A few questions

[Eclyps19]

Hello everyone. I'll be brutally honest - I don't know a whole lot about modern Christianity, and I have never read the bible. I am, however, very interested in different religions. I will most likely be writing my final thesis on religion when I get my BA in English. Religion absolutely fascinates me, but my knowledge is pretty much limited to ancient religions.

So I have a few quick questions that i'd like some responses on. I've broken them up into 2 categories. If you don't want to answer the personal questions, no problem. If you do, then great!

General Questions

1) Can homosexuals really be Christian? Doesn't that go against Christianity?
2) How do you know the bible is written by god?
3) Can people actually hear god talk? If so, would you consider a person who hears voices from a seemingly unknown source crazy?
4) How has Christianity changed so much since the time of the Romans? It would seem that it would be written and explained properly the first time. Who decides what gets changed in the religion?
5) Forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between the New and Old Testimate? Were they both written at the same time/by the same person?
6) Is Noah and the arc supposed to be read as a true event? I know most Christians believe the flood, so I'm assuming this is a yes?


Personal questions

1) How do you know the Christian god is real but not any of the other gods in other religions?
2) Do you think that if you were born in the Saudi Arabia you would follow the Islamic faith?


Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm looking forward to reading up and learning more about this religion!

 

[Jayangel81]

Hello everyone.

Welcome to CF

You asked some good questions and I will try to answer them.
Before we get started there is a forum in "outreach" for Non-Christian questions you may get more answers, just some friendly advice for the future

1) Can homosexuals really be Christian? Doesn't that go against Christianity?

Can they be Christians sure, they may not practice the sexual immorality, and that is not just for homosexuals but for heterosexuals as well, fornication is a Sin and all Sin is worthy of being condemned im afraid.

2) How do you know the bible is written by god?

Kinda like asking us how do we know our text books in school are accurate
In truth The bible has been studied for centuries and many people had the idea of proving it to be fake. First off archeologists have been studying the events have done many digs and have found things to have actually happened (you will need to do the studying and research) The prophesies have all happened, many of the prophesies from the OT were many many years before they happened, the probability of having someone "make them up" and have them all coming true are well impossible. Many of the prophesies are in fact coming true today. We also have a Gift of Faith that God gives us. Not blind faith but we see the truth that others dont..maybe more people can add on to it.

Can people actually hear god talk? If so, would you consider a person who hears voices from a seemingly unknown source crazy?

While I prayed ive been talked to "In Spirit" of coarse everything must be tested to make sure it was indeed from God and not from a decieving spirit. Ive had God talk to me many times in dreams, events that I was showed really happened in real life..

5) Forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between the New and Old Testimate? Were they both written at the same time/by the same person?

They were written in totally different time periods by different authors chosen by God to write them, they were moved by the Holy Ghost as they wrote them. Old testement was the time of Law and the New testament was the time of Gods grace on mankind, Jesus took our punishment on the cross for us. The Old testament had many events and prophesies including how the world was created,events when God saved isreal from egypt so on and so on.

Is Noah and the arc supposed to be read as a true event? I know most Christians believe the flood, so I'm assuming this is a yes?

Your going to get 2 sides of this, personally I believe it really happened..

Do you think that if you were born in the Saudi Arabia you would follow the Islamic faith

No I would die than take up the islamic faith

How do you know the Christian god is real but not any of the other gods in other religions?

I am not sure how to explain this in words that you can understand. I know Jesus is real, my whole life is personally a living testimony of that. My whole life completly changed when I accepted Jesus. There is too much personal evidence in my life to even worship a false god. and personally i dislike that word religion, im a part of christ not religion man has corrupted religion and perverted its name and meaning.

You can PM me anytime if you have any other questions.

God Bless

 

[Eclyps19]

thanks! I appreciate the thorough responses

 

[Brendan1000]

I just have a little thing to add here.

Regarding question number 2, the authenticity of the bible, there is actually a wealth of scientific information present in everyday terms within the Bible. There are certain facts that I have serious doubts in the ability of mankind at the time of the Bible to produce.

