Tough Questions for Christians #8: Paul

Image by Lawrence OP via Flickr

He lived after Christ had already died. Stories of Christ’s existence, even personal stories from those who claim to have seen Christ himself were of absolutely no value to him. He didn’t believe them.

If the gospels existed in any way, whether spoken or written, at the time – they meant nothing to him. As evidence they were completely worthless.

This man persecuted Christians wherever he could find them. He actively sought them out so he could persecute them. He saw the entire religion as a dangerous superstition.

During his persecution of Christians, one day he saw a flash of light, and he saw Jesus Christ himself. He came down, convinced him that he was persecuting the real church and that Jesus Christ was a true person who really existed. And from that day forward, Paul was converted.

This is another example of an extreme skeptic who, having been born in any other generation or having God not directly intervened, would’ve died as a heretic and been sent to Hell.

But God did directly intervene, interrupted him, knocked him on his ass, so to speak, showed himself to him, and said: “You’re persecuting the wrong guys, I’m real.”

So that’s the story of Paul.

If the gospel stories existed at the time, they didn’t convince him. Personal stories from believers didn’t convince him. The only thing that could convince him was a direct intervention from God.

God was willing to show Thomas extraordinary evidence, AND God was willing to show Paul extraordinary evidence, both of them would not have been convinced by anything less. Neither Thomas nor Paul would’ve been convinced by reading stories, or by hearing claims made by other people. God knew this, that’s why supposedly he intervened directly in both cases.

So here’s my question: Why is God only willing to give this sort of extraordinary evidence to some people, instead of to everyone?

TOUGH QUESTION FOR CHRISTIANS #8
WHY IS GOD ONLY WILLING TO GIVE EXTRAORDINARY EVIDENCE TO SOME PEOPLE, INSTEAD OF GIVING THE SAME DEGREE OF PROOF TO EVERYONE?

Christians say that God won’t reveal himself to you because to do so would take away your freewill. When God converted Paul, did he take away his freewill?

BONUS QUESTION:
DID GOD TAKE AWAY PAUL’S FREEWILL WHEN HE REVEALED HIMSELF?

originally posted on YouTube at: www.youtube.com/azatheist