confused, questioning my beliefs

[rebecca01]

I was baptised and brought up as a Catholic, but by the time I reached 13ish i started to have serious doubts about christianity and have been an athiest (or at least i think i have, not that sure of the terminology, maybe more agnostic?) ever since.

But recently (now i'm 15), unexpectedly I've been questioning my beliefs again. I can't say i had any particular experience of being "called" on by God or anything like that, I've just been thinking about it alot lately. I do believe there is someone up there, i don't know if its the christian God, or what, but i find myself thanking someone for watching over me if i have a near escape or something. And my gran who i was very close to died a few months ago, i'd like to think she's not just going to rot away in the ground like I always believed.

Iagree with most of the christian values of loving your neighbour etc but I have some problems with the catholic/christian church, and find it to be awfully judgemental and old fashioned on certain subjects like homosexuality etc. abortion was one of them until 4 months or so ago.

This isn't very relevant, but my close 15 yearold friend, very tragically, fell pregnant about 5 months ago. At first I was trying to convince her to get an abortion, she's a very bright girl with a good life and i didn't want to see her throw it all away. But as the weeks went by, being around her and knowing there was life growing there, i couldn't believe i'd asked her to kill it. which must mean life has some sort of value to me - why? i don't know, i never thought life was sacred or anything like that. i'm not so sure now, to me, that little fetus in there has some sort of importance.

I don't know what to believe, i really don't.

I am not having a very nice time of it lately, home is hard, school is harder, maybe i'm just looking for some source of hope or something.

my mother has told me about this thing she experienced, she heard a heavenly voice from the sky when she was my age, and i won't tell the whole story, but it ended up possibley saving the life of her younger sister, my aunt. And i know she's not the sort to lie about that sort of thing.

also, i think i should also mention that i think i lead a fairly good life, i'm kind and compassionate and i always respect other people's beliefs.

advice/ your thoughts on this (without outright trying to convert me) would be much appreciated

also, i have a few questions i'd be grateful if you could answer for me

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?
-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?
-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?
-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity
-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived? is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

thankyou

and i'm sorry if this post is cringingly unintelligent/unsophisticated/misinformed or unclear and it probably is, but i don't know how to put it any better.

 

[JustAVessel]

I don't know what to believe, i really don't.

I am not having a very nice time of it lately, home is hard, school is harder, maybe i'm just looking for some source of hope or something.

also, i think i should also mention that i think i lead a fairly good life, i'm kind and compassionate and i always respect other people's beliefs.

advice/ your thoughts on this (without outright trying to convert me) would be much appreciated

I'm glad that you are searching, and thank you for your honesty. There IS more to life than this physical world. I would advise you to continue searching until you find the answer. Would you object to reading the Bible? Ecclesiastes and John might be good books for you to read.

also, i have a few questions i'd be grateful if you could answer for me

I'll try answering each question to the best of my ability. Please remember that I come from a Christian worldview, and my answers make sense given my beliefs. Given your beliefs, my answres may not make sense, so if anything needs clarification, please just ask.

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?

It's not some sort of experiment. God created us with the ability to sin because if He didn't, then we woud be robots, mindlessly serving Him. We would be slaves heartlessly telling Him we love Him. That's not the kind of life He wanted for us, and I don't think that's the kind of life you would want for yourself, either.

-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?

Contrary to popular belief, there has been no scientific evidence that there is a homosexual "gene" or anything of the sort. God does not create homosexuals. Homosexuality is a sin like any other sin. All people sin, just in different ways. But just like any other sin, practising homosexuality can be forgiven if the person confesses that sin and turns away from it.

-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?

God is holy. It means he absolutely cannot stand sin. All sin must be destroyed. That is why there is a hell. However, because God is forgiving, He picks us up out of our spiritual "deadness." He gives us a way out through Jesus Christ. The question isn't "why is there a hell?" but rather "why does God forgive a sinner such as I?"

-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity

I do not believe in macroevolution (in which one species evolves into another species, such as monkey --> human) but rather in microevolution. Microevolution can be observed in science/ biology, but macroevolution cannot. I have looked at the scientific "evidence" for macroevolution and do not believe that it is true on a scientific basis.
Christian views fit into this. We believe God created the Earth and various animals. Dinosaurs were one of those animals. Am I answering your question? Please tell me if I'm not.