 

[Criada]

Hello everyone. I'll be brutally honest - I don't know a whole lot about modern Christianity, and I have never read the bible. I am, however, very interested in different religions. I will most likely be writing my final thesis on religion when I get my BA in English. Religion absolutely fascinates me, but my knowledge is pretty much limited to ancient religions.

So I have a few quick questions that i'd like some responses on. I've broken them up into 2 categories. If you don't want to answer the personal questions, no problem. If you do, then great!

General Questions

1) Can homosexuals really be Christian? Doesn't that go against Christianity?

Being homosexual is an orientation, not an act. My opinion is that homosexual activity is a sin... others disagree.
However, lying, envy, gossip.... all these are sins.. and no one questions whether committing them stops someone being a Christian. God hates sin.. all sin. But He loves and forgives sinners

2) How do you know the bible is written by god?

The Bibl is inspired by God, it was written by a great many different humans.
I believe that it is inspired by God, basically, because, it works.

3) Can people actually hear god talk? If so, would you consider a person who hears voices from a seemingly unknown source crazy?

Some people do hear God speaking audibly... it is not common, He speaks to us in many different ways.
I wouldn't consider anyone 'crazy'. I work with the mentally ill... and some conditions do cause people to 'hear voices'. So I would consider that there could be a medical reason. However, I would also consider that they are actually hearing God... or demons. It would, obviously, depend on the situation.

4) How has Christianity changed so much since the time of the Romans? It would seem that it would be written and explained properly the first time. Who decides what gets changed in the religion?

I don't think the basic doctrine of Christianity has changed. There have been a lot of cultural changes, and manner of worship, liturgy etc. tend to change to fit the time and culture.
But God hasn't changed.. and the gospel.. that Christ gave His life as a sacrifice for our sin, so that we can come to God.... remains the same.

5) Forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between the New and Old Testimate? Were they both written at the same time/by the same person?[

Both the old and new testaments contain many books, written over a long period of time by different people.
In a nutshell, the OT tells of God's creation of the world, and His interactions with His people. It contains the history of the people of Israel, the laws laid down by God, as well as books of poetry, wisdom and prophecy.
The NT contains the four gospels.. which are accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus, and the history of the early church, including letters written to various churches by the apostles.

6) Is Noah and the arc supposed to be read as a true event? I know most Christians believe the flood, so I'm assuming this is a yes?

I believe that it is true... many Christians believe that it is figurative.

Personal questions

1) How do you know the Christian god is real but not any of the other gods in other religions?

Because I have a relationship with Him, which is real and undeniable. To me, that is.. obviously you can deny it if you wish to

2) Do you think that if you were born in the Saudi Arabia you would follow the Islamic faith?

No. I was not brought up as a Christian... my father is a 'free-thinker' with hindu/buddhist leanings.
I was an atheist until my late teens... and studied many religions, including Islam, in depth. I was convinced of the truth of Christianity by God, not man... I would have gone on intellectualising for ever!

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm looking forward to reading up and learning more about this religion!

I would love to discuss this further with you.. but really, we need to move to another area.. I would suggest that you start a thread in Questions by non-Christians.
And maybe ask one or two questions at a time.. many people won't answer because they find a long list a bit intimidating

Feel free to PM me if you want any clarification of my waffle!

 

[Eclyps19]

No. I was not brought up as a Christian... my father is a 'free-thinker' with hindu/buddhist leanings.
I was an atheist until my late teens... and studied many religions, including Islam, in depth. I was convinced of the truth of Christianity by God, not man... I would have gone on intellectualising for ever!

So what was it about Christianity that got you interested?


Another question for everyone. According to the bible, did the ancient greeks and such exist? From what I've heard, most believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old. The pre-hellenic period (supposedly) started around 2000 BC, which would make it about 4,000 years ago. According to the bible, when were people first put on this earth? Was there Christianity before jesus was born or crucified?

Thanks again for answering my questions! And thanks to the mod who moved the thread to the appropriate place

 

[salida]

Ok, I'm going in order to your questions.

