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Richard Goyette, Author/Speaker

Progressive Christian Universalist 

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I can be reached at 530-588-5075

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RichardGoyette@mail.com

SCROLL DOWN THIS PAGE FOR THE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND A LIST OF THE MAJOR QUESTIONS DISCUSSED IN MY BOOK.

SUPPLEMENTAL ESSAYS

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Dear Pastor, Teacher, Parent, or Friend,

        We all struggle with many seemingly unanswerable questions about the ways of God. Unsatisfying answers to these difficult questions are a major stumbling block to faith for many of us, whether we are willing to admit it or not.

        When I was young, I could never be sure that I was a genuine Christian, mainly because I wasn’t ever given satisfactory answers to many perplexing questions. Nevertheless, I did profess faith in Christ from a very early age, and throughout my life I have been actively engaged in church activities. I did my best to live my faith, despite serious doubts and reservations. It was not until very late in life that I have been able to answer, with complete confidence and intellectual honesty, the questions that troubled me most.

        Here is a list of those questions.  As you read them, ask yourself what your answers would be. Are you completely satisfied with your answers? Are there questions on the list for which you have no satisfactory answer? Are your parishioners, students, children, friends, or loved ones troubled by these questions? Would you like to have better answers to these questions for their sakes?

1. How can I know for absolute sure that God exists?

2. If God does exist, why does He hide Himself from us? Why does He make it so difficult for us to believe in Him? Why doesn’t He just visibly show Himself to all of us, thereby removing all doubts about His existence? If unbelievers will be condemned to everlasting Hell when they die, why wouldn’t God make it easier for them to believe?

3. If the Bible is truly God’s word, why does it contain so many historical, scientific, and theological contradictions and inaccuracies? If all the words of Scripture are not inerrant and infallible, in what ways might they still reveal truths about God that can absolutely be relied upon?

4. Why would an all-powerful God of love condemn the majority of the human race to eternal torture in Hell? Why would God command us to forgive our enemies and at the same time refuse to do so Himself?

5. If Christ paid the penalty on Calvary for the sins of mankind, why is most of humanity still required to pay the penalty? Either the penalty was paid or it wasn’t, right?

6. If the penalty for sin is eternal torture in Hell, how could Christ have possibly paid that penalty on our behalf on Calvary? He wasn’t eternally tortured in Hell. According to the Bible, He only remained in the grave for three days, and while there, he was not being tortured. Instead, He was preaching.

7. If belief or faith in Christ is necessary for salvation, how is a person to know what level of belief is required? For most Christians, belief is not absolute. It can only be measured in degrees. Some believe strongly, while others still harbor many doubts. How many doubts are permissible? How strong does one’s belief need to be? Where does God draw the line between saving faith and faith that doesn’t quite cut it?

8. If repentance from sin is necessary for salvation, how complete does that repentance need to be? Most of us continue to sin, despite being sorry for our sins. Is there any way to know for sure that we have adequately repented of the sin in our lives? Where does God draw the line?

9. Why is Christian salvation an all-or-nothing proposition, either eternal bliss in Heaven or eternal misery in Hell? Wouldn’t it be more fair and just for God to impose rewards and punishments in an equitable and proportionate fashion?

10. Both Calvinists and Arminians believe that people are helpless to save themselves, and the intervention of the Holy Spirit is required to bring sinners to repentance. Why is it that the Holy Spirit does not intervene on everyone’s behalf to change their hearts and draw them back to God?

11. Many people who reject Christianity do so because of strong cultural biases and non-Christian religious indoctrination, usually from a very early age. Can these people really be blamed for their lack of faith in Christ? Is it fair that God would condemn them all to eternal Hell merely for being a product of their culture and upbringing?

12. What are we to make of God-approved genocide in the Bible? Examples include the Genesis flood, the killing of all the first-born of Egypt prior to the Exodus, the subsequent conquest of Canaan, and God’s continuing support of Israel in various wars against her enemies.

13. If only Christians go to Heaven when they die, why is it that both Christian and non-Christian near death experiencers (even atheists) have similar experiences while in Heaven? If the near death experience is a demonic deception, why is it that both Christians and non-Christians experience the same deception?

14. Why does God not intervene to alleviate human suffering and evil in this world?

    Most pastors and teachers offer pat answers to these questions.  How satisfied are you with those answers? For me, most of them were very unsatisfying. Today, I can honestly say that I have arrived at answers that not only resolve most of the contradictions and paradoxes of popular Christianity, but I have been able to do it without having to throw my brains out the window. I am no longer forced to live with logical incongruities.

