Any Christians Have Questions for a "Non-Believer"?

[Question.Everything]

Romans 10:13 "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news! 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ."

What does this mean? I have heard the word of Christ many times, and studied it many times.

Where do you see Christians pointing guns at other men, forcing them to believe?

Nobody is pointing a gun at anybody's head...much worse, they are saying "Believe in this or suffer eternally". If you can't see how that's threatening to a non-believer, I'm not sure we see the world the same way.

Isn't it other men, who point guns at Christians, killing them because they won't believe otherwise?

I do not do these things.

Did Jesus say "Hate your enemy", or "only love thy neighbor if they believe?"

No, but I'm not talking about the preaching of Jesus. I'm talking about the eternal fate of our soul and what that comes down to. I can adapt the moral outlook of Jesus and still not be a Christian and still be doomed to suffer.

Don't you think the grace of God is evident, that he does not smite evil on the spot, but actually blesses sinners even when they are not deserving?

No, I don't think it's graceful to reward sinners for sinning. The entire reason humanity is corrupt in the first place is because we can be.

If God wasn't so gracious, wouldn't he perform many more smitings, and wouldn't this be plain for us all to see?

I don't see God "smiting" anybody, that's one of the many reasons I don't think he's there. If you have any evidence of God smiting people, I'm all ears.

How much do you think God hates evil?

No idea. Should God hate anything? Did God create evil? All questions I'd have for him, if he were there to answer them.

How much do you think God loves us?

Again, no idea. Some people say "He loved us so much that he sent himself as a human sacrifice to die on the cross for our sins." If that's the case, I don't think God loves me any more than our soldiers do. They sacrifice themselves to die for our freedom, something we can actually use day to day. I have no use for the knowledge that my soul is "free"...first I'd need the knowledge that a soul is there in the first place.

 

[IndieVisible]

Because a lot of people fervently believe he is there, so I believe it at least deserves the respect of some research (seeking).

So you believe there may be some thing there because others do?

How far you willing to take it?

 

[Question.Everything]

Have you read any books of Christian apologetics? If so, which ones?

I'm more into watching debates and also documentaries. I read a little bit of Craig's latest book but got his arguments down pat by watching him debate them 15-20 or so times. I've seen the Strobel documentaries The Case for Faith/Christ and other apologetics documentaries like that.

Many Christians have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, speak with Jesus Christ, and hear from Jesus Christ. Do you believe these people are (a) lying (b) hallucinating or mentally ill (c) something else?

If they physically see Jesus, I think it would be a hallucination. Mental communication? Not sure what I would call it. One thing I am sure of though is that human beings certainly can create (and hear) sounds that don't exist.

Many people have personal experiences with aliens, ghosts, and dead relatives. Do you believe these people are (a) lying (b) hallucinating or mentally ill (c) something else?

There's not much of a point in questions like these because they have no answer. Even if people do really talk to Jesus, there's no way they could prove it just like I couldn't prove that it was merely a hallucination.

 

[Question.Everything]

So you believe there may be some thing there because others do?

How far you willing to take it?

As far as I stated it.

The "question of existence" is possibly the most important question ever asked. Christianity claims to have answered this question with absolute precision, and it's backed by billions of people. There is something to all of this, whether it's true or not.

 

[98cwitr]

I know the typical way to explore Christianity is by asking Christians questions, but I think the same can be accomplished doing the reverse. I'm interested in questions that Christians might have for me on my worldviews, why I believe certain things, etc. In exploring my own answers with discussions here I may gain new perspectives on how Christians perceive things, and maybe discover some holes in my reasoning.

30 second background:

I won't say I was a "true believer", but I did truly think the Bible was the word of God who existed and that Jesus was the son of God and our savior. I now believe Christianity is not true in part because of the absolutism it conveys (ie. a loving God would not set a faith-based requirement as the only way to achieve everlasting peace).

Ask away!

What do you believe is the purpose of Christianity? It's "intended" purpose then?

Do you think your approaches are out of self preservation (I assume this due to your focus) and not out of what God wants?

 

[Hakan101]

What does this mean? I have heard the word of Christ many times, and studied it many times.

Right! If you say so, I believe you! But read onward...

Romans 10:17 "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:

“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”

19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”

20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”

21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people.”


Israel heard the word, understood, and still disobeyed God. Why do you think they would do this?