1) Are homosexuals christian? Generally no. Let me explain. Since christians go by the Bible and the bible doesn't seem to be for this lifestyle - the answer is no as long as they practice this and don't want to change at all. I knew a homosexual who was a christian and he wanted to change these desires and I told him about Exodus International. I think he was a christian because he didn't like these desires. God is after the hearts intent - because of this - I think he was saved. In addition, heterosexuals arn't saved either if they keep committing adultery and fornication with each other and don't want to change. God invented sex and knows more than man how its done. He demands sexual purity.

2) Yes, the Bible is by God - because of the overwhelming evidence that supports it. It could only have been written by God. I will give you more details in my next response since its a little lengthly. Read The Evidence that Demands A Verdict by Josh McDowell (this evidence would stand up in a court of law). And Examine the Evidence by Muncaster (a former athiest). The Bible has hundreds of detailed prophesies in it that have come true and more are being fulfilled. No other book of any kind religious or not does this.

3) Hear from God? Yes, its by the Spirit. Those who have accepted Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior and have received the Holy Spirit and know His Word (the Bible) are familiar with what I'm talking about. They work together and therefore know the voice of God. This isn't a mental thing - but he uses your human spirit with his Holy Spirit you have received when you were born again of His Spirit.

4) No, christianity hasn't changed at all since the Romans. Traditions may have changed - but since the Bible hasn't changed which is Gods Word - christianity doesn't change. Men sometimes try to make the Bible say what "they want" and what is popular but in reality when they study the context in which it was written and what the author intended for each book - this is the true interpretation. In fact, the Bible interprets itself when its truly studied. Yes, God wrote it using non perfect men through the Holy Spirit.

5) The Old Testament is different indeed. Men walked by faith with the Mosaic Law- they were jews and has to perform animals sacrifices to cover their sins continually. The New Testament is a fulfillment of the Old Testament - Jesus was the perfect sacrifice for our sins. After he rose again (resurrected) - he sent the Holy Spirit. So, our sins are taken away by through faith by grace.

6) Yes, their is archaeological evidence for Noah's ark and the flood.
7) Well, christianity is more real than anything.
8) In the Book of Acts it states that men were born at certain times and locations so that they would know God. Thus, God knew ahead of time where we would all be born and where so that we may know him. What this means is that God is doing all he can along with his creation that we see - to get us, unredeemed man to become redeemed and accept Him. So, to ask me a question (if I was born in Saudi, Arabia would I be a Islamic?) I probably wasn't born in this land because my chances of accepting him would be much lower than the U.S. Those that were born there would probably have a higher chance of accepting the Lord eventually than in the U.S.

 

[salida]

A continued part from above.

Biblical Evidence – This is a very small amount of information
out of large amounts of information out there.

Internal Evidences-Prophesies that are confirmed with Bible;

mentioning only a few – but there are hundreds.

Life of Christ
The Tribe of Judah, Gen. 49:10, Luke 3:23-28
(Genesis was written 4004 BC to 1689 BC)
(Luke’s time period is 60-70 AD)

Royal Line of David, Jer 23:5, Matt 1:1
(Jeremiah 760 to 698 BC)/(Matthew 60-70 AD)

Born of a Virgin, Isaiah 7:14/Matt 1:18-23
(Isaiah 760 to 698 BC)/(60-70 AD)

Rise of Empires
In the book of Daniel, Chapter 2 – four kingdoms are described in the interpretation
of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greek – Daniel 8:21, 10:20/ and a fourth great kingdom to follow which was part iron and clay – which is the
Roman Empire – during this empire, Christ came and the church was established – Daniel 2:44.

Historical Accuracy

The Bible is loaded with historical statements concerning events of hundreds of years ago, yet
none of them has been proven to be incorrect.
(Bible compared to other ancient documents)
New Testament – starts at 25 years – between the original and surviving copies
Homer- starts at 500 years/Demosthenes – at 1400 years/Plato – at 1200 years/
Caesar – at 1000 years

Number of Manuscript Copies

New Testament – 5,686/Homer – 643/Demosthenes – 200/Plato – 7/Caesar – 10

Consistency – Written by 40 men over a period of time exceeding 1400 years, and has no
Internal inconsistencies.

