Who Made God? : And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith

Intro; Also by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler; Title Page; Copyright; CONTENTS; Preface; Acknowledgments; Contributors; PART 1: QUESTION ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH; 1. Tough Questions about God; Who Made God?; Why Couldn't the World Always Have Existed?; How Can God Make Something out of Nothing?; What Was God Doing before He Made the World?; How Can There Be Three Persons in One God?; How Can a Good God Send People to Hell?; How Can God Be Both Loving and Just?; 2. Tough Questions about Evil; What Is the Origin of Evil?; What Is God's Ultimate Purpose in Allowing Evil?;In the quest for the truth, you need to know what you believe and why you believe it. Who Made God' offers accessible answers to over 100 commonly asked apologetic questions. Bringing together the best in evangelical apologists, this guide is standard equipment for Christians who want to understand and talk about their faith intelligently. Part one answers tough questions about the Christian faith such as: - Who made God' - How can there be three persons in one God' - What is God's ultimate purpose in allowing evil' - Where did the uNIVerse come from' - How long are the days of creation in Genesis' - Did Jesus rise from the dead' - Are the records of Jesus' life reliable' - Does the Bible have errors in it' Part two answers tough questions about other faiths, including Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Reincarnation, Buddhism, and Black Islam. Relevant stories, questions for reflection and discussion, and a comprehensive list of suggested resources help you dig deeper so you can be prepared to give careful answers that explain the reasons for your faith. Contains Ten Essays That Answer Over One Hundred Apologetic Questions, Such As Who Made God, The Purpose Of Evil, And If Jesus Rose From The Dead, And Addresses Questions About Other Faiths, Including Islam, Buddhism, And Mormonism. Part I. Questions About The Christian Faith -- 1. Tough Questions About God / Norman Geisler -- Who Made God? -- Why Couldn't The World Always Have Existed? -- How Can God Make Something Out Of Nothing? -- What Was God Doing Before He Made The World? -- How Can There Be Three Persons In One God? -- How Can A Good God Send People To Hell? -- How Can God Be Both Loving And Just? -- 2. Tough Questions About Evil / Ronald Rhodes -- What Is The Origin Of Evil? -- What Is God's Ultimate Purpose In Allowing Evil? -- Wouldn't It Be Better If God Did Away With All Evil Immediately? -- Does The Existence Of Evil Prove That God Is Finite? -- Is Evil Just An Illusion? -- Can New Age Pantheism Account For Evil? -- Do We Create Our Own Realities? -- Does Reincarnation Explain The Existence Of Evil? -- 3. Tough Questions About Science / William Lane Craig -- Are Science And Christianity Allies Or Adversaries? -- How Should Theology And Science Relate? -- How Does Modern Science Describe The World? -- Where Did The Universe Come From? -- What Does The Fine-tuning Of The Universe Mean? -- What Does The Many Worlds Hypothesis Mean? -- What Explains The Actual Origin Of Life? -- How Long Are The Days Of Creation In Genesis? -- Is The Neo-darwinian Theory Of Evolution True? -- 4. Tough Questions About Christ / Lee Strobel -- Are The Records Of Jesus' Life Reliable? -- Did Jesus Ever Claim To Be God? -- 5. More Tough Questions About Christ / Lee Strobel -- Did Jesus Really Perform Miracles? -- Did Jesus Fulfill The Messianic Prophecies? -- Did Jesus Rise From The Dead? -- 6. Tough Questions About The Bible / Norman Geisler -- Where Did The Bible Come From? -- Who Wrote The Bible? -- Were The Biblical Authors Mere Secretaries Of The Holy Spirit? -- What Was A Prophet In Bible Times? -- Could Prophets Add Their Personal Thoughts To God's Message? -- Didn't Paul Add His Own Opinions To The Corinthians? -- How Did The Prophets Get Their Message From God? -- Were The Prophets Permitted To Change The Words God Gave? -- What Is Meant When We Say, The Bible Is The Word Of God? -- How Else Does The Bible Claim To Be The Word Of God? -- Does The Bible Actually Claim To Be The Word Of God In So Many Words? -- Does The Bible Claim To Have Divine Authority? -- How Far Does This Divine Authority Extend? -- What Is Meant By The Statement That The Bible Is Inspired? -- Are The Very Words Of The Bible Inspired By God Or Only The Ideas? -- Does The Bible Claim To Be Inspired On All Topics Or Just Spiritual Ones? -- How Do Some People Misunderstand What Is Meant By The Inspiration Of The Bible? -- How Do We Know That These Are Not Included In What Inspiration Covers? -- Does The Whole Bible Claim To Be From God Or Just Parts Of It? -- Isn't The Bible Also A Human Book? -- Does The Bible Have Human Errors In It? -- Are There Any Errors In Bible Manuscripts And Translations? -- How Can The Bible Be Both God's Words And Man's Words? -- Is The Biblical Text Historically Reliable? -- Were The Biblical Witnesses Reliable? -- Why