-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived?

Sadly, no. No matter "how good a life they lived," all people sin. And the punishment for sin is death (hell). There is no exception to this, and there is no way out except through faith in Jesus Christ.

is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

A lot of your questions ask about "fairness." Just let me address that for a second. God is not fair. If God was fair, everyone would go to hell without exception. I am glad that God isn't fair.
To answer your question, everyone has knowledge of the true God in them. And if I may be so bold as to say this, this knowledge of God may be why you're searching for more. God also reveals himself through nature. "The heavens declare the glory of God, and the skies proclaim the works of His hands. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard. Their voice goes out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." - Psalm 19 Between the innate knowledge of God and the witness of nature, it is posssible for a person to be saved without hearing of Christianity, and no person is without excuse. Of course, the fact that many haven't heard of Christianity is why many Christians become missionaries.

thankyou

and i'm sorry if this post is cringingly unintelligent/unsophisticated/misinformed or unclear and it probably is, but i don't know how to put it any better.

You're welcome. Thank you for your honesty, and you have nothing to be sorry for.nnPlease PM me if you have any questions.

PS. Please keep searching. Again, I would highly recommend that you read through Ecclesiastes and John. If you don't own a Bible, you can read online from www.biblegateway.com. It lists a ton of translations, but I would recommend the New International Version for you. It's a good translation and is also easy to read. If you want Scripture references for anything I mentioned above, I would be more than happy to give them, as well. I will be praying for you.

 

[Shubunkin]

is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

I was raised in a family that Christianity was not taught. I was not able to go to Sunday school, or church. However, a neighbor took me to a summer time Sunday school type thing at a nearby church when I was little, and there I was introduced to God and Jesus. I knew instantly that God was good, and loved me. I was five years old. God provides this, either in this way, or as you grow older and places this in your heart. That alone should make you realize that God exists.

 

[heron]

Hi, Rebecca--

You'll find long, long threads on your questions here at CF, so please excuse me for not addressing them.

You have complex questions... and seeing how they come up all the time, even the best answers don't satisfy everyone's curiosity and rationale. So...

I just want to remind you that God wants to help you. He shows in His Word that He appreciates people who are kind and compassionate like you. But don't worry about trying to prove yourself to God. He knows how easily we slip up, and He wants to be by our sides to support us.

You've probably heard this one at church:

Proverbs 3:1-6

Do not let kindness and truth leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

So you will find favor and good repute In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight
​

I think your mom's experience was tres cool. It's a great example of God wanting to rescue people from danger, whether they've devoted their lives to Him or not. (Maybe she was...) He is not tied to an exclusive club of devout saints, but focused on His entire creation. If we listen, He will connect with us more often.

Do you remember the personal stories of 9-11 survivors -- how so many had reasons for not being in the building that morning? How chilling is that! God intervenes in amazing ways!

If you're curious whether others have visions too, there are a couple places here you'll find stories...
Dreams & Visions
Praise Reports
Prophetic Ministry

...um... I'll stop there for now.

Think about God as a personality, a being that wants to communicate with you, help you out, keep you out of danger, bring useful ideas.

He's there for me in the smallest things during the day! It's amazing how He knows the best timing, who needs something that you have resources for... it's just a very interesting life.

We can clutter our faith with lots of legalisms and facts and stances, including things our church denominations add on, but the important part of the faith is that connection to Him.

King David was called a man after God's own heart, because he trusted God. David made a lot of mistakes, but asked for help all the time!Abraham was declared righteous because of his faith. That wasn't about going to church and doing everything right, but trusting what he heard God tell him.
​

Ooh, I've turned this into a long post! Sorry to make you read so much. It's like the first day of school-- all those papers to read and sign.



​

 

[strikerchris0411]

I will try to answer your questions as best as I can.. Btw it sounds as if you are very close to becoming a Christian.

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?

Would you not want to decide how you lived your life?

-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?