Claim of Inspiration- It claims to be spoken by God, 2 Tim 3:16-17). No other religious book makes such claims.

External Evidences

(Prophesies Outside the Bible)
These cities were prophesied to be destroyed and never to be built again- and they haven’t.
Niveveh – Nahum 1:10, 3:7, 15, Zephaniah 2:13-14
Babylon – Isaiah 13:1-22
Tyre -Ezekiel 26:1-28

Bible before Science

He hangs the earth on nothing – Job 26:7
(Job was written at least 1000 years ago – some scholars think it could have been even 3000
years ago)
Note: Man only knew the above for 350 years.
Earth is a sphere – Isaiah 40:22/Air has weight – Job 28:25/
Gravity – Job 26:7, Job 38: 31-33/Winds blow in cyclones, Eccl 1:6

Documents that Prove Bible is True

Gilgamesh Epic, The Sumerian King List, Mari Tablets, Babylonian Chronicles

Archealogical Evidence (Still adding to this list today- it hasn’t stopped)
Excavations of Ur, Location of Zoar, Ziggurats and the foundation of Tower of Babel

 

[Eclyps19]

Thanks for the explanations. No offense, but most of the evidence that proves the bible was written by god doesn't sound very.. convincing... Maybe it's just my standpoint though. I do have a couple questions regarding that post though.

The Bible is loaded with historical statements concerning events of hundreds of years ago, yet
none of them has been proven to be incorrect.

and

Written by 40 men over a period of time exceeding 1400 years, and has no

Internal inconsistencies.

I haven't done much reading, but haven't there been a lot of threads regarding inconsistancies of the bible/things that have been proven wrong over time?

I hope you guyts don't mind. I think I'm going to turn this thread into a hugw Q&A. I keep thinking of more questions. I appreciate everyones willingness to answer so thoroughly.

going back to one of my previous posts, what about ancient greek mythology that was before christianity? Do christians think that this was just a set of stories? For example in Homers epic poetry, or even roman mythology in the Inferno. I would say that those mythologies have died out completely by this time, but do you guys think people did believe Zeus, Athena, etc with all of their heart? I guess I'm just confused as to what Christians believed there was before jesus (religion wise).

 

[Criada]

Hi,
With regard to the Ancient Greeks... I don't think any Christian would deny that they existed... and a lot of their stories.. Homer and such, are based on historical battles which we know took place. And I am sure that they believed in their gods.
In terms of religion, Christianity started, obviously, with Christ. However, the New Testament follows from the old, Jesus was a Jew, God existed before Christianity... and the Old testament is the scriptures of the Jewish faith. God is the God of Abraham, of David, of many righteous men and women all the way back to Noah.


Your other question... what attracted me about Christianity...
I studied a lot of religions, and the one thing they had in common was the concept that we need to live a 'good life', to make ourselves good enough for God, or to move on to the next life, or attain some kind of perfection. And I can't do that! There is no way I can be good enough for God.... or even for myself. And Christianity is the only faith that has an answer to that... that tells me God knows I can't do it... He knows I will fail and that I deserve punishment... and He loved me enough to take that on himself. So I am made righteous even though I can't do it myself. And He gives us the power, a very real power, to change and to begin to live the way He wants us to.

 

[Eclyps19]

thanks!

Another question, what do christians believe gods purpose was when he made everything?

 

[Criada]

Creation is part of God's nature... He is the Creator....
What is the purpose in an artist painting a beautiful picture, or carving a great sculpture.... in a poet writing a poem or a musician creating stirring music. All of these things are a reflection of the creative nature of God... He creates because that is who He is!

 

[Eclyps19]

but the difference is that a painter does indeed paint, but that's not all he's there for. A painter sells his work, makes a living, does other activities. It seems like there would have to be some other purpose other than to just "create". If not, than why bother creating?

Maybe I shouldn't be anthropomorphisizing god though... do christians believe god is literally a man, or is god more of an unknown being?

 

[Criada]

Jesus was a man whilst on earth.
God is a Spirit, not a human.