Nobody is pointing a gun at anybody's head...much worse, they are saying "Believe in this or suffer eternally". If you can't see how that's threatening to a non-believer, I'm not sure we see the world the same way.

I understand how that would sound threatening to a non-believer. But this isn't what the message of Jesus is. Very little is spent on the non-believer's fate (though Jesus speaks of Hell more than anyone else), compared to what God promises for those who put their faith in him. It is not "believe or suffer eternally", but rather, "believe, and live eternally."

What I fear the problem is, many non-believers seem to want nothing to do with God, and so rather than consider what he promises for the faithful, they instantly turn to what he promises for the sinners.

Would you rather receive what God promises the faithful, or would you prefer that he just, "stops bothering you?"

I do not do these things.

Never said you do. Again, what I asked is, "Isn't it other men, who point guns at Christians, killing them because they won't believe otherwise?"

No, but I'm not talking about the preaching of Jesus. I'm talking about the eternal fate of our soul and what that comes down to. I can adapt the moral outlook of Jesus and still not be a Christian and still be doomed to suffer.

But Jesus' message is founded on God. How can you claim to subscribe to his moral outlook and not have faith in God? Every single one of Jesus' teachings falls on the foundation that God is our Lord.

You said you've studied the Scriptures. Don't you know we're not saved by our works, but by grace? Not only are we incapable of doing so, but to even try to earn our salvation is to say to God, "You're not my Lord. I am." Do you not see the problem with this?

No, I don't think it's graceful to reward sinners for sinning. The entire reason humanity is corrupt in the first place is because we can be.

Rewarding sinners for sinning, is not what I said. Here, let me ask you again. Carefully consider what I am saying. Don't you think the grace of God is evident, that he does not smite evil on the spot, but actually blesses sinners even when they are not deserving?

Humanity is corrupt? Why do you say this? What standard are you comparing humanity to when calling it corrupt?

I don't see God "smiting" anybody, that's one of the many reasons I don't think he's there. If you have any evidence of God smiting people, I'm all ears.

Right, I expect that you do not see any smiting. Weren't you reading what I said?

No idea. Should God hate anything? Did God create evil? All questions I'd have for him, if he were there to answer them.

You say you read the Scriptures many times, studied it many times. And yet you don't have the slightest clue as to how much God hates evil? I believed you before, should I now doubt what you said?

If I may ask, at what age did you stop studying Scripture?

Again, no idea. Some people say "He loved us so much that he sent himself as a human sacrifice to die on the cross for our sins." If that's the case, I don't think God loves me any more than our soldiers do. They sacrifice themselves to die for our freedom, something we can actually use day to day. I have no use for the knowledge that my soul is "free"...first I'd need the knowledge that a soul is there in the first place.

If knowledge that your soul can be set free has no importance to you, why are you so concerned with knowledge that your soul may perish for eternity? If you don't have the knowledge that the soul is there in the first place, shouldn't this also be not important to you?

 

[AlexBP]

If they physically see Jesus, I think it would be a hallucination. Mental communication? Not sure what I would call it. One thing I am sure of though is that human beings certainly can create (and hear) sounds that don't exist.
...
There's not much of a point in questions like these because they have no answer. Even if people do really talk to Jesus, there's no way they could prove it just like I couldn't prove that it was merely a hallucination.

I wasn't suggesting any sort of proof; I was merely interested in what your opinion on the subject was. It seems to me that if many millions of people claim to see, hear, or otherwise sense and interact with something, that in itself is a datum that calls out for explanation. The explanation may be hallucination or lying, but it needs to be something or else you have a serious unexplained phenomenon. For instance, to tackle the example of UFOs and aliens, most sightings are easily explained as aircraft, satellites, weather phenomena, or something else mundane, which the observer misinterpreted. A few may have been outright fabrications. In any case, such sightings only occurred when Hollywood and government paranoia about hostile invasions was at a height. Nowadays, when we've stopped being so paranoid about these things, there are virtually no alien sightings anymore.

But with the phenomena of people who interact with Jesus Christ, I see no such viable explanation. If hallucinations are the answer, it would beg the question of why so many people hallucinate such a thing, and why it includes even people who are known to be well-educated and mentally healthy.

Anyway, on to the third question: Do you believe that there is some form of non-material human soul, or do you believe that all mental phenomena, such as thought, consciousness, memory, emotion, visualization, and so forth, are all the result of physical and chemical events in the brain.

 

[IndieVisible]

As far as I stated it.

