Many of us are not ready to answer people’s questions about Christ. It’s not that we don’t understand our faith. But some of the questions people ask are not things we would have thought of. When a question comes unexpectedly, it can do one of two things. It can challenge us to research and find the answer, or it can paralyze us in the moment.

No one likes to look like the person who never thought of asking that question. It’s an uncomfortable feeling. One of the best ways to approach it is to be honest. Tell them, “I never really thought of that before. How interesting!”

Almost every question you will face about your faith is worth answering. But it may surprise you that there are certain questions that are not worth your time or effort. That sounds very harsh, but the truth is that if you are facing a New Atheist (Hard Atheist), they are not interested in hearing your answers.

They will ask you questions that don’t matter at all. The last questions about angels dancing on pins, God creating rocks so big you can’t lift them, and deeply philosophical questions that are contradictory. They will rail against the Bible and say is full of contradictions or lacks any proof in history or archaeology. They will try to sound more academic than you.

The problem is that most of their red herring questions are based on false premises. A red herring question is one that is meant to take you off guard, put you off your game, and create a paradox that will leave you in the lurch.

They will take what you give and try to turn it on its head. They work hard to be confusing and condescending. They will make fun of you for believing in a book written 2,000 years ago. They will call you an infant or childish. And they will enjoy every minute of it.

You don’t have to take that. You have to answer their questions. But you don’t have to be angry or return the favor either. You can say something like, “I realize you’re not really interested in what I have to say. Since you insist on disrespecting me, I prefer to talk with someone less rude.”

Standing up for yourself will make them think twice. And if it doesn’t, there’s no love lost anyway. What experiences have you had when you’ve come against a person like this? Leave a comment and let me know how you dealt with it.