 

[Eclyps19]

I see some people refer to Jesus as god, yet I always thought he was supposed to be the son of god or something along those lines.

This may or may not be the best place to find the answer to this question, but I'll go for it anyways.

One of my favorite books is Inferno, part of the Divine Comedy. For those who have read it, how is it different than todays Christian hell? I believe it was written around the 1200s, so Christianity had been well established by then. Do christians believe that lucifer used to be an angel that wanted to be better than god, so god sent him down to hell (or something similar to that)? Dante describes the bottom circle of hell full of ice with lucifer trapped in the middle - the worst sinners hanging from different mouths of lucifer. How much of this is made up from Dantes imagination, and how much was taken from Christian beliefs? Does modern day hell have circles for different severity of sinners, or do all sinners go to the exact same place? In the Inferno, different sins are given different punishments. Is that how it works in Christianity?

thanks

 

[Bryan519]

thanks!

Another question, what do christians believe gods purpose was when he made everything?

To give atheist something to argue about.

 

[Criada]

I see some people refer to Jesus as god, yet I always thought he was supposed to be the son of god or something along those lines.

Christians believe in the Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit.. all one God, but in different aspects. It's a very hard one to explain... if you want to study it further, I can find you soem links.

This may or may not be the best place to find the answer to this question, but I'll go for it anyways.

One of my favorite books is Inferno, part of the Divine Comedy. For those who have read it, how is it different than todays Christian hell? I believe it was written around the 1200s, so Christianity had been well established by then. Do christians believe that lucifer used to be an angel that wanted to be better than god, so god sent him down to hell (or something similar to that)? Dante describes the bottom circle of hell full of ice with lucifer trapped in the middle - the worst sinners hanging from different mouths of lucifer. How much of this is made up from Dantes imagination, and how much was taken from Christian beliefs? Does modern day hell have circles for different severity of sinners, or do all sinners go to the exact same place? In the Inferno, different sins are given different punishments. Is that how it works in Christianity?

thanks

The inferno is fiction.... very good fiction, but nonetheless, almost entirely Dante's own creation.
Satan is a fallen angel, that is Biblical.... but there is no description of hell in the Bible apart from 'the lake of fire'. The word most often translated as hell is 'Gehenna', which was actually a rubbish tip outside Jerusalem.
The Bible does not describe any 'punishment' for sinners, nor distinguish some sins as more severe that others

 

[Eclyps19]

.... but there is no description of hell in the Bible apart from 'the lake of fire'.

wow. I would have thought there would certainly be some description of hell. What about heaven? Is that described in the bible?

 

[seashale76]

So I have a few quick questions that i'd like some responses on. I've broken them up into 2 categories. If you don't want to answer the personal questions, no problem. If you do, then great!

General Questions

1) Can homosexuals really be Christian? Doesn't that go against Christianity?

Yes. No, as all of us are sinners that struggle with passions. All Christians struggle against our passions, whatever they may be, in this life. They have their own struggle with passions, just as I have my own. I fall plenty and constantly need to repent and turn from my sins, just as they do. I'm not their Spiritual Father and am in no position to judge anyone. My race isn't finished yet. Luckily, the Church is a hospital for sinners where we receive the medicine of immortality.

2) How do you know the bible is written by god?

The bible isn't written by God. It was written by various people over a long period of time, though Christians believe that all scripture is inspired by God. All of scripture is testament to the Incarnation and Resurrection of Christ. The Old Testament proclaims the coming of Christ and is full of types and anti-types of Christ. The New Testament scripture was based on the preaching/Tradition of the apostles. The Church was there before the NT was. The Holy Scriptures were written with the intent that people would believe and attain salvation. The canon of Scripture that we have was determined by Ecumenical Council based on what was already used and accepted by the Church.

3) Can people actually hear god talk? If so, would you consider a person who hears voices from a seemingly unknown source crazy?

