Ask a non-believer questions on Christian Theology

[Tinker Grey]

It is sometimes alleged that non-believers just don't understand Christianity.

So for as long as this thread remains open, I will answer questions on Christian Theology. I will do so with straight answers and no snark.

ETA: Questions are welcome both from believers and non-believers.

 

[drjean]

Snark is not good.

Who is Jesus?

 

[Tinker Grey]

(N.B. This will be my last caveat ... unless someone gets confused. I'll answer as a Christian would answer. If there a divergent view points, I'll take a disinterested stance.)

Jesus is the unique son of God, the second person of the trinity (making him co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit), crucified "from the beginning of the world" to save us from our sins.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Let me add to my previous answer.

Another important component to Jesus is he is the incarnation of the second person of the trinity. That is, he is God become man. According to approved doctrine (that so far as I know is maintained by almost all protestants) is the Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.

 

[drjean]

Why do people believe in a Loving God?

 

[Tinker Grey]

That's not so much a theological question as a sociological one. I could hypothesize but it wouldn't really be on topic.

 

[juvenissun]

It is sometimes alleged that non-believers just don't understand Christianity.

So for as long as this thread remains open, I will answer questions on Christian Theology. I will do so with straight answers and no snark.

ETA: Questions are welcome both from believers and non-believers.

Let's try a hard one:

Why does God create man while He already created angels?

 

[Tinker Grey]

Let's try a hard one:

Why does God create man while He already created angels?

The Bible doesn't explicity address this question. Church teaching usually differentiates man from angels by saying the latter were created as servants while the former were created for fellowship.

 

[AlexBP]

Do human beings have free will?

 

[secondtimearound]

It is sometimes alleged that non-believers just don't understand Christianity.

So for as long as this thread remains open, I will answer questions on Christian Theology. I will do so with straight answers and no snark.

ETA: Questions are welcome both from believers and non-believers.

Wouldn't all you be showing is that you have an understanding of Christianity? Not to mention I'm sure folks like Bart Erhman or any other number of New Testament skeptical scholars have a better understanding than yourself. I would hope that most people when lumping together skeptics as not knowing anything about Christianity are talking about a brand of village skepticism other than that they are just making an unfounded judgement that might come back to bite them in the rear-end.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Wouldn't all you be showing is that you have an understanding of Christianity?

Well, that was my statement in the OP. I don't understand the question.

Not to mention I'm sure folks like Bart Erhman or any other number of New Testament skeptical scholars have a better understanding than yourself.

And? Seriously, I don't understand the point. I'm not in a competition.

However, there are those here on this board who say we don't understand. If one non-believer shows some understanding, then the generalization that atheists just don't get it is false.

I would hope that most people when lumping together skeptics as not knowing anything about Christianity are talking about a brand of village skepticism other than that they are just making an unfounded judgement that might come back to bite them in the rear-end.

I can't quite parse this. But if I'm reading you right: Yes, I can point to posters on this board who seem to be making a broad-brush judgement.

Lastly, I thought this would be a fun exercise for me.

 

[Tinker Grey]

Do human beings have free will?

Christianity has been debating this point since its inception. It has been said that Calvin was an Augustinian. (Or rather, reversing the timeline, Augustine was a Calvinist.)

I've also heard it argued that even Calvin wasn't a five-pointer.

From here, I'll be more general rather than attributing absolute positions to Calvinists and Arminians (after Jacobus Arminius).

In any case, both free-will and non-free-will positions are argued. From the non-free-will perspective, the idea of free will is counter to God's absolute sovereignty. A true choice, it is argued, precludes God's omniscience. The concept of grace as articulated by Paul along with his use of words like election (no democracy this--only God votes) along with some vessels are made for glory and others for destruction bolsters the non-free-will argument.

OTOH, various verses command our obedience which seems meaningless if there is no choice involved. The great commission is senseless if all the electing is already done. Paul saying to the jailer, "believe on the Lord Jesus Christ" sounds like an optional thing. Also we could mention Felix who said "almost persuaded."

So a strict five-point Calvinist would say that there is no choice. Only God votes. And some are predestined for hell. If one is elected to heaven, nothing will change that.

