Recent content by mcarans

  1. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    Give that Satan is described as the ruler or god of this world, we can expect that he would stand in the way of and even stop in this world where he is ruler the spread of this financial arrangement that the Apostles discerned.
  2. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    There's a difference between each individual Apostle having some failings and all the Apostles collectively failing to discern how to organise the finances of their church community. If all the Apostles could get it so wrong over money a subject that Jesus speaks about frequently and which is...
  3. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    The problem with that idea is that if it is right and, as some have contended, the holding of things in common left the early church financially vulnerable, that means that the Apostles who had recently been filled with the Spirit made a mess of things - doesn't speak well for for the Apostles...
  4. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    Good points on Acts 2 and 5. When do you think the Church started?
  5. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    I like your toilet paper example of human foolishness. It shows how fear of scarcity pushes people away from the selflessness and love of neighbour we are called to.
  6. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    I elaborate and give relevant Bible passages from Acts here: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common? but reading this is not essential for answering the OP.
  7. M

    Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?

    I would be interested in your thoughts on this question: Should believers follow early Christians and hold all things in common?
  8. M

    Why did God make it so that the sins of one could negatively impact another?

    I have written up helpful answers I have received from various forums here: Answers: why did God make it so that the sins of one could negatively impact another?
  9. M

    Why did God make it so that the sins of one could negatively impact another?

    I've added an edit to the OP: Imagine a hypothetical world in which every action or inaction has a positive or negative consequence, but negative consequences only ever affect the sinning individual never innocent targets or bystanders. This would be a more just world than our current one and if...
  10. M

    Why did God make it so that the sins of one could negatively impact another?

    What sin choices would the child have made to warrant a childhood of abuse?
  11. M

    Why did God make it so that the sins of one could negatively impact another?

    For an example, consider something terrible like a childhood filled with abuse - the child has not done anything to deserve the abuse and will have to live with the nightmares for the rest of their life.
  12. M

    Why did God make it so that the sins of one could negatively impact another?

    I'll ask a question for discussion: Why did God create a world (or put in place the processes that would create a world) in which the sins of one individual could negatively impact another through no fault of their own? EDIT: Imagine a hypothetical world in which every action or inaction has a...
  13. M

    The Good News is stifled when Christians spread conspiracy theories

    Something is much more likely to be a conspiracy theory if it both lacks evidence and conforms neatly with the ideology of the people spreading it.
  14. M

    The Good News is stifled when Christians spread conspiracy theories

    Yes indeed. It's important to distinguish evidence which is a genuine reason for questioning and conformance to one's ideology which is not.