A: It's probably the most honest question you can ask. The short answer is: you can't prove God the way you'd prove a scientific fact, but that's also true of most of the things we're most certain about, like love, justice, or whether the past actually happened. The case for God isn't based on blind faith, it's based on things like the existence of the universe, the fine-tuning of physics, the universal sense that some things are genuinely right and wrong, and the historical evidence for Jesus and what he did for us. We'd encourage you to explore rather than dismiss, you might be surprised where the evidence points.

A: This is probably the question that stops more people from faith than any other, and it's a completely fair one. The Christian answer isn't a neat formula. It includes the reality that human choices cause enormous suffering. But the Bible tells us that God himself entered the pain of the world rather than sitting above it. He sent Jesus to suffer and die on our behalf for all the pain and suffering that sin has caused our world. And that story continues today. God meets us in our pain and he is able to help us walk through any dark valley if we will allow him to show us the way.

A: Not at all, though it's a common assumption. Science is brilliant at answering ‘how’ questions (eg. ‘how did the universe form?’, ‘how do cells work?’). It's much less equipped to answer ‘why’ questions (’why is there something rather than nothing?’, ‘why does anything have meaning or value?’). Many leading scientists are Christians. Faith and science aren't enemies, they're just asking different questions. We invite you to begin asking some ‘why’ questions for yourself and see where it might take you.

A: Yes, the historical existence of Jesus is one of the best-attested facts of ancient history, accepted by virtually all historians regardless of their personal beliefs. He was a first-century Jewish teacher from Nazareth who was crucified under the Roman governor Pontius Pilate. The more interesting question is who he claimed to be, and what happened three days after he was buried. That’s what we can hopefully help you discover for yourself.

A: Because that's what Jesus himself said, and if he was telling the truth about who he was, it changes everything. Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) - That can sound arrogant from the outside, but Christians don't believe it because they think they're better than anyone else. They believe it because they think Jesus is who he said he was. The question worth asking is: was he right?

A: Christians believe so. It is a crucial part of our faith. Unless Jesus was raised to life, overcoming death, then he can not be who he said he was. The historical case for it is stronger than most people realise: the tomb was empty (even opponents didn't deny this), hundreds of people claimed to have seen Jesus alive, and the disciples were so convinced they died for it. People die for things they believe, but very rarely for something they know to be a lie.

A: It was written by human hand, that's never been the claim against it. The question is whether God worked through those humans to communicate something true. Christian’s believe the Bible was ‘God-breathed’ - written through humans but guided by the Holy Spirit. On the question of reliability, the Bible is the most scrutinised document in human history and has held up remarkably well. The New Testament manuscripts number in the thousands and are far more numerous and closer to the originals than any other ancient text we trust.

A: Start with the Gospel of John, it's near the back of the New Testament and was written specifically for people asking exactly the questions you're asking. It's short, readable, and gets straight to the point. If you'd like a physical copy, we'll send you one for free, just send us your details.