Quick Shot: “If Christianity were true, there wouldn’t be so many denominations”

Our “Quick Shot” series offers brief answers to common objections to the Christian worldview. Each response is limited to one paragraph. These responses are designed to (1) answer the objection as concisely as possible, (2) challenge the objector to think more deeply about his or her claim, and (3) facilitate a “gospel” conversation. In this article, we’re offering “Quick Shot” responses to the objection, Quick Shot: “If Christianity were true, there wouldn’t be so many denominations”.

Response #1:
“Christianity isn’t the only worldview held by people who disagree. For example, atheists hold disagreements about secondary issues, even though all of them agree that God does not exist. Atheists differ in their views, leading to a variety of categorizations and descriptions, including ‘Implicit’ Atheists, ‘Explicit’ Atheists, ‘Weak’ Atheists, ‘Strong’ Atheists, ‘Iconoclastic’ Atheists, ‘Pragmatic’ Atheists, ‘Mono’ Atheists, ‘Myopic’ Atheists, ‘Realistic’ Atheists, ‘Scientific’ Atheists, ‘Logical’ Atheists and many more. Like Christians who disagree on secondary issues, people who hold an atheistic worldview have similar disagreements. Would it be fair to conclude that atheism is untrue based on these disagreements?” Like Christians who disagree on secondary issues, people who hold an atheistic worldview have similar disagreements. Would it be fair to conclude that atheism is untrue based on these disagreements? Click To Tweet

OR

Response #2:
“I believe in the existence of the universe. You do too, right? Did you know that the people who understand the universe the best – astrophysicists and cosmologists – hold many disagreements? These scientists divide themselves into factions, including ‘Big Bang’ Cosmologists, ‘Steady State’ Cosmologists, ‘Conformal Cyclic’ Cosmologists, ‘Ekpyrotic’ Cosmologists, ‘Multiverse’ Cosmologists, ‘Pre-Big Bang Theory’ Cosmologists, ‘Quantum Theory’ Cosmologists and many more. Examining the same set of facts, these scientists, based on their disagreements, have separated into ‘scientific denominations’ (even though they agree on many essential issues). Can you see why disagreement between Christians doesn’t falsify the truth of Christianity any more than disagreement between astrophysicists falsifies the existence of the universe?” Can you see why disagreement between Christians doesn’t falsify the truth of Christianity any more than disagreement between astrophysicists falsifies the existence of the universe? Click To Tweet

OR

Response #3:
“Why would you be surprised that people disagree with one another – in any field of study, worldview or system of belief? People always disagree about something, even if it’s only a minor detail or issue. It’s the nature of being human, and it says much less about the truth of a claim than it does about the people who hold the claim. Given that disagreeable humans differ in their views about secondary issues in nearly every worldview (atheism and theism included), should we reject all truth claims based on these inclinations toward disagreement? Wouldn’t it be wiser to examine the claims themselves rather than the people who hold them?”

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Our “Quick Shot” series was written specifically for the Cold-Case Christianity App (you can download it on Apple and Android platforms – be sure to register once you download the App). When confronted with an objection in casual conversation, App users can quickly find an answer without having to scroll beyond the first screen in the category. Use the App “Quick Shots” along with the “Rapid Responses” and Case Making “Cheat Sheets” to become a better Christian Case Maker.

For more information about the reliability of the New Testament gospels and the case for Christianity, please read Cold-Case Christianity: A Homicide Detective Investigates the Claims of the Gospels. This book teaches readers ten principles of cold-case investigations and applies these strategies to investigate the claims of the gospel authors. The book is accompanied by an eight-session Cold-Case Christianity DVD Set (and Participant’s Guide) to help individuals or small groups examine the evidence and make the case.

J. Warner Wallace is a Dateline featured Cold-Case Detective, Senior Fellow at the Colson Center for Christian Worldview, Adj. Professor of Christian Apologetics at Talbot School of Theology, Biola University, author of Cold-Case Christianity, God’s Crime Scene, and Forensic Faith, and creator of the Case Makers Academy for kids.

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