Question:
Hello Brother,
First, what would you reply to someone who is agnostic or an athest when they argue that Christianity, like all the other world religions, is "just a story?"
Second, What would you say when this person says that there is no such thing as free will. For example, they argue that even though a criminal "chose" to engage in their activity, the fact that punishment for their action denies the existence of free will. Hence, according to these agnostics/atheists philosophy, if chastizement is what stops a person from committing the wrong act: this means that it is not true "free will." I hope this makes sense.
Thanks, and God Bless you and your ministry.
Dear Omar:
On your first question, we need to remember that it is not our job to convince anyone of anything about the faith. Convincing is the job of the Holy Spirit. Our job is to be the messenger. In giving that message we ought to be as persuasive as we can be, but we must remember that we are only the messenger.
When agnostics or an atheists argue that Christianity is no different than other religions or that it is just a story, all we can do is to counter those arguments with the Truth and with our experience. If you want you can use some of the arguments proposed by Josh McDowell in his book, New Evidence that Demands a Verdict. McDowell is a Protestant, but his book details a lot of historical proofs that the Bible is what it says it is, and Jesus is who He says He is.
But, remember what Jesus said, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." All the evidence in the world will not convince some people. At that point we stop debate and commit the person to prayer.
On your second question about Free Will, I would say the person is an idiot and their argument is idiotic. How does the fact that a criminal will be punished (if caught) mean that the criminal did not freely choose to commit the crime? That is not logical or reasonable. In fact, such an argument makes no sense at all.
Also, how does the potential of punishment that may cause a person to not commit the crime rob him of free will? Again, an idiotic argument. The person still has to make a free decision to commit the crime or not. The fact that he may be punished does not force him to decline the crime. One may choose the crime despite the risk of punishment, and in fact that is what all criminals do. Those who decide not to commit the crime freely choose that option. The potential of punishment does not force anyone to do anything.
If these people wish to assert the philosophy of determinism, they need to propose intelligent arguments. Instead, they are making the free will decision to argue like idiotic kids in a Freshman Philosophy 101 course.
What would I say? Well, I would say, "My grandma taught me to never argue with liberals, women, teenagers, the insane, or idiots for they all are irrational." 
I would check out the 1917 Catholic Encyclopedia for a scholarly argument on Free will and also on Determinism and on Fatalism.
God Bless,
Bro. Ignatius Mary
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