--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: People naturally have questions. They…" description: "\"“People naturally have questions. They always have and always will. One of the key functions of apologetics, then, is to respond to questions and clear..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/josh-mcdowell-4194_apologetics_people-naturally-have-questions-they-alw_80101.png" --- # People naturally have questions. They always have and… ![“People naturally have questions. They always have and always will. One of the key functions of apologetics, then, is to respond to questions and clear away objections people have that hinder their trust in Christ.” quote by Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/josh-mcdowell-4194_apologetics_people-naturally-have-questions-they-alw_80101.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/josh-mcdowell-4194_apologetics_people-naturally-have-questions-they-alw_80101.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/33b/josh-mcdowell-4194_apologetics_people-naturally-have-questions-they-alw_80101.png) > ““People naturally have questions. They always have and always will. One of the key functions of apologetics, then, is to respond to questions and clear away objections people have that hinder their trust in Christ.”” [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Apologetics serves to address doubts and objections, removing barriers to faith in Christ. **In simple terms:** Faith obstacles are answered by apologetics. Key Takeaway Answering questions builds trust. Themes faith doubt apologetics trust religion Mood thoughtful encouraging Type didactic inspirational When to use this quote - personal crisis of faith - interfaith dialogue - church teaching - missionary work Key Concepts objection handling theology spiritual growth Practical Applications - faith counseling - religious education Questions to Reflect On - What doubts hinder your trust? - How can apologetics be applied today? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Apologetics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologetics/) [Apologetics Respond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologetics-respond-1024193/) [Functions Apologetics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/functions-apologetics-1024192/) [Objections](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objections/) [Objections People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objections-people-1024194/) [Truth Seeking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/truth-seeking/) ## Related quotes > [“All these objections are raised by people, has God raised them? He who wants to be free (attain Liberation) has no objections, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/all-these-objections-are-raised-by-people-has-god-raised-them-he-who/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“Third, do “apologetic sidebars.” Try to devote one of the three or four sermon points mainly to the doubts and concerns of nonbelievers. Keep…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/third-do-apologetic-sidebars-try-to-devote-one-of-the-three-or-four/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“You can easily see what and endless, wearisome and fruitless task it would be if I were to refute all the unconsidered objections of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/st-augustine/you-can-easily-see-what-and-endless-wearisome-and-fruitless-task-it/) [St. Augustine](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/st-augustine/) > [The difference between apologetics and evangelism is that in apologetics, you are answering objections that the world raises, whereas in evangelism, you are bringing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-dever/the-difference-between-apologetics-and-evangelism-is-that-in/) [Mark Dever](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-dever/) > [“Evangelism is focused on presenting the gospel; apologetics is focused on defending and commending it. There”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/evangelism-is-focused-on-presenting-the-gospel-apologetics-is-focused/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [“Apologetics is not listed as a spiritual gift for teachers, preachers, or evangelists, as though only some ought to become apologists. Rather, all Christians…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/apologetics-is-not-listed-as-a-spiritual-gift-for-teachers-preachers/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [“Every argument against the God of the Bible is based on made-up stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petros-scientia/every-argument-against-the-god-of-the-bible-is-based-on-made-up-stuff/) [Petros Scientia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petros-scientia/) > [“The task of the apologist is not simply to show that there is no hope of eternal salvation outside of Christ, but also that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/the-task-of-the-apologist-is-not-simply-to-show-that-there-is-no-hope/) [Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/) > [“The wrong approaches to faith and to skepticism are equally detrimental to the path. For the former declares its answers too soon and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-wrong-approaches-to-faith-and-to-skepticism-are-equally/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [The purpose of apologetics is not just to win an argument or a discussion, but that people with whom we are in contact may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-purpose-of-apologetics-is-not-just-to-win-an-argument-or-a/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [“The truth that there is an infinite, eternal, and personal mind behind the realities of the universe that can be detected through human reflection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-samples/the-truth-that-there-is-an-infinite-eternal-and-personal-mind-behind/) [Kenneth Samples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-samples/) > [We preach sermons, write books on apologetics, conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns. For those alienated from the church, that approach no longer has the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/we-preach-sermons-write-books-on-apologetics-conduct-city-wide/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [“The Myth of Sisyphus makes us wonder if we too are like the ones who are so distracted making friends with important people, staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-morrison/the-myth-of-sisyphus-makes-us-wonder-if-we-too-are-like-the-ones-who/) [Jon Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-morrison/) > [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) ## More by Josh McDowell > [Why don't the names of Buddha, Mohammed, Confucius offend people? The reason is that these others didn't claim to be God, but Jesus did.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/why-don-t-the-names-of-buddha-mohammed-confucius-offend-people-the/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [I've never had anyone define purity. You probably can't define purity. Purity is to live according to original design.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/i-ve-never-had-anyone-define-purity-you-probably-can-t-define-purity/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [If Jesus Christ was who He claimed to be, and He did die on a cross at a point of time in history, then,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/if-jesus-christ-was-who-he-claimed-to-be-and-he-did-die-on-a-cross-at/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [The New Testament witnesses were fully aware of the background against which the resurrection took place.