I'm not discounting that it could happen, but I'd say it isn't a very common thing. I would have to suspend my judgment on such a person who does, but I think it would really have a lot to do with what these voices were telling them. The Orthodox Church doesn't consider it a sin to ignore such voices, and encourages people who think they have been singled out for this type of thing to ignore any voices, visions, etc. and to continue praying the prayers of the Church and follow the instruction of their Spiritual Father instead.

4) How has Christianity changed so much since the time of the Romans? It would seem that it would be written and explained properly the first time. Who decides what gets changed in the religion?

Do you mean Tradition vs. tradition? This is something that the Orthodox Church claims and believes hasn't happened to us, these drastic changes since the time of the Romans. Our Church and its Tradition have been consistent since the beginning. I could walk into any Orthodox Church in the world (regardless of jurisdiction) and know what to expect. I can follow the liturgy and commune regardless of some of the little traditions that might vary. If there was a time machine that could transport me back to ancient Byzantium, I could still follow the liturgy and know what to expect. When the Patriarch of Rome broke ties with the Church, the other four Patriarchates kept in communion (Jerusalem, Antioch, Constantinople, Alexandria). The Patriarch of my jurisdiction (Antioch) still can be found on Straight Street in Damascus (as per the Book of Acts). We rely on Ecumenical Councils, of which there have only been seven, not counting that in the Acts of the Apostles. Such Councils of the Ecclesia are guided entirely by the Holy Spirit. We believe that Rome is in schism from us, and then itself has experienced many schisms since, beginning with the Reformation and all of the continual schisms off of that.

5) Forgive my ignorance, but what is the difference between the New and Old Testimate? Were they both written at the same time/by the same person?

See my response above.

6) Is Noah and the arc supposed to be read as a true event? I know most Christians believe the flood, so I'm assuming this is a yes?

Yes. However, Noah's ark is also seen to symbolically represent the Church. The Holy Fathers of our faith have long considered the Ark to be the Church, which is the ark of our Salvation. As St. John Chyrsostom said, "Under Noah's direction the animals were released in the same state they entered. With the 'ark' that is the Church, however, we come aboard as sinners and have the capacity to leave as saints."

Personal questions

1) How do you know the Christian god is real but not any of the other gods in other religions?

At one point, I was very open to exploring different religions, as I was a seeker. There are plenty of ancient world religions and philosophies that I think have a strong element of truth in them. However, I have since come to believe that Christianity contains the fullness of truth, because of the incarnation of Christ. I have absolutely no rational explanation that would satisfy most skeptics, but it has only been in an Orthodox Church that I have been struck profoundly, over and over, despite all else, that it is the truth. I have never found that anywhere else, and it became impossible to ignore after a while.

2) Do you think that if you were born in the Saudi Arabia you would follow the Islamic faith?

I'm quite certain that I would be a Muslim if I had been raised in that faith. In Saudi Arabia, even if I were a skeptic, I would probably profess Islam. I have heard that there are Muslims who have had visions/dreams that instigated a change in belief to Christianity, even though they were brought up in minimal knowledge of it, and know people (Palestinians, Egyptians, Lebanese) in my parish who know Muslims who have converted at great harassment and risk to themselves. Only God knows, and I believe that those who are seeking the truth will eventually be confronted with it, so I would like to think that I would have a choice at some point in my life.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I'm looking forward to reading up and learning more about this religion!

You're welcome. I hope my answers were marginally helpful.

 

[seashale76]

Another question for everyone. According to the bible, did the ancient greeks and such exist?

St. Paul quotes Greek philosophers. Of course the ancient Greeks existed.

From what I've heard, most believe that the earth is only 6,000 years old. The pre-hellenic period (supposedly) started around 2000 BC, which would make it about 4,000 years ago. According to the bible, when were people first put on this earth?

The bible doesn't say as the bible isn't concerned with how old the earth is. That isn't the point of the scriptures, so it doesn't address the topic. In my opinion, anyone who claims to have accurately deducted the age of the earth from the scriptures, is being presumptuous. If they don't want to believe the scientific explanations, then the best they can do is remain agnostic as to this particular issue.

Was there Christianity before jesus was born or crucified?

The Church is Israel. Israel existed before the incarnation. Christ is the Word and in the beginning was the Word.