I think that ties into the free will. PEople have one of the easiest choices in the world. Yet they still chosose a differen't path.

and i'm sorry if this post is cringingly unintelligent/unsophisticated/misinformed or unclear and it probably is, but i don't know how to put it any better.

[/QUOTE]


I just want to copy and paste that for my post

 

[hlaltimus]

You seem to be having a number of difficulties in believing in a God when there appears to be so very many inconsistencies to your logical, human reasoning for the existence of a Being who is alleged to be perfect and yet has allowed for an imperfect creation. Yeh, I have been all through this too and I went through it while I was younger and under the influence of schooling, which schooling demanded plain or apprehensible evidence rather than spiritual convictions to conclude upon facts. The problem with this line of thinking is that it fixes upon the humanly comprehensible and shuns the incomprehensible. If God is truly an infinite Being, then we intellectual ants in time would without doubt find numerous irreconcilable gaps in understanding His works. I still can't get past the first few chapters of Genesis without tripping up in logic, although I believe it all upon faith. Why did God initially create a universe knowing that defect would appear in it? What it all really adds up to is just this: If you believe that there really is a Creator, and that this Creator is an infinite Being, then the problems that finite creatures such as you or me have in understanding Him would actually be more proper than improper. Oddly enough, it would be a "good" sort of problem rather than a wrong one. If you succeed in discovering a "god" who is entirely understandable and justifiable to your human comprehension, throw him out because he is the wrong one. The real God will be one that you never will perfectly understand in either time or eternity. You will seek to understand as much as He does allow you to understand, and take all the rest upon faith. For a finite speck of a creature such as ourselves to walk with the limitless, infinite and eternal God, this is indispensable.

 

[epy]

advice/ your thoughts on this (without outright trying to convert me) would be much appreciated

Sounds like, as hard as it might be right now, you are sorting things out pretty objectively. Most people ask questions about such topics at one point or another in their lives.

also, i have a few questions i'd be grateful if you could answer for me

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?

What is the point of creating a being with no choice? It is no more than a sophisticated robot. Along those lines, choice isn't choice if there is only one option.

I could list a bunch of theories, but I don't know that any human has a definite answer. Why would you do that if you were an omnipotent being?

-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?

I don't believe they were created that way. To a minimal extent, some people do have birth defects, medical complications etc. that cause unfortunate situations. However, we are talking about the people who have chosen to live their lives contrary to God's will. That is no different than any other such choice. Everyone sins at some point or another. The issue here arises when people refuse to repent of their sins and expect the church to accept that. We should not stop ministering to people who continue to choose to live against God’s will. However, in doing so, we should not accept sin just because we accept the sinner. (That goes for everyone, not just homosexuals.) The purpose of the church is to seek God and His will. We want to bring our fellow believers closer to God, not push them farther away from Him by accepting a continuing action of theirs that is clearly contrary to His will.

-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?

See answer to you final question.

-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity

Various concepts of how they fit have arisen. My personal favorite, for the time being anyway, is that they were primarily wiped out in the flood, which significantly changed the environment.

-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived? is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

I'm still working this one out myself. At the moment, my conceptual picture is as follows.

What determines if someone is a Christian? Is it merely the person's declaration or the way the person lives his life?

Also consider that it isn't just the action that counts but the intention behind it. If the person lives what seems like good life but for the wrong reason, like trying to earn his way into heaven or gain fame, it has minimized merit in terms of eternity.

Additionally, if someone does 1 wrong and 1,000 rights, the thousand rights don’t erase the one wrong. Heaven isn't about a ratio. Wrong can only be erased by forgiveness, which is available to anyone who truly seeks it. It isn't limited to people who grew up as Christians.

Those who might seem "boarder line" to us, that's God's call. We don't have the knowledge of who they are on the inside. For those who have chosen(yet another choice by us) to reject God, why would they be forced to spend eternity with a being they don't know and perhaps even hate?

In conclusion, good works might seem like the apparent measuring unit for attaining eternity, but that is not the case. If I had to name something that is, I would say it is humility. We have to recognize that we can't get there of ourselves. We have to fall on God's mercy and grace.

