Breaking Barriers: Jonah Finds His Voice

Chapter 14 - "Faith. Interesting."

It was a week ago, on Monday morning, when I found myself sitting in a café booth alongside my boyfriend Noah, as well as our friends Max and Kenjie. Noah had his arm around me, creating a comfortable and intimate atmosphere as we sipped on our lattes and delved into deep conversations about life, love, and all the big questions in between.

"Ava, I've been doing some research on religion," Noah said, his voice suddenly serious. "And I've come across some compelling arguments against Christianity."

"Really?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

Max chimed in. "Have you heard of the problem of evil? It's a classic argument that if there's an all-powerful and all-loving God, why is there so much suffering in the world?"

Kenjie added, "And what about the lack of evidence? There's just no concrete proof of God's existence."

I nodded, fascinated by their theories. I've always been skeptical of religion, and it was fascinating to hear their perspectives.

Noah continued, "Don't get me wrong, people have their own beliefs, but I just don't see enough evidence to believe in a higher power."

I agreed. "And to be honest, I've been struggling with my own beliefs lately, especially with what's been going on with Ethan and his involvement in church."

"What's been going on with Ethan?" Max asked, concern etched on his face.

I sighed heavily, "He's been going to church and attending this life group led by one of our classmates, Jonah. And to be honest, it's not a good situation. I can't explain it, but I just know that it's not safe for him to be involved in all of that."

Noah gave me a comforting squeeze, "If something goes wrong, Ava. And if you need help figuring it all out, I got you."

That week was a blur. Our father was furious when he found out about Ethan's involvement in the church and the tension in the air was palpable. But with Noah's support and the comfort of my friends, I was determined to figure this all out and ensure Ethan's safety. I just had this overwhelming sense of unease, like a dark cloud hanging over us. And I couldn't shake it. Something sinister was brewing, and I was determined to uncover the truth.

As we were sipping on our lattes and discussing religion, I noticed Jules walk into the café. He was a friend of Jonah's, and we called him the "Jesus freak" behind his back. I didn't think he'd dare come over to our booth, but as if he couldn't resist the opportunity, he made his way over to us. 

Max didn't miss a beat, "Hey Jules, how's the Lord treating you today?" he said with a smirk.

Jules, looking taken aback, stammered, "Uh, hey guys. I'm good, thanks. How about you?" 

"We were just discussing religion," Noah said. "Have a seat, join in on the conversation." 

Jules hesitated for a moment, but then took a seat across from us. 

Max leaned in, "So Jules, you believe in this all-powerful, all-loving God, right? But what about the problem of evil? How can there be so much suffering in the world if God is all-powerful and all-loving?" 

Jules shifted in his seat, clearly uncomfortable. "Well, uh, it's not for us to understand the ways of God. We just have to have faith that everything happens for a reason and trust in his plan." 

"And what about the lack of evidence?" Kenjie added. "There's just no concrete proof of God's existence." 

Jules struggled to come up with a response, his confidence wavering. "I, uh, I have faith. That's all I need." 

Max leaned back, smirking. "Faith. Interesting."

Max continued to press Jules, asking questions that made Jules more and more defensive about his beliefs. Jules tried his best to explain why he had faith, but Max was relentless, always finding a way to poke holes in Jules' arguments.