The "question of existence" is possibly the most important question ever asked. Christianity claims to have answered this question with absolute precision, and it's backed by billions of people. There is something to all of this, whether it's true or not.

Oh it's true all right. But it doesn't work the way you think. Either your open to believe or your not. This thread is a silly and pointless way to "find out any thing"

You already know everything you need to know. The rest is up to you. Nothing else any one can say or do will enhance your progress. It is *you* who either accepts this or does not. It requires faith.

There is no proof there is a God. In fact it is entirely irrational to believe in some thing you can not see or prove. That's where the faith comes in. No one can give you faith.

You can accept the Lord at any minute. You will never find any proof.

It's kind of like you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force it to drink. Your already there! Jesus is the eternal water that if you drink it will never thirst again!

Enough of this silly game. Accept the Lord or not. It's that simple.

For me I can't remember not believing in God. The idea that some do not baffles my mind. Why? because every where I look, I see all the proof I need.

Consider this, even when Jesus was alive and in the flesh and people heard Him speak and seen the many signs and miracles, not every one believed! Others believed just by hearing about him. What makes you think your going to learn any thing more or new? Your already there at the door, either open it, or not. It really is that simple

 

[Daniel25]

an atheist? on the internet?

Someone quick alert the media!

 

[Question.Everything]

To look out your window and see a tree will cause you to reason: “How could such a thing happen?”

You may say: “I do not know or care to know.” But your actions show you believe in a creator or believe there is no intelligent designer. To believe intelligence came about from nothing or it came from an infinite number of causes take a lot of faith.

No, I don't say that. I say "trees grow from the ground".

I don't believe intelligence came from nothing, but I don't believe it came from Christian God. I don't know what it came from, that's the great mystery.

So what better system would you have to allow those that truly would enjoy heaven and shown that desire to go to heaven (a place of a huge Godly type Love feast) and those that would not be happy in heaven (they desire only a selfish type love) to not have to go there?

You're asking me to play God. Are there any restrictions here or do I have the full omni-power of God? I would just create everybody like Jesus. Happy, loving, independent, devoted, direct connection with God, etc. Jesus had the power to wipe out nations with nothing more than a sinister gaze, yet he didn't...why? If I were God I'd know, and I'd make the first two humans just like that.

 

[Question.Everything]

What do you believe is the purpose of Christianity? It's "intended" purpose then?

I think the general purpose of any religion is to lay out a set of moral guidelines to live by and also provide comfort to the idea of death.

What was the original purpose for Christianity? Your guess is as good as mine. It could have been created for power, it could have been created to control people (into being civil and obedient), it could have been created by men who really did think that God talked to them. Questions would be much easier to answer if we had a time machine that could take us back to the days of Jesus .

Do you think your approaches are out of self preservation (I assume this due to your focus) and not out of what God wants?

My approach towards what, exploring Christianity? Not exactly sure what you're asking but regardless, much of my actions are indeed ones out of self-preservation. Since no God has communicated with me and told me what they want me to do, the only thing I have to preserve is myself (unless I eventually have a wife and children).

 

[Question.Everything]

Israel heard the word, understood, and still disobeyed God. Why do you think they would do this?

Perhaps because they only heard words that came from men who claimed God told them things? They did not think they were disobeying God, they thought they were disobeying the men who claimed to be speaking on God's behalf.

Very little is spent on the non-believer's fate (though Jesus speaks of Hell more than anyone else), compared to what God promises for those who put their faith in him.

Very little is spent on the non-believers fate because the Bible isn't for non-believers, it is for believers. Of course it'll be filled with all the great things that come with believing, and less on the downsides to not believing. This in no way takes away from the pressure and threat of of the downsides, especially for non-believers like myself.

It is not "believe or suffer eternally", but rather, "believe, and live eternally."

Your second statement does nothing to disprove the first, but if you feel better about it we can agree on "Believe and live eternally, or don't believe and suffer eternally." The ultimatum is still there whether you want to accept it for what it is or not. Loving Gods don't force ultimatums on their children.

What I fear the problem is, many non-believers seem to want nothing to do with God, and so rather than consider what he promises for the faithful, they instantly turn to what he promises for the sinners.

Would you rather receive what God promises the faithful, or would you prefer that he just, "stops bothering you?"

You're asking "Would you rather live in heaven or hell?". Now going on the assumption that Christian God is the real one God and the Bible is true...you'd have to be insane to want hell over heaven. Of course I'd rather have the gift of eternal life than the torture of eternal suffering. The whole point here is that I don't think these things exist because this is not the way a loving God would work (if one existed).

