Premise 1 : Why would Christianity choose to invent such a holy and just God ?

“Christianity is just a psychological crutch!” This is one of a group of common accusations framed against Christianity, which is why it is so important to examine and distinguish if there’s any truth in it. Is Christianity just a crutch for the weak, unintelligent and scared, or is it far more than that?

One of the most popular proponents of this was Sigmund Freud who said this about religious beliefs:

They are illusions, fulfillments of the oldest, strongest, and most urgent wishes of mankind… As we already know; the terrifying impression of helplessness in childhood aroused the need for protection – for protection through love – which was provided by the father…. Thus the benevolent rule of divine providence allays our fear of the dangers of life. 

Sigmund Freud, The Future of an Illusion

If Christians were just looking for a God who would simply function as a crutch to make life easier to bear, why come up with a God who is holy and just, that finds many of our desires and thoughts to be immoral and worthy of judgment ?

No one is righteous, not even one …

Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses and to bring the entire world into judgment before God. For no one can ever be made right in God’s sight by doing what his law commands. For the more we know God’s law, the clearer it becomes that we aren’t obeying it

Romans 3: 10, 19-20 New Living Translation

Here the Apostle Paul is saying that no one is good enough to merit God’s approval and avoid judgment on their own.

It’s one thing to adjust the sight on the bow or to reduce the distance to the target, and it’s another thing to ask God to adjust His character. Remember, the law of God flows out of the character of God, and His laws are righteous because He is righteous.

He will not adjust the law that reflects His perfection to accommodate you and me. As long as He doesn’t adjust that law, we remain guilty before that law.

R.C. Sproul, What Can I do With My Guilt ?

There are twelve primary gods and goddesses in greek mythology and all of them could be placated and appeased by certain human actions.

Christianity and Scripture explicitly state that human beings can never satisfy God’s perfect justice or avert the judgment for violating it on there own

We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment

Isaiah 64:6

Discusssion Question 1: If Christians just wanted a crutch to get through life; Wouldn’t they invent a God who just nods at all their behaviour and desires? Why come up with a God who is so Holy and with such a high standard?

Premise 2 : Why invent a God who suffers and dies ?

The disciples, and the apostles who helped author the New Testament were Jewish. The Jews believed the Old Testament prophesied that a messiah would come and rescue them from oppressive nations and reestablish Israel as the favored nation of God.

At the time of Jesus, Instead Israel labored under the oppressive military dictatorship of a pagan nation. The Jews chafed under the yoke of Roman rule. In the meantime, Israel was a cauldron of unrest. Jews yearned for a messianic deliverer who would once and for all restore to Israel the throne of David and establish God’s Kingdom in the land.

The last thing they thought would happen is that the hoped for King would be publicly humiliated, and crucified like the worst criminal by a Roman government they despised.

When Jesus told them that He would die at the hands of those they thought He had come to deliver them from it was shocking and unacceptable:

From that time Jesus Christ began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised up on the third day.

And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him, saying, “God forbid it, Lord ! This shall never happen to You.”

But He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to Me; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”

Matthew 16:21-23

The concept of Jesus the Son of the same God who had delivered the Jewish nation from the tyranny of the Pharoah of Egypt in the Exodus now dying a pauper’s death, and being treated like the worst of criminals was not just hard for Peter to adjust to, it was totally unacceptable to the Jewish nation as a whole.

Discussion Question 2: Why would the Apostles who were orthodox Jews steeped in Jewish tradition and prophetic history invent a hero Messiah that would killed alongside common thieves, that would suffer and die at the hands of their biggest enemy ?

Topic 3 : Why create the God who created hell ?

Many skeptics of Christianity, including Sigmund Freud believe it as the unconcious mind’s need for wish fulfillment. Because people need to feel secure and absolve themselves of their own guilt. If this is true then the Christian doctrine of hell would not seem to fit at all.

Merriam Websters Dictionary defines hell as: a nether world in which the dead continue to exist …a realm of the devil and demons in which condemned people suffer everlasting punishment.

Most Christians polled say that the subject of hell is the biblical doctrine they are most uncomfortable with but firmly believe in

The most well known fairy tales and fictional stories are beloved primarily because they have what we know as a “Happy Ending” Where the people we know and love are always snatched away from danger and rescued. Jesus Himself sadly said that a lot of times this will not be the case:

You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it

Matthew 7:13-14

In the New Testament the subject of hell is mentioned by Jesus Himself more than the subject of heaven is. Chiefly because He is desperate to see people avoid Hell, and for them to tell others how to avoid it.

And as He was setting out on a journey, a man ran up to Him and knelt before Him, and began asking Him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.

“You know the commandments, ‘Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Do not defraud, Honor your father and mother.'” And he said to Him, “Teacher, I have kept all these things from my youth up.” And looking at him, Jesus felt a love for him, and said to him,

“One thing you lack: go and sell all you possess, and give to the poor, and you shall have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But at these words his face fell, and he went away grieved, for he was one who owned much property. And Jesus, looking around, said to His disciples, “How hard it will be for those who are wealthy to enter the kingdom of God!”

Mark 10:17-23

Discussion Question 3: If Christianity is a human invention created to help alleviate the fear of our dying and our loved ones dying as Sigmund Freud hypothesizes; how does inventing the prospect of hell make the subject of death easier to grapple with?

ThinkCube Veracity Grid:

Have I considered the issue carefully, honestly, and with an open mind?

Does what I think conform to the rules of logic and avoid contradictions?

Has what I believe been influenced by my own bias, presuppositions, or desires?