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/the-new-testament-witnesses-were-fully-aware-of-the-background/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [One who claimed what Jesus claimed about himself couldn't be a good moral man or a prophet. That option isn't open to us, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/one-who-claimed-what-jesus-claimed-about-himself-couldn-t-be-a-good/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [“God placed humans on a plateau above the rest of creation when he fashioned them in his relational image and likeness. To”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/god-placed-humans-on-a-plateau-above-the-rest-of-creation-when-he/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [After more than 700 hours of studying this subject, and thoroughly investigating its foundation, I have come to the conclusion that the resurrection of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/after-more-than-700-hours-of-studying-this-subject-and-thoroughly/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Where I once constantly lost my temper, I found myself arriving at a crisis and experiencing peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/where-i-once-constantly-lost-my-temper-i-found-myself-arriving-at-a/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [We no longer live in a post-Christian society, we live in an anti-Christian society, one in which the Christian faith is dismissed or ridiculed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/we-no-longer-live-in-a-post-christian-society-we-live-in-an-anti/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [True love is spelled G-I-V-E. It is not based on what you can get, but rooted in what you can give to the other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/true-love-is-spelled-g-i-v-e-it-is-not-based-on-what-you-can-get-but/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Stephen L. Carter coined the phrase 'the culture of disbelief' to describe the prevailing hostility in Western culture toward public expressions of faith.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/stephen-l-carter-coined-the-phrase-the-culture-of-disbelief-to/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [On that Sunday morning the first thing that impressed the people who approached the tomb was the unusual position of the one and a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/on-that-sunday-morning-the-first-thing-that-impressed-the-people-who/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [What you are as a single person, you will be as a married person, only to a greater degree. Any negative character trait will…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/what-you-are-as-a-single-person-you-will-be-as-a-married-person-only/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [Whenever you do judge, the only basis of judgment is not your own perspective or anything else, it's the very character and nature of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/whenever-you-do-judge-the-only-basis-of-judgment-is-not-your-own/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) > [The fact that God accepts us should be our motivation for accepting ourselves. If we cannot accept ourselves the way we are, with our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/josh-mcdowell/the-fact-that-god-accepts-us-should-be-our-motivation-for-accepting/) [Josh McDowell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) [Explore all 113 Josh McDowell quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/josh-mcdowell/) ## More Apologetics quotes > [“Religion, like science, is only noteworthy when it emphasizes a matter of what is true rather than whose belief is greater or lesser or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/religion-like-science-is-only-noteworthy-when-it-emphasizes-a-matter/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“The Myth of Sisyphus makes us wonder if we too are like the ones who are so distracted making friends with important people, staying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-morrison/the-myth-of-sisyphus-makes-us-wonder-if-we-too-are-like-the-ones-who/) [Jon Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-morrison/) > [“Diversion consoles us - in trivial ways - in the face of our miseries or perplexities; yet, paradoxically, it becomes the worst of our…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/douglas-groothuis/diversion-consoles-us-in-trivial-ways-in-the-face-of-our-miseries-or/) [Douglas Groothuis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/douglas-groothuis/) > [We preach sermons, write books on apologetics, conduct city-wide evangelistic campaigns. For those alienated from the church, that approach no longer has the same…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-yancey/we-preach-sermons-write-books-on-apologetics-conduct-city-wide/) [Philip Yancey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-yancey/) > [“The truth that there is an infinite, eternal, and personal mind behind the realities of the universe that can be detected through human reflection…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-samples/the-truth-that-there-is-an-infinite-eternal-and-personal-mind-behind/) [Kenneth Samples](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-samples/) > [The purpose of apologetics is not just to win an argument or a discussion, but that people with whom we are in contact may…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francis-schaeffer/the-purpose-of-apologetics-is-not-just-to-win-an-argument-or-a/) [Francis Schaeffer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francis-schaeffer/) > [“The wrong approaches to faith and to skepticism are equally detrimental to the path. For the former declares its answers too soon and is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/the-wrong-approaches-to-faith-and-to-skepticism-are-equally/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“The task of the apologist is not simply to show that there is no hope of eternal salvation outside of Christ, but also that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-l-bahnsen/the-task-of-the-apologist-is-not-simply-to-show-that-there-is-no-hope/) [Greg L. Bahnsen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-l-bahnsen/) > [“Every argument against the God of the Bible is based on made-up stuff.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/petros-scientia/every-argument-against-the-god-of-the-bible-is-based-on-made-up-stuff/) [Petros Scientia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/petros-scientia/) > [“Some of the simplest of truths are also some of the most difficult of truths, but such is Christianity: 'If it's not about Christ,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/some-of-the-simplest-of-truths-are-also-some-of-the-most-difficult-of/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Christianity is at its purest a philosophy about a person, Jesus Christ, and at its dirtiest a philosophy about requirements and law.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/christianity-is-at-its-purest-a-philosophy-about-a-person-jesus/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [ “In a culture where image is more important than information, style more important than substance it is not enough to possess the truth. \[Christian\]… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-warner-wallace/in-a-culture-where-image-is-more-important-than-information-style/) [J. Warner Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-warner-wallace/) > [“When you find that a theology has nothing more to offer than what the world already offers, then that theology as a theology is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/criss-jami/when-you-find-that-a-theology-has-nothing-more-to-offer-than-what-the/) [Criss Jami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/criss-jami/) > [“Cop-out excuses and catch-phrase dismissals can only work so long before the holes in the religious argument cannot be ignored any longer.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-dustcircle/cop-out-excuses-and-catch-phrase-dismissals-can-only-work-so-long/) [Steve Dustcircle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-dustcircle/) > [Apologetics has an important place in the local church as we seek to influence our communities for Christ in an increasingly skeptical culture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lee-strobel/apologetics-has-an-important-place-in-the-local-church-as-we-seek-to/) [Lee Strobel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lee-strobel/) [Browse all 155 Apologetics quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/apologetics/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“People naturally have questions. 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