Does The Jesus Seminar Reject The Reliability Of The New Testament Witnesses? -- Would The New Testament Witnesses Have Stood Up In A Court Of Law? -- Are The Copies Of The Bible Reliable? -- Part Ii. Questions About Other Faiths -- 7. Tough Questions About The Koran, The Book Of Mormon, And False Prophets Compared To The Bible / Norman Geisler -- What Evidence Do We Have That The Bible Is Inspired Of God As It Claims To Be? -- Is There Any Other Evidence That The Bible Is God's Word? -- Haven't Psychics Made Successful Predictions Like The Bible? -- Didn't Jeane Dixon Predict President Kennedy's Assassination? -- Didn't Nostradamus Make Supernatural Predictions? -- Do Nostradamus's Predictions Fail The Test Of A True Prophet? -- What Are The Tests For A False Prophet? -- Did The Biblical Authors Measure Up To These Tests? -- If God Condemned Occultic Means, Why Did The Old Testament Priests Use Divining Stones? -- Why Can't The Holy Books Of Other Religions Be From God Too? -- Isn't It Narrow-minded To Claim Only One Religion Has The Truth? -- Is The Bible Complete Or Is Something Missing? -- Is The Old Testament Complete? -- What Is The Testimony Of Judaism About The Completion Of The Old Testament? -- What Did Jesus Say About The Completeness Of The Old Testament? -- What Did The Early Christians Say About The Completeness Of The Old Testament? -- Did The Roman Catholic Church Add Books To The Jewish Old Testament? -- How Do We Know The New Testament Is Complete? -- What Did Jesus Promise About The Formation Of The New Testament? -- What Did Jesus' Apostles Say About The New Testament? -- What Evidence Did The Apostles Show For Their Authority? -- Were All The Apostolic And Prophetic Writings Preserved In The New Testament? -- How Does The Character Of God Guarantee The Completeness Of The New Testament? -- Did The Church Carefully Preserve The Whole New Testament? -- Is The Whole Bible Complete? -- Why Are Uninspired Books Mentioned In The Bible? -- Is The Real 1 Corinthians Missing? -- Do Mormons Believe The Bible Is Inspired Of God? -- Is This Claim Of The Mormons Accurate? -- Are Some Mormons Now Claiming The Corruption Of The Bible Was Early? -- Is There Confirmation That Mormon Scriptures Are From God? -- Are There Evidences That The Book Of Mormon Is Inspired? -- Were The Witnesses Of The Book Of Mormon Credible Witnesses? -- Did Joseph Smith Make Any False Prophecies? -- What Other Tests Of A False Prophet Did Joseph Smith Fit? -- Is The Quran The Word Of God? -- 8. Tough Questions About Hinduism And Transcendental Meditation / L. T. Jeyachandran -- What Are The Reasons For The High Degree Of Interest In Eastern Religions So Prevalent Among Westerners? -- What Are The Main Tenets Of Hinduism? -- What Is Transcendental Meditation? -- 9. Tough Questions About Yoga, Reincarnation, And Buddhism / L. T. Jeyachandran -- What Is Yoga? -- What Is Reincarnation? -- What Are The Beliefs Of Buddhism? -- 10. Tough Questions About Black Islam / Robert White -- What Are The History And Philosophy Of Black Islam? -- What Is The Unique Burden Of Today's Church? -- What Makes Religion Black? -- Why Islam? -- Who Founded The Early Proto-islamic Movements? -- 11. More Tough Questions About Black Islam / Robert White -- Who Were The Founders Of The Black Islamic Movement? -- Who Is Responsible For Bringing The Message Of Black Islam To The Forefront? -- Why Is The Message Of Islam Appealing To African-american Males In Particular? -- Is Islam Becoming The True Religion Of The Black Man? -- Does Black Islam Recognize The Deity Of Jesus Christ? -- Should Black Muslims Be Allowed To Speak In Black Churches? Ravi Zacharias, Norman Geisler, General Editors. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 203-208) And Indexes. Intro Also by Ravi Zacharias and Norman Geisler Title Page Copyright CONTENTS Preface Acknowledgments Contributors PART 1: QUESTION ABOUT THE CHRISTIAN FAITH 1. Tough Questions about God Who Made God? Why Couldn't the World Always Have Existed? How Can God Make Something out of Nothing? What Was God Doing before He Made the World? How Can There Be Three Persons in One God? How Can a Good God Send People to Hell? How Can God Be Both Loving and Just? 2. Tough Questions about Evil What Is the Origin of Evil? What Is God's Ultimate Purpose in Allowing Evil? Wouldn't It Be Better If God Did Away with All Evil Immediately?Does the Existence of Evil Prove That God Is Finite? Is Evil Just an Illusion? Can New Age Pantheism Account for Evil? Do We Create Our Own Realities? Does Reincarnation Explain the Existence of Evil? 3. Tough Questions about Science Are Science and Christianity Allies or Adversaries? How Should Theology and Science Relate? How Does Modern Science Describe the World? Where Did the Universe Come From? What Does the Fine-Tuning of the Universe Mean? What Does the "Many Worlds" Hypothesis Mean? What Explains the Actual Origin of Life?How Long Are the Days of Creation in Genesis? Is the Neo-Darwinian Theory of Evolution True? 4. Tough Questions