Loving relationships are not built on ultimatums. Loving Gods do not create hellish places where non-believers suffer eternally. Loving Gods do not make the cornerstone of their belief system a bloddy, horrible human sacrifice.

Never said you do. Again, what I asked is, "Isn't it other men, who point guns at Christians, killing them because they won't believe otherwise?"

Other men do that, yes. Christians also do the same.

But Jesus' message is founded on God. How can you claim to subscribe to his moral outlook and not have faith in God? Every single one of Jesus' teachings falls on the foundation that God is our Lord.

Because you don't need to recognize a moral source to have morals. I think there are good moral lessons to be learned from Jesus/proverbs, I also think there are good moral lessons to be learned from the Buddha. I can incorporate these morals into my own moral compass without believing objective truth in the source.

You said you've studied the Scriptures. Don't you know we're not saved by our works, but by grace?

Yes, the Bible does say that.

Rewarding sinners for sinning, is not what I said. Here, let me ask you again. Carefully consider what I am saying. Don't you think the grace of God is evident, that he does not smite evil on the spot, but actually blesses sinners even when they are not deserving?

"he does not smite evil on the spot, but actually blesses sinners". To bless a sinner after sinning would be to reward a sinner for sinning. Of course the sinner doesn't know what he has coming for him, which is the trick.

What is the purpose of the question? To explain that God is graceful because he doesn't punish sinners until after they've died?

Humanity is corrupt? Why do you say this? What standard are you comparing humanity to when calling it corrupt?

I'm generally looking at how governments and politics function, how greed and money controls the lives of most people, how things like religion cause wars for thousands of years, how we act without thinking of consequences (think environmental), and how we've been killing each other in a darwinistic way since the dawn of time.

Humans could be a lot less corrupt.

You say you read the Scriptures many times, studied it many times. And yet you don't have the slightest clue as to how much God hates evil? I believed you before, should I now doubt what you said?

I should have assumed you meant Biblical stance, of course God "hates" evil, the Bible is a classic Good vs Evil religion story where God is the good guy.

My answer comes from personal questioning - did God create evil? Why would he create something he knew he would hate? And if God did not create evil (or evil things), then God did not create everything? If God did not create everything, then how is he the God of the Bible?

If I may ask, at what age did you stop studying Scripture?

I never stopped studying it, I'm 23 now. I stopped believing in it when I was around 20.

If knowledge that your soul can be set free has no importance to you, why are you so concerned with knowledge that your soul may perish for eternity? If you don't have the knowledge that the soul is there in the first place, shouldn't this also be not important to you?

My concern isn't the knowledge itself, my concern is how Christians reconcile this knowledge and see is as compatible with the idea of a loving, merciful creator. Just repeating what I said above, but a loving God doesn't force ultimatums on every person that's ever born. It is being forced because you cannot say no without suffering eternally for it.

 

[Question.Everything]

But with the phenomena of people who interact with Jesus Christ, I see no such viable explanation. If hallucinations are the answer, it would beg the question of why so many people hallucinate such a thing, and why it includes even people who are known to be well-educated and mentally healthy.

Do you have any reason to believe that all of these people are communicating with a common denominator? Everyone says it's "Jesus" talking to them because they read the Bible and that is the character they're supposed to hear. You say it begs the question of why so many people hallucinate "such a thing"...what is "such a thing"?

Anyway, on to the third question: Do you believe that there is some form of non-material human soul, or do you believe that all mental phenomena, such as thought, consciousness, memory, emotion, visualization, and so forth, are all the result of physical and chemical events in the brain.

It's a fascinating question that I don't have the answer to. As it stands, I have no reasons for believing anything supernatural exists and the only way to find out would be to kill myself. Because of this, I would never make an objective life decision based on anything supernatural, this would require a leap of faith.

Now that doesn't mean I can conjure up my own thoughts and think about what might be possible. Consciousness functioning as one "supercomputer" that simulates realities is a fun thought. We are bits of consciousness that are part of the greater conscious system. When we die, a sort of reincarnation process occurs where we are jetted right back into another reality, where we can learn more information and make the "conscious system" more intelligent and efficient as a whole.

The possibilities are endless and I find that to be one of the most amazing things about life. I am in no way excited to die, but I'm certainly interested in seeing if anything happens after. Reincarnation could be awesome.

