Christians Might Be Crazy

The survey uncovered other objections. Some revolved around specific doubts about God’s existence or goodness. Some participants did not feel a fit with Christians or their beliefs. Others cited bad experiences with faith as children or youth. None of these can be ignored because people matter.

14 ADDITIONAL OBJECTIONS TO CHRISTIANITY

Some of these additional topics are concerns of classic Christian apologetics, our efforts to defend Christianity against all comers. But they do not drive the conversation like the top nine reasons listed above.

10. The key concepts (virgin birth, miracles, the resurrection, etc.) are not plausible: 19%
11. If God exists, why does he let cruel things happen in the world: 19%
12. I can’t be who I am in the Christian faith: 19%
13. My parents pushed religion on me too forcefully growing up: 19%
14. The Christian faith looks down on me because of what I believe in: 18%
15. I believe in another religion: 17%
16. I don’t fit in: 15%
17. I have too many doubts to consider myself a Christian: 14%
18. There is not enough evidence to support the ideas of Christianity: 13%
19. Christianity is too extreme for me: 13%
20. There is no proof that anything Christians believe in actually exists: 13%
21. If God exists, why doesn’t he show himself: 12%
22. I don’t need Christianity: 12%
23. I don’t believe God exists: 12%

What is perhaps most interesting is timing. I have been waiting a few years to conclude and release this massive project and now believe that the time is right. This research was conducted a few years ago, before the most recent presidential election that ushered in a cultural war. Perhaps the findings of this research were a bit prophetic, revealing what was coming and has now become our current political, moral, and spiritual cultural crisis. If the research is in fact accurate, then a deep and profound tectonic spiritual shift was well underway in Western culture and has since erupted.

Also, the recent passing of Billy Graham, beloved leader of Evangelicalism, leaves in question what will become of that movement. Widely associated with the political right, Evangelicalism now lacks a singular primary leader and it seems impossible that anyone will be able to assume the mantle held by beloved Billy considering the avalanche of mudslinging and false reporting. Because of these massive changes and uncertain future, I believe the time is right to make an effort to provide thorough, researched, and charitable analysis of spirituality, morality, and politics. We need more than the current trend of jumping into the latest dumpster fire trending on social media in an effort to get enough likes to build a platform so that you can get paid for each hit on your blog by falsely attacking someone with a Name because you have no shame.