 

[matthew241006]

I was baptised and brought up as a Catholic, but by the time I reached 13ish i started to have serious doubts about christianity and have been an athiest (or at least i think i have, not that sure of the terminology, maybe more agnostic?) ever since.

But recently (now i'm 15), unexpectedly I've been questioning my beliefs again. I can't say i had any particular experience of being "called" on by God or anything like that, I've just been thinking about it alot lately. I do believe there is someone up there, i don't know if its the christian God, or what, but i find myself thanking someone for watching over me if i have a near escape or something. And my gran who i was very close to died a few months ago, i'd like to think she's not just going to rot away in the ground like I always believed.

Iagree with most of the christian values of loving your neighbour etc but I have some problems with the catholic/christian church, and find it to be awfully judgemental and old fashioned on certain subjects like homosexuality etc. abortion was one of them until 4 months or so ago.

This isn't very relevant, but my close 15 yearold friend, very tragically, fell pregnant about 5 months ago. At first I was trying to convince her to get an abortion, she's a very bright girl with a good life and i didn't want to see her throw it all away. But as the weeks went by, being around her and knowing there was life growing there, i couldn't believe i'd asked her to kill it. which must mean life has some sort of value to me - why? i don't know, i never thought life was sacred or anything like that. i'm not so sure now, to me, that little fetus in there has some sort of importance.

I don't know what to believe, i really don't.

I am not having a very nice time of it lately, home is hard, school is harder, maybe i'm just looking for some source of hope or something.

my mother has told me about this thing she experienced, she heard a heavenly voice from the sky when she was my age, and i won't tell the whole story, but it ended up possibley saving the life of her younger sister, my aunt. And i know she's not the sort to lie about that sort of thing.

also, i think i should also mention that i think i lead a fairly good life, i'm kind and compassionate and i always respect other people's beliefs.

advice/ your thoughts on this (without outright trying to convert me) would be much appreciated

also, i have a few questions i'd be grateful if you could answer for me

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?
-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?
-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?
-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity
-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived? is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

thankyou

and i'm sorry if this post is cringingly unintelligent/unsophisticated/misinformed or unclear and it probably is, but i don't know how to put it any better.

[Reply deleted due to inappropriate content. Sorry]

 

[pistachio]

Tragedy... no. Trapped in a corner, yes. A newly-created life is a wonderful thing, whether it's convenient for us or not.

We value careers so highly these days, that we forget the core of life. We would not be here if it weren't for our infancy. We could not contribute anything to society if someone hadn't been grateful for our birth.

Fifteen seems young now, but look at civilizations throughout history. People had babies young. It's fine. It's not ideal, but it's fine.

I'm sure she went through more guilt than anyone needs to bear. And the pregnancy might not have been her choice. The statistics on date rape is beyond belief.

 

[heron]

Rebecca, you were trying to be a good friend. You had empathy for her situation, and wanted to give her a boost of courage to straighten things out. It's such a difficult position to be in. Both being pregnant, and knowing what to say to a friend.

Things can seem impossible, but there are many resources out in the community, if you help your friends look for them. Adoption is one option, but there are also people who help provide clothes and food, and shelters for unwed mothers. Consider it a research project.. . look in the blue pages of the phone book to start.

You did what you felt was best at the time. If you feel guilt in the face of God, then just tell him how you feel. He is always ready to forgive and start you out fresh again. Then allow yourself to forgive yourself.

 

[pistachio]

The Old Testament never happened in any historical sense.

This is an opinion, not a fact. Thousands of high;y-educated scholars, archaelogists, historians, anthropologists, art historians, and linguists dedicate their lives to studying the historicity of the Bible.

These scholars are not always correct in their assumptions, but significant supportive artifacts have been found.

• ABZU: Guide to Resources for the Study of the Ancient Near East (http://www-oi.uchicago.edu/OI/DEPT/RA/ABZU/ABZU.HTML).

• Classics and Mediterranean Archaeology (http://rome.classics.lsa.umich.edu/welcome.html).
• Egyptology Resources (http://www.newton.cam.ac.uk/egypt).
• Exploring Ancient World Cultures (http://eawc.evansville.edu/).
• National Geographic