all humans came from Adam and Eve, wouldn't that mean early humanity was forced to commit incest? Are women more naive or less intelligent than men in general since Eve was deceived and not Adam?

Questions about a good approach to take with someone who says the Trinity isn't biblical, how to respond to Jehovah's Witnesses who say Jesus received authority to forgive sins in Luke 4:18–19, and whether God “was looking for friends to collaborate with on running the world.”   What's a good tactical approach to take when in conversation with someone who says the Trinity isn't biblical but was adopted much later in church history? How would you respond to Jehovah's Witnesses who say Jesus didn't have authority to forgive sins because he was God, but rather he was given that authority as part of his anointing in Luke 4:18–19? How would you respond to the claim that “from the beginning of time, God was looking for friends to collaborate with on running the world”?

Questions about how those who are happy with the election results can show compassion to those who are devastated, navigating a relationship with an adult child who's angry about the way you voted, and whether there's more virtue in overcoming sin or not being tempted by it.   How can those who are happy with the election results show compassion to those who are devastated by it, such as those who are gay or trans? How do we navigate a relationship with an adult child living at home who is angry with us because of who we voted for and feels the need to pull back from our relationship? Would you say there's more virtue in overcoming stubborn sin after a significant struggle or in never having a struggle with that sin in the first place?

Questions about whether the disciples would die for a lie if they believed it was for the greater good, how to start a conversation with an Uber customer who's on his way to a Hindu temple, and what to say to someone who thinks there's no way to know if God exists.   Would the disciples die for what they knew to be a lie if they believed the lie was essential for persuading the world to morally reform itself for the greater good? What would have been a good way to start a conversation with an Uber customer who told me he was on his way to the local Hindu temple? What would you say to someone who thinks God is a personal belief in your head and that there's no way to know if there is a God or not?

Questions about whether God looks at all sins as being equally severe, how to reconcile Jesus' statements that judgment will be degreed with the idea that everyone who rejects Christ will spend eternity in Hell, and an objection to Christians warning people about Hell.   Are all sins equal to God—one isn't more severe than another? How can I reconcile Jesus' statements that judgment will be degreed with the idea that everyone who rejects Christ—from defiant murderer to “moral” secular humanist—will spend eternity in Hell? Wouldn't that make all judgments equally severe? I love a good eternal threat if I don't agree with how you choose to live your life.

Questions about what the Bible says about not doing anything that's out of God's timing and whether Amos 4:13 and Isaiah 30:21 point to our hearing special messages from God.   Does the Bible talk about not doing anything that's out of God's timing? Do Amos 4:13 and Isaiah 30:21 point to our hearing special messages from God?

Questions about how we should pray about big decisions if we can't expect to hear a “yes“ or “no” from God, what Greg means by “listening prayer,” and why he thinks the call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 isn't an example of it.   In light of Greg's teaching on decision making and the will of God, when I'm making a big decision and I'm told to “pray about it,” what does that mean if I shouldn't expect to hear a “yes” or “no” from God? What do you mean by “listening prayer,” and why do you think the call of Samuel in 1 Samuel 3 isn't an example of it?

Questions about what the laws of the immaterial are if immaterial things exist and how to use the third Columbo question in the Tactics material.   If immaterial things exist, what are the laws of the immaterial, and where are they? How do you use the third Columbo question in the Tactics material?