A Skeptic's Conversation with a Christian (Skeptic) I still don’t get this whole exchange thing? (Christian) EXCHANGE: (iks - chanj') 1. To give and receive reciprocally; trade; interchange. 2. To trade in for replacement. (Skeptic) Well, duh! I know what exchange means. But how to I apply it to God? (Christian) Sorry, no insult intended. It's just a cool way to start out the section. We all have an exchange to make with God. Ask yourself this question: What happens after you die? (Skeptic) I suppose one of three things: 1) You go to heaven, 2) You start all over again, or 3) Nothing. (Christian) All right, then. Let's take this one at a time. The third answer - that nothing happens - is easiest. If you simply stop existing when you die, then you can pretty much do, say, or think whatever you wish, and have only to deal with the rewards and/or consequences of those actions during life. After you die, phhht! you're off the hook, because you don't exist any more. This is a great belief to have, by the way, as long as you can overlook two questions:         1. What's the point of your life? (Kinda depressing, ain't it?)         2. What if - just what if - you're wrong? Okay, number two. If you start all over again, then what happens after that? Do you start over and over and over? If that's true, then who's in charge of this merry-go-round, and can you get off? There's nothing in science that indicates humans - or anything - reincarnates. However: "...Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment..." (Hebrews 9:27 NIV) So re-incarnation is an act of faith, right? Right? And where does this faith come from? Here's where our faith comes from: "7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast." Ephesians 2:7-9 (NIV) (Skeptic) That leaves the first one: You go to heaven. (Christian) Oh, really? Why is that? How do you know you're going to heaven? And who's in charge of heaven? (Let's hope it's not the same joker in charge of reincarnation.) (Skeptic) Okay, smart guy, play nice. All right, I'll say it: God's in charge of heaven. There, happy? (Christian) Well, it's a start. Let's go with that. Then how about I drop this on you: You're right! God is in charge of heaven. In fact, he's in charge of everything and he created everything and he still controls everything. On top of that... (Skeptic) Then how come God lets bad things happen? (Christian) Don't interrupt. Besides, this section's about the Great Exchange. If you want the answer to "Why does God let bad things happen?", go to the tough questions section. Now where were we? Oh, yeah: God exists. Got another news flash for you. God not only exists, he's told us he exists. No, God does not appear to us personally, in the flesh -as it were - and talk to us. Nor does he email us and tell us to send him more money. Nothing so man-made. God speaks to all of us - you, me, that guy down the hall who picks his nose - through the Bible. Check out what God says about the Bible: "But these were written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31 NIV) (Skeptic) All right, I'll buy into the idea that God speaks to us through the Bible. (After all, I can leave this page whenever I want.) So what does God have to say, other than a lot of "verilys" and "thees" and "thous"? CONTINUE TO PART 2 (Back to Top of Page)