 

[Question.Everything]

You already know everything you need to know. The rest is up to you. Nothing else any one can say or do will enhance your progress. It is *you* who either accepts this or does not. It requires faith.

So, because I can't accept something on faith (that abandons reason), I'm doomed to eternal torture? Kind of let down about the "all loving" aspect of God on this one I have to admit. Sucks to be me I guess.

In fact it is entirely irrational to believe in some thing you can not see or prove.

Completely 100% agree. And through every single life experience I've had so far, rationality is the best way to handle anything.

You can accept the Lord at any minute. You will never find any proof.

But I can't accept the Lord without proof that he's there. I can't do something for no reason. Proof is how I distinguish and interact with the world around me.

Accept the Lord or not. It's that simple.

And therein lies the ultimatum.

For me I can't remember not believing in God. The idea that some do not baffles my mind. Why? because every where I look, I see all the proof I need.

Why does it baffle your mind that people see the world differently than you? Looking at the world through a naturalistic viewpoint is just as beautiful (arguably even more beautiful) than looking at it as a creation of a perfect God, because perfect God could have done better.

Consider this, even when Jesus was alive and in the flesh and people heard Him speak and seen the many signs and miracles, not every one believed! Others believed just by hearing about him. What makes you think your going to learn any thing more or new? Your already there at the door, either open it, or not. It really is that simple

I would like my chance at witnessing Jesus perform miracles and prove that he was God. What makes you think I'll have the same opinion as a Bronze Age peasant?

 

[IndieVisible]

So, because I can't accept something on faith (that abandons reason), I'm doomed to eternal torture? Kind of let down about the "all loving" aspect of God on this one I have to admit. Sucks to be me I guess.

I don't know about torture, but yes doomed because you will die in your sins.

Completely 100% agree. And through every single life experience I've had so far, rationality is the best way to handle anything.

Rationality is only useful for material things, things of this world. Not spiritual things. That you even indulge in such a dialog with me makes you irrational by your own standards.

But I can't accept the Lord without proof that he's there. I can't do something for no reason. Proof is how I distinguish and interact with the world around me.

Then you can't accept the Lord, why you still here? Most irrational.

And therein lies the ultimatum.

Yup

Why does it baffle your mind that people see the world differently than you? Looking at the world through a naturalistic viewpoint is just as beautiful (arguably even more beautiful) than looking at it as a creation of a perfect God, because perfect God could have done better.

Stop wasting your time if you believe that. Go back to living for today and enjoying the temporal things you find so beautiful that will perish along with you.

I would like my chance at witnessing Jesus perform miracles and prove that he was God. What makes you think I'll have the same opinion as a Bronze Age peasant?

Ah isn't that precious. If only you could see with your own eyes you might believe. That is rather selfish. Why should you be any different indeed from the millions that will not see any miracles first hand and still believe? I see you the same as the typical Bronze peasant who also asked the same questions and enjoyed the beauties of this world. How are you different? They probably would have started a similar thread as this if they had the Internet back then lol.

You want proof and it is actually all around you, yet you do not see it. You want solid talk and you got it, yet you do not hear it. My prayers are with you, but you are where you need to be and know every thing you can need to know, so what is really holding you back? God's children hear the message and respond happily. Perhaps this is the closest you will ever come to God, I will pray for you that the Holy Spirit may open your heart.

 

[Question.Everything]

I don't know about torture, but yes doomed because you will die in your sins.

Why would a loving God doom his child for not having blind faith? How is this loving? A spank on the rear perhaps, but eternal damnnation?

Rationality is only useful for material things, things of this world. Not spiritual things.

Again, completely agreed.

That you even indulge in such a dialog with me makes you irrational by your own standards.

How?

Then you can't accept the Lord, why you still here? Most irrational.

To get explanations from more thoughtful Christians than yourself, who don't just say "You either accept him this second right now, or you don't. Simple as that." My eternal fate isn't something to toy around with, and if I "accept" Jesus then I am rejecting Allah and am doomed to the Muslim equivalent of hell.

Yup

Care to explain why loving creators enforce ultimatums on their children?

Stop wasting your time if you believe that. Go back to living for today and enjoying the temporal things you find so beautiful that will perish along with you.

I think religion is something material worth exploring, it gives an enlightening look into the human psyche.

Ah isn't that precious. If only you could see with your own eyes you might believe. That is rather selfish.

