--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I've heard plenty of Christians try to…" description: "\"I've heard plenty of Christians try to answer the why question by going back to the what. \"You have to believe because Jesus is the Son of God.\" But th..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51c/timothy-keller-240_answers_i-ve-heard-plenty-of-christians-try-to-a_592316.jpg" --- # I've heard plenty of Christians try to answer the why… ![“I've heard plenty of Christians try to answer the why question by going back to the what. "You have to believe because Jesus is the Son of God." But that's answering the why with more what. Increasingly we live in a time in which you can't avoid the why question. Just giving the what (for example…” quote by Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51c/timothy-keller-240_answers_i-ve-heard-plenty-of-christians-try-to-a_592316.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51c/timothy-keller-240_answers_i-ve-heard-plenty-of-christians-try-to-a_592316.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/51c/timothy-keller-240_answers_i-ve-heard-plenty-of-christians-try-to-a_592316.jpg) > “I've heard plenty of Christians try to answer the why question by going back to the what. "You have to believe because Jesus is the Son of God." But that's answering the why with more what. Increasingly we live in a time in which you can't avoid the why question. Just giving the what (for example, a vivid gospel presentation) worked in the days when the cultural institutions created an environment in which Christianity just felt true or at least honorable. But in a post-Christendom society, in the marketplace of ideas, you have to explain why this is true, or people will just dismiss it.” [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. In modern secular culture, merely stating Christian doctrines is insufficient; believers must explain the underlying reasons why those doctrines hold truth. **In simple terms:** Explain why faith matters, not just what it claims. Key Takeaway Provide rational foundations for belief. Themes faith reason culture dialogue Mood thoughtful serious Type apologetic explanatory When to use this quote - church outreach - academic debates - personal evangelism - media discussions Key Concepts theology philosophy epistemology Questions to Reflect On - How can you articulate the 'why' of faith in everyday conversation? - What evidence convinces skeptics most effectively? 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But that supposedly innocuous 'moment of silence'…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/judith-hayes/as-christians-try-to-force-prayer-into-public-schools-they-often/) [Judith Hayes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/judith-hayes/) > [“...Our challenge as Christians is not to try to convert people around us to our way of belief but to love them, to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-main/our-challenge-as-christians-is-not-to-try-to-convert-people-around-us/) [John Main](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-main/) > [Some Christians try to go to heaven alone, in solitude; but believers are not compared to bears, or lions, or other animals that wander…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/some-christians-try-to-go-to-heaven-alone-in-solitude-but-believers/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [I cannot follow you Christians; for you try to crawl through your life upon your knees, while I stride through mine on my feet.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bradlaugh/i-cannot-follow-you-christians-for-you-try-to-crawl-through-your-life/) [Charles Bradlaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bradlaugh/) > [Everything I had seen of Christianity was just used to judge people and to be holier-than-thou.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lacey-sturm/everything-i-had-seen-of-christianity-was-just-used-to-judge-people/) [Lacey Sturm](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lacey-sturm/) > [This Christianity is not a cultural thing. It is not something that should be just a small part of your life; it is not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-washer/this-christianity-is-not-a-cultural-thing-it-is-not-something-that/) [Paul Washer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-washer/) > [If we say, 'I believe in Jesus,' but it doesn't affect the way we live, the answer is not that now we need to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-say-i-believe-in-jesus-but-it-doesn-t-affect-the-way-we-live/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christianity is not just a religion; True Christians experience a deep personal relationship with the Creator God of the universe. All other religions of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/goddey-wilson/christianity-is-not-just-a-religion-true-christians-experience-a-deep/) [GODDEY WILSON](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/goddey-wilson/) > [Christianity becomes just a set of things you believe in. It's almost an intellectual kind of abstract issue.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elaine-pagels/christianity-becomes-just-a-set-of-things-you-believe-in-it-s-almost/) [Elaine Pagels](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elaine-pagels/) > [“It is the thing of myth and legend and the greatest epic stories ever written. But it's not myth or legend or story, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-fisk/it-is-the-thing-of-myth-and-legend-and-the-greatest-epic-stories-ever/) [Jonathan Fisk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jonathan-fisk/) > [“New Testament Christianity is not just a formal, polite, correct, and orthodox kind of faith and belief. No! What characterizes it is this element…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-l-brown/new-testament-christianity-is-not-just-a-formal-polite-correct-and/) [Michael L. Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-l-brown/) > [Christianity is just as threatening as radical Islam in a country like America](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosie-o-donnell/christianity-is-just-as-threatening-as-radical-islam-in-a-country/) [Rosie O'Donnell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosie-o-donnell/) ## More by Timothy Keller > [If you are trying to live a life in accordance with the Bible, the concept and call to justice are inescapable. We do justice…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-trying-to-live-a-life-in-accordance-with-the-bible-the/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [The more you rejoice in your own forgiveness, the quicker you will be to forgive others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/the-more-you-rejoice-in-your-own-forgiveness-the-quicker-you-will-be/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Evangelism will come organically in friendship if we don’t let our pride, fears, and pessimism cause us to hide our faith and heart.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/evangelism-will-come-organically-in-friendship-if-we-don-t-let-our/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“The coming of the messianic King occurs in two stages. 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When we seek to communicate the gospel to a particular culture,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/of-temple-presence-and-sacrifice-of-covenant-and-faithfulness-of/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“Finally, you are ready to launch your church. Begin by developing action steps and goals that can be used as benchmarks to track your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/finally-you-are-ready-to-launch-your-church-begin-by-developing/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If you are a child of God, you don’t lose your status if you have a bad week.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-you-are-a-child-of-god-you-don-t-lose-your-status-if-you-have-a/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [God's salvation does not come in response to a changed life. A changed life comes in response to the salvation, offered as a free…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/god-s-salvation-does-not-come-in-response-to-a-changed-life-a-changed/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [“When anything in life is an absolute requirement for your happiness and self-worth, it is essentially an ‘idol,’ something you are actually worshiping. When…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/when-anything-in-life-is-an-absolute-requirement-for-your-happiness/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Suffering is the stripping of our hope in finite things, therefore we do not put our ultimate hope in anything finite.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/suffering-is-the-stripping-of-our-hope-in-finite-things-therefore-we/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [Christ will do everything for you or nothing. He's either all of your righteousness or none.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/christ-will-do-everything-for-you-or-nothing-he-s-either-all-of-your/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) > [If we give God things in hope that they'll earn us blessings, we're really not doing anything for him. It's for ourselves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/timothy-keller/if-we-give-god-things-in-hope-that-they-ll-earn-us-blessings-we-re/) [Timothy Keller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) [Explore all 843 Timothy Keller quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/timothy-keller/) ## More Answers quotes > [The one thing that I keep learning over and over again is that I don't know nothing. I mean, that's my life lesson.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dwayne-johnson/the-one-thing-that-i-keep-learning-over-and-over-again-is-that-i-don/) [Dwayne Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dwayne-johnson/) > [Sometimes a question can hurt more than an answer.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/sometimes-a-question-can-hurt-more-than-an-answer/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [You feed yourself. Make sure you have all the information, whether it's aesthetic, scientific, mathematical, I don't care what it is. Then you walk…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/you-feed-yourself-make-sure-you-have-all-the-information-whether-it-s/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [I have long felt that the way to keep children out of trouble is to keep them interested in things. Lecturing to children is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walt-disney/i-have-long-felt-that-the-way-to-keep-children-out-of-trouble-is-to/) [Walt Disney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walt-disney/) > [Let me tell you that atheism has never painted a masterpiece. Atheism has never dispelled fear. Atheism has never healed a disease; faith in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hagee/let-me-tell-you-that-atheism-has-never-painted-a-masterpiece-atheism/) [John Hagee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hagee/) > [“As long as you keep searching,the answers will come.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-kynock/as-long-as-you-keep-searching-the-answers-will-come/) [Mitch Kynock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-kynock/) > [The answer to deep anxiety is the deep adoration of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/the-answer-to-deep-anxiety-is-the-deep-adoration-of-god/) [Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [There is a comfort in rituals, and rituals provide a framework for stability when you are trying to find answers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/deborah-norville/there-is-a-comfort-in-rituals-and-rituals-provide-a-framework-for/) [Deborah Norville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/deborah-norville/) > [A religious person answers to God, not to the elected or non-elected official.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elie-wiesel/a-religious-person-answers-to-god-not-to-the-elected-or-non-elected/) [Elie Wiesel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elie-wiesel/) > [Let us remember that every worldview-not just Christianity's-must give an explanation or an answer for evil and suffering...this is not just a problem distinctive…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ravi-zacharias/let-us-remember-that-every-worldview-not-just-christianity-s-must/) [Ravi Zacharias](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ravi-zacharias/) > [Instead of asking a girl how she feels, try looking through her recently listened to songs. 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