100 TOUGH QUESTIONS
about God and the Bible
By Stephen M. Miller
Bethany House. 236 pages. £8.99
ISBN 978 0 784 211 621
How does one answer 100 tough questions in just 236 pages? The answer is, probably, ‘with difficulty.’
Certainly the author is unable to address the questions in depth. He comes to the questions, not so much as a Bible teacher, but as a news reporter gathering together what he has obtained from various sources. And the author’s journalistic skills are used to produce a work that is concise, clearly written, and easy to read. This book is accessible to both new Christians and non-Christians. One does not need a degree in theology to grasp what he is saying.
But what is he saying in addressing the questions raised? In chapter one, he aims at explaining what we mean when we say Scripture is ‘inspired’ by God. And he does this by saying things like, ‘many insist… other Christians argue… some Bible experts say… many Bible experts say... many Christians would agree…’ In referring to The Chicago Statement on Biblical Inerrancy, he says that ‘many don’t buy into that theory’, telling us that most Christians reckon ‘the Bible is a sacred collection of writings that contains messages from God to human beings.’
When it comes to Christ’ virgin conception in Mary’s womb in chapter seven, we are told that ‘not all Christians say they believe what the gospels of Matthew and Mark report about Mary’s pregnancy… Some Christians say they doubt this part of the story… Some Bible scholars say the Bible story about Mary’s virgin pregnancy is an add-on… ’
It seems you pay your money and take your choice. It wasn’t long before I became faint and no longer pursuing. For Biblical answers to tough questions, I would recommend looking elsewhere.