about Christ Are the Records of Jesus' Life Reliable? Did Jesus Ever Claim to Be God? 5. More Tough Questions about Christ Did Jesus Really Perform Miracles? Did Jesus Fulfill the Messianic Prophecies? Did Jesus Rise from the Dead? 6. Tough Questions about the Bible Where Did the Bible Come From? Who Wrote the Bible? Were the Biblical Authors Mere Secretaries of the Holy Spirit? What Was a Prophet in Bible Times? Could Prophets Add Their Personal Thoughts to God's Message?How Did the Prophets Get Their Messages from God? Were the Prophets Permitted to Change the Words God Gave? What Do You Mean When You Say "The Bible Is the Word of God"? How Else Does the Bible Claim to Be the Word of God? Does the Bible Actually Claim to Be the "Word of God" in So Many Words? Does the Bible Claim to Have Divine Authority? How Far Does This Divine Authority Extend? What Do You Mean When You Say That the Bible Is Inspired? Are the Very Words of the Bible Inspired by God, or Only the Ideas? Does the Bible Claim to Be Inspired on All Topics or Just Spiritual Ones?How Do Some People Misunderstand What Is Meant by the Inspiration of the Bible? How Do We Know These Misunderstandings Aren't Part of What Inspiration Covers? Isn't the Bible Also a Human Book? Does the Bible Have Errors in It? Are There Errors in Bible Manuscripts and Translations? How Can the Bible Be Both God's Words and Man's Words? Were the Biblical Witnesses Reliable? Why Does the Jesus Seminar Reject the Reliability of the New Testament Witnesses? A case for the role of church leaders in motivating members to be committed to a thoughtful apologetic defense of the Christian faith that pervades the entire life of the church and impacts the home in raising children who remain committed to Christ even when leaving for college. Companion book to Who Made God? And Answers to Over 100 Other Tough Questions of Faith. A ministry resource for motivating all Christians to become thoughtful apologists of their faith. Although apologetics is as crucial today as it has ever been, the classical model for defending the faith often seems irrelevant to the 21st century where people listen with their eyes and think with their emotions. Is Your Church Ready? Presents a team of highly qualified Christian thinkers-including Ravi Zacharias, John Guest, Jay Budziszewski, Judy Salisbury, Dean Halverson, and Peter Grant-who build a case for the place of apologetics in the local church, home, and school. Using personal examples and illustrations they address: *How to answer objections to Christianity *How to equip children in the home and prepare youth to remain committed to Christ after they leave for college *How to reach international students and the foreign-bornIncluded are discussion questions and a "Church Leaders Resource Guide" to the best books, articles, organizations, and websites on the subject This book provides answers to the most-asked questions about the Christian faith. In the quest for the truth, you need to know what you believe and why you believe it. Who Made God? offers accessible answers to over 100 commonly asked apologetic questions. Bringing together the best in evangelical apologists, this quide is standard equipment for Christians who want to understand and talk about their faith intelligently. Part One answers tough questions about the Christian faith such as: Who made God? How can there be three persons in one God? What is God's ultimate purpose in allowing evil? Where did the universe come from? How long are the days of creation in Genesis? Did Jesus rise from the dead? Are the records of Jesus' life reliable? Does the Bible have errors in it? Part Two answers tough questions about other faiths, including Islam, Mormonism, Hinduism, Transcendental Meditation, Yoga, Reincarnation, Buddhism, and Black Islam. Relevant stories, questions for reflection and discussion, and a comprehensive list of suggested resources help you dig deeper so you can be prepared to give careful answers that explain the reasons for your faith. - Back cover. A ministry resource for motivating all Christians to become thoughtful apologists of their faith

Although apologetics is as crucial today as it has ever been, the classical model for defending the faith often seems irrelevant to the 21st century where people listen with their eyes and think with their emotions. Is Your Church Ready? Presents a team of highly qualified Christian thinkers---including Ravi Zacharias, John Guest, Jay Budziszewski, Judy Salisbury, Dean Halverson, and Peter Grant---who build a case for the place of apologetics in the local church, home, and school. Using personal examples and illustrations they address:

* How to answer objections to Christianity
* How to equip children in the home and prepare youth to remain committed to Christ after they leave for college
* How to reach international students and the foreign-born Included are discussion questions and a 'Church Leaders Resource Guide' to the best books, articles, organizations, and websites on the subject.