A Socratic discussion between an Evangelical and Skeptical Former Evangelical

Recently a Christian believer contacted me with the following request:

"I received an assignment for a Christian Apologetics course. We were asked to ask someone who is not a Christian to present their worldview. Would you be willing to help me? I would be very grateful."

To make the exercise a bit more interesting and perhaps thought provoking, I decided to answer the posed questions here as if we were having an actual discussion. Using the Socratic method, I answer the questions, and ask my own questions in return.  Sometimes my questions go unanswered. 


Evangelical: Let's begin our discussion with a fundamental question: What do you think happens after we die?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: That's a profound question. But before I answer, may I ask—what assumptions do you make about the nature of the soul and afterlife?

Evangelical: I see life as having an eternal dimension—a continuation with God. How do you view the possibility of an afterlife?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: I wonder, do we have sufficient evidence to assert that consciousness continues, or might death simply be the cessation of our biological processes? What criteria do you use to be confident in eternal life?

Evangelical: The Gospel message. Anyway, if we consider that life itself shows remarkable order, do you think life is a product of chance or design?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: That’s an interesting point. What do we mean by “design”? Could the intricate patterns of nature be explained by natural processes that simply appear designed? How would you distinguish between genuine design and the results of chance shaped by natural laws?

Evangelical: I believe that the order we observe points to a Creator. But then, is there a purpose to human existence, or do we create our own meaning?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Could it be that our sense of purpose arises from our experiences and relationships, rather than from an external decree? What makes you certain that a divinely ordained purpose exists over one that we construct ourselves?

Evangelical: Hmm. Moving to ethics, let me ask: Is morality objective or subjective?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: How do you define objectivity in morality? Might our moral intuitions be shaped by biology and culture rather than an unchanging divine standard?

Evangelical: I hold that morality is grounded in God's character, suggesting it's objective. But can we be good without God?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Do you think secular societies, which rely on empathy and reason, cannot foster ethical behavior? If we see people doing good without religious motivation, what does that imply about the necessity of a divine moral lawgiver?

Evangelical: In such a complex world, how should we decide what is right and wrong?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Might it be that a combination of reason, shared human experience, and even cultural evolution guides our decisions? Perhaps a better question would be, how do we address situations where these sources of morality conflict?

Evangelical: I often wonder, are humans inherently good, bad, or neutral by nature?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Do you think it's possible that we are born with the capacity for both good and evil, and that our choices shape our character over time? How do our experiences and societal influences play into that picture?

Evangelical: Reflecting on my own journey, I see morality as absolute, but how has your sense of morality changed over time?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Could it be that my evolving perspective on morality, influenced by personal experiences and critical thinking, illustrates that moral understanding can deepen independently of religious doctrine? What do you think that evolution may signify for the idea of absolute moral values?

Evangelical: Shifting our focus, have you ever had a spiritual or religious experience?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: What do you consider a genuine spiritual experience? Might such experiences be interpreted through psychological or neurological lenses rather than being evidence of the divine?

Evangelical: So what role does faith and doubt play in your life now?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Do you think doubt can serve as a productive force in deepening one's understanding, even if it challenges established faith? How might both faith and doubt contribute to a more nuanced view of reality?

Evangelical: How do you view the relationship between science and religion?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Could it be that science and religion address different aspects of human experience—one the empirical, the other the existential? 

Evangelical: When encountering people with different religious or philosophical beliefs, how do you respond?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Do you think that engaging openly with diverse viewpoints can enrich our understanding of truth? How do you balance conviction with openness to learning from others?

Evangelical: Considering knowledge itself, how do we know what is true?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Is truth solely a product of empirical verification, or might there be other ways, like intuition or revelation, that contribute to our understanding? How reliable are these different methods in establishing what we consider true?

Evangelical: Do you believe in absolute truth, or is reality subjective?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: If truth is absolute, what grounds it? And if reality is subjective, how do we reconcile conflicting perceptions of the world? Can there be a middle path between these extremes?

Evangelical: What are your thoughts on the nature of consciousness?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Do you see consciousness as merely the result of brain processes, or is there something more mysterious at work? What evidence or experience leads you to favor one view over the other?

Evangelical: Finally, do you think free will exists, or is everything predetermined?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: How do you reconcile the idea of divine foreknowledge with genuine human freedom? Is it possible that free will operates within certain constraints even if some aspects of our lives are determined?

Evangelical: And as a thought experiment, could we be living in a simulated reality?

Skeptical Former Evangelical: If we were in a simulation, would that diminish the significance of our experiences, or could it offer a different kind of meaning? What criteria might we use to distinguish between simulation and “reality” as we understand it?

Evangelical: Thank you for engaging in this dialogue. Each question seems to open up even more avenues for reflection.

Skeptical Former Evangelical: Indeed.

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