    In my most recent book, “Logical Answers to Life’s Toughest Questions,” I provide logical and convincing answers to all of the above questions, and more. I believe this book should be required reading for everyone, especially pastors, teachers, and parents. You can purchase my book directly from me on my website, or you can purchase it on Amazon.com. If you feel very strongly about the need for a wider distribution of my book, I would  request that you ask your local Christian bookstore stock it on their shelves.

    I am hoping that after you read the book, you will post a review on Amazon.com and encourage others to read it as well. Perhaps you would be willing to share the book with a Bible study group. People need to know that the Gospel of Christ is not just good news. It is wonderful news for everyone, news that can be believed and trusted without any doubts or reservations. Jesus came to save us, not condemn us, and Christians are among the first-fruits of God plan of salvation. We are privileged to serve as His ambassadors to a very sin-sick world. God truly is the “Savior of all men, and especially of those who believe.” (1 Timothy 4:10)

In His service,

Richard Goyette, Author

            Table of Contents    

 Prologue...................................................................................... p. 9

    The Rational Basis for Christian Faith

Chapter 1.................................................................................. p. 14

    Questions that Bothered Me the Most

Chapter 2.................................................................................. p. 17

    My Theology in a Nutshell

Chapter 3.................................................................................. p. 20

    Is the Bible Literally True and/or Inerrant?

Chapter 4.................................................................................. p. 26

    Reasons to Believe

Chapter 5.................................................................................. p. 33

    Extra-Biblical Truths about God

Chapter 6.................................................................................. p. 47

    Christian Salvation

Chapter 7.................................................................................. p. 56

     The Atonement

Chapter 8.................................................................................. p. 65

    The Trinity

Chapter 9.................................................................................. p. 73

    Theological Correctness

Chapter 10................................................................................ p. 82

    Popular Misconceptions about Hell

Chapter 11................................................................................ p. 95

    Predestination and Free-Will

Chapter 12.............................................................................. p. 105

    The Nature of Reality

Chapter 13.............................................................................. p. 115

    Materialism, Dualism, and Idealism

Chapter 14.............................................................................. p. 120

    NDE’s, Reincarnation, and Christian Theology

Chapter 15.............................................................................. p. 126

    Situational Ethics and the Law of Love

Chapter 16.............................................................................. p. 130

    The King and the Crown Prince

Appendix................................................................................ p. 134

    Leftovers from Richard’s Table – Additional Thoughts and Reflections

    P. 134 - What Is Forgiveness, Really?

    P. 135 - Entering the Kingdom and the Law of Sowing and Reaping

    P. 137 - What Happens when We Turn to a Different Gospel?

    P. 138 - Inch by Inch, Anything’s a Cinch.

    P. 139 - You Can Catch More Flies with Honey than with Vinegar.

    P. 140 - Separating the Sheep from the Goats

    P. 140 - Wisdom Should Not Be Equated with Certitude.

    P. 141 - The Best reward for Doing Good

    P. 142 - Is God the Author of Sin and Evil?

    P. 143 - What about Hitler?

    P. 143 - The key to Successful Christian Living

    P. 144 - Why Atheists Hate Christianity

    P. 144 - My View of Bible Inspiration

    P. 145 - The Moral Dilemma of Compartmentalization

    P. 146 - God’s Self-Adjusting Universe

    P. 146 - Little Things Can Make a Big Difference.

    P. 147 - The Goal of Christian Missions

    P. 148 - Happiness Comes from Within.

    P. 149 - Sin Is Our Enemy, Not God.

    P. 150 - La La Land or Law Law Land

    P. 151 - How to Get the Dirty Bone out of Your Dog’s Mouth

    P. 152 - Believers Will Enter the Kingdom Ahead of Unbelievers.

    P. 153 - The Pearl of Great Price

    P. 154 - The God Within

    P. 155 - The Parable of the Persistent Widow

    P. 157 - Like Father Like Son

    P. 158 - The Four Spiritual Laws

    P. 160 - Taking Hold of God

    P. 161 - He Was There All the Time.

    P. 162 - A Broken Body Can Only Be Healed by Reattaching the Severed Members.

    P. 163 - It’s the Living that’s Important, Not the Understanding

    P. 164 - What Is Meant by the Resurrection of the Body?

    P. 165 - Here’s a Real Mind-Bender for You.

    P. 167 - The Water Is Calm Beneath the Surface.

    P. 168 - The Sick and Dying Don’t Need More Bad News.

    P. 169 - God’s Lost & Found

    P. 170 - Does Satan Really Exist?

    P. 171 - What Is a Christian?

    P. 172 - We Are Saved by Grace.

    P. 173 - What Should We Be Praying For?

    P. 174 - The Greatest Commandment

    P. 176 - The Cancellation of Our Sin Debt

    P. 178 - How to Experience a Personal Relationship with God

    P. 178 - The Fatherhood of God