OpenTheo

Is Church Just a Man-Made Way to Control People?

#STRask — Stand to Reason

Is Church Just a Man-Made Way to Control People?

June 10, 2024
#STRask
#STRaskStand to Reason

Questions about what to say to someone who believes the Bible and church are man-made ways to control people who don’t want to think for themselves and how to respond to the claim that Christianity “might be true for you, but not for me.”

* What do you say to an agnostic who believes the Bible and church are man-made and a way to control people who don’t want to think for themselves?

* How do you answer the claim that Christianity “might be true for you, but not for me”?

Share

FacebookTwitterRedditCopy Link

Transcript

More From #STRask

What Should I Say to a Reformed Christian Who Dismisses Many Non-Believers as Lost Causes?
What Should I Say to a Reformed Christian Who Dismisses Many Non-Believers as Lost Causes?
#STRask
June 13, 2024
Questions about the best way to respond to someone who believes in double predestination and who dismisses many non-believers as lost causes and wheth
What Should I Say to a Reformed Christian Who Dismisses Many Non-Believers as Lost Causes?
What Should I Say to a Reformed Christian Who Dismisses Many Non-Believers as Lost Causes?
#STRask
June 17, 2024
Questions about the best way to respond to someone who believes in double predestination and who dismisses many non-believers as lost causes and wheth
Why Weren’t the Israelites Explicitly Forbidden to Practice Polygamy?
Why Weren’t the Israelites Explicitly Forbidden to Practice Polygamy?
#STRask
June 20, 2024
Questions about how to reconcile the biblical model of marriage with polygamy in the Old Testament, why the Israelites weren’t explicitly forbidden to
Is It Okay to Cover a Coworker’s Shift so They Can Officiate a Same-Sex Wedding?
Is It Okay to Cover a Coworker’s Shift so They Can Officiate a Same-Sex Wedding?
#STRask
June 6, 2024
Questions about whether it would be wrong to knowingly cover a coworker’s shift so they can officiate a same-sex wedding and whether it’s okay for a C
Can Christians Who Have Died Hear Our Requests for Prayer?
Can Christians Who Have Died Hear Our Requests for Prayer?
#STRask
June 3, 2024
Questions about whether those in Heaven have a limited omniscience that enables them to hear our requests for them to pray for us, why Scripture comes
What Apologetics Strategies Can We Use with Agnostics?
What Apologetics Strategies Can We Use with Agnostics?
#STRask
May 30, 2024
Questions about apologetics strategies to use with an agnostic who says it’s pointless to worry about whether there is a God because we can’t know if
More From "#STRask"

More on OpenTheo

The Best of Times and the Worst of Times with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
The Best of Times and the Worst of Times with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
March 10, 2026
If you don’t like freewheeling conversation, laughter, and banter among friends, then this may not be the episode for you. But if you are interested i
Christmas Cranks and Christmas Blessings with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Christmas Cranks and Christmas Blessings with Justin Taylor and Collin Hansen
Life and Books and Everything
December 17, 2025
If you are looking for a podcast where three friends talk about whatever they want to talk about and ramble on about sports, books, and grievances, th
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 2
Risen Jesus
March 18, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
Is It Possible There’s a Being That’s Greater Than God?
#STRask
February 5, 2026
Questions about whether it’s possible there’s a being that’s greater than God and that’s outside of God’s comprehension and omniscience, and how to ex
What Is Wrong with Wokeness? With Neil Shenvi
What Is Wrong with Wokeness? With Neil Shenvi
Life and Books and Everything
January 19, 2026
In this timely interview, Kevin talks to Neil Shenvi about his new book (co-authored with Pat Sawyer), entitled “Post Woke: Asserting a Biblical Visio
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Brian Miller: Fine-Tuning and the Multiverse Theory
Knight & Rose Show
March 7, 2026
Wintery Knight and guest host Terrell Clemmons welcome Dr. Brian Miller to discuss the the evidence for fine-tuning in physics and cosmology and the m
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
How Can I Explain Modesty to My Daughter?
#STRask
November 27, 2025
Questions about how to explain modesty to a nine-year-old in a way that won’t cause shame about her body, and when and how to tell a child about a pre
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
Why Does the Bible Teach You How to Be a Proper Slave Owner?
#STRask
November 13, 2025
Question about why it seems like the Bible teaches you how to be a proper slave owner rather than than saying, “Stop it. Give them freedom.”   * It s
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
How Could One Person Trust Another Person on the Topic of God?
#STRask
March 5, 2026
Questions about how one person could trust another person on the topic of God, how STR obtained information about God that others haven’t obtained, an
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
How Do We Advocate for Christian Policy Without Making the Government Interfere in Every Area of Life?
#STRask
November 20, 2025
Questions about how to advocate for Christian policy without making the government interfere in every area of life, and the differences between the mo
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
Why Are So Many Christians Condemning LGB People Just Because of How They Love?
#STRask
January 15, 2026
Questions about Christians condemning LGB people just because of how they love, how God can expect someone to be celibate when others are free to marr
Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?
Would You Say God’s Primary Object Is to Not Be Found?
#STRask
March 19, 2026
Questions about whether God’s primary object is to not be found, how one can say God doesn’t make mistakes if the percentage of Christians in the worl
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
Does God Really Need a “Pound of Flesh” to Forgive Sins?
#STRask
January 12, 2026
Questions about how to answer the challenge that God doesn’t need a “pound of flesh” to forgive sins but can simply forgive, and whether the claim in
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 1
Who Wrote the Gospels? Michael Licona vs. Bart Ehrman - Part 1
Risen Jesus
March 11, 2026
Did Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John write the gospels that bear their names? The texts themselves do not name them as the authors and were published and
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
Does God Hear the Prayers of Non-Believers?
#STRask
February 26, 2026
Questions about whether or not God hears and answers the prayers of non-believers, and thoughts about a church sign that reads (as if from God), “Just