It's selfish to ask for proof of something that provides no evidence for it's existence? I think I'm being pretty reasonable.

Why should you be any different indeed from the millions that will not see any miracles first hand and still believe?

Because I asked? You deserve to see proof of God as well.

You want proof and it is actually all around you, yet you do not see it.

Ah, the classic argumentum ad ignorantiam. It's right in front of you, you just don't see it!

but you are where you need to be and know every thing you can need to know, so what is really holding you back?

What's holding me back are the questions I asked. How on earth can an ALL LOVING God impose ultimatums on his children, with eternal damnation as a result of not believing something based on faith? Why does an all loving God make the cornerstone of his religion a bloody, torturous human sacrifice? How can I so sacredly rest the fate of my soul in the Christian God when it sends me to Muslim hell?

 

[98cwitr]

I think the general purpose of any religion is to lay out a set of moral guidelines to live by and also provide comfort to the idea of death.

What was the original purpose for Christianity? Your guess is as good as mine. It could have been created for power, it could have been created to control people (into being civil and obedient), it could have been created by men who really did think that God talked to them. Questions would be much easier to answer if we had a time machine that could take us back to the days of Jesus .
---


My approach towards what, exploring Christianity? Not exactly sure what you're asking but regardless, much of my actions are indeed ones out of self-preservation. Since no God has communicated with me and told me what they want me to do, the only thing I have to preserve is myself (unless I eventually have a wife and children).

Couldn't we instill morality without divine involvement?

I agree that a time machine would clear all of this up

God has communicated with everyone imho...as you stated in the OP; with the Bible.

 

[Question.Everything]

Couldn't we instill morality without divine involvement?

Certainly, I'd advocate doing that.

God has communicated with everyone imho...as you stated in the OP; with the Bible.

Different strokes for different folks . In my opinion, men wrote the Bible and I don't trust them to be spokespeople for supernatural entities. The Bible just isn't credible to me, I don't trust men.

 

[bling]

I don't believe intelligence came from nothing, but I don't believe it came from Christian God. I don't know what it came from, that's the great mystery.

OK, so if you believe intelligence came from something and not nothing, that intelligence can be described as God. How great would that intelligence have gotten to since it has always been and was not created?

You're asking me to play God. Are there any restrictions here or do I have the full omni-power of God? I would just create everybody like Jesus. Happy, loving, independent, devoted, direct connection with God, etc. Jesus had the power to wipe out nations with nothing more than a sinister gaze, yet he didn't...why? If I were God I'd know, and I'd make the first two humans just like that.

You did an excellent evaluation, but there is a problem:

God cannot make a being that has always existed (not possible). That means the being cannot have always had Godly type Love, but must somehow be created with that type of love or obtain that type of Love. Here again a being cannot instinctively have Godly type Love (be created with it) for if a being is created with a love, it would be a robotic type of love and not a Godly type Love. Secondly God cannot force this Love on a being (a shotgun wedding with God holding the shotgun), because the love obtained would not be really Godly type love and that would not be Loving on God’s part.

Yes, you can play God, but Deity is Love. Love is the most powerful force in all universes since it compels God to do all He does. So you can do more than just “play” God in your mind, but you can truly be like God with this most powerful force.

To be “like” Jesus is to be: a servant of all, sacrificing of self, totally selfless, empathetic of everyone’s pain, and doing/being what he was while here on earth. Yes, you would have the power, but you will use it by: hang on the cross, naked, mocked, tortured, humiliated, lonely, and in great pain all for the sake of those that could not care less.

Is that truly what you want to be for that is Deity?

If you were “God”, you would have been around for a very long time, so you would be either as good as you can get or as bad as you can get, so which would you be?

 

[msmorality]

I know the typical way to explore Christianity is by asking Christians questions, but I think the same can be accomplished doing the reverse. I'm interested in questions that Christians might have for me on my worldviews, why I believe certain things, etc. In exploring my own answers with discussions here I may gain new perspectives on how Christians perceive things, and maybe discover some holes in my reasoning.

30 second background:

I won't say I was a "true believer", but I did truly think the Bible was the word of God who existed and that Jesus was the son of God and our savior. I now believe Christianity is not true in part because of the absolutism it conveys (ie. a loving God would not set a faith-based requirement as the only way to achieve everlasting peace).

Ask away!

Did you have something change your mind about the bible as being the word of God ? Sorry, I didn't read the entire thread, so I am not sure if this has already been covered..