OTOH, I've personally know Christians who believe that every choice is pertinent such that every wrong choice severs our relationship with God and if we die in such a state we go to hell. For Catholics, the question of dying unshriven arises. I am unclear whether that means that one goes to purgatory given that one was a Christian, or whether one necessarily ends up in hell.

The group of Christians I grew up with believed in OSAS (once saved always saved) but maintained that belief in God was free choice.

Here I've conflated some issues. But mostly the idea of free will or not goes hand in hand with salvation issues within Christian theology.

Short answer: Christian theology doesn't inherently require one position or the other. Various Christians hold a range of views along a sliding scale.

 

[drjean]

That's not so much a theological question as a sociological one. I could hypothesize but it wouldn't really be on topic.

Aye but we are not in the theology forum we are in the philosophy forum and that has very much to do with what people think and why they think the way they do... especially you and me in discussion.

So, why do people believe in a loving God?

 

[Tinker Grey]

Aye but we are not in the theology forum we are in the philosophy forum and that has very much to do with what people think and why they think the way they do... especially you and me in discussion.

So, why do people believe in a loving God?

Yes, but it is off topic to the OP.

I cannot answer it according to the conditions of the OP except to say that believers would say that this the God that revealed himself.

 

[secondtimearound]

Well, that was my statement in the OP. I don't understand the question.
And? Seriously, I don't understand the point. I'm not in a competition.

However, there are those here on this board who say we don't understand. If one non-believer shows some understanding, then the generalization that atheists just don't get it is false.



I can't quite parse this. But if I'm reading you right: Yes, I can point to posters on this board who seem to be making a broad-brush judgement.

Lastly, I thought this would be a fun exercise for me.

What I was trying to say, (bad grammar and all) is that if someone is saying that all skeptics do not know anything about Christianity, than they do not know anything about skeptics. With former Christians like Bart Erhman, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that the statement "skeptics know nothing about Christianity" is a silly assertion to make, but I'm sure you already knew that.
With a statement such as "I can point to posters on this board who seem to be making a broad-brush judgement" I feel that this may be no more than a dog and pony show and not just a fun exercise. But then again maybe I am just rushing to judgement and maybe they really do need to see that not all skeptics know nothing about Christianity. *moving on*

 

[Lord Emsworth]

Yes, but it is off topic to the OP.

I cannot answer it according to the conditions of the OP except to say that believers would say that this the God that revealed himself.

I am not entirely sure that the question could not be answered under the conditions of the OP. On one hand you have the question "Why do people believe in God?" and on the other hand you certainly have Christian responses to that or at least similar questions.

You could for example point to revelation, i.e. the Bible, or you could point to changed hearts and minds that supposedly go hand in hand with accepting Jesus. And so on. It is certainly not easy though.

ETA: You did the very same wrt the question "Who was Jesus?"

 

[juvenissun]

The Bible doesn't explicity address this question. Church teaching usually differentiates man from angels by saying the latter were created as servants while the former were created for fellowship.

Very good.

Although the Bible does have many verses that disclose this idea.

 

[juvenissun]

It is sometimes alleged that non-believers just don't understand Christianity.

So for as long as this thread remains open, I will answer questions on Christian Theology. I will do so with straight answers and no snark.

ETA: Questions are welcome both from believers and non-believers.

Here is another hard one (at least it took me for a good while):

In Christian theology, how do Christianity define "life" or "a life"?

For example, is an angel a life? Is a moth a life? Or is a tree a life? This question is significant. Because only after we defined life, then we know what is kill.

 

[KCfromNC]

(N.B. This will be my last caveat ... unless someone gets confused. I'll answer as a Christian would answer. If there a divergent view points, I'll take a disinterested stance.)

Jesus is the unique son of God, the second person of the trinity (making him co-equal with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit), crucified "from the beginning of the world" to save us from our sins.

How is Jesus the only begotten son of God if he's co-equal and eternal with God?

 

[Resha Caner]

So, why do people believe in a loving God?

I'm not sure why you're saying this is off topic. I suppose it depends on how one takes the question. Maybe I'm the one misinterpreting what is being asked, but I might phrase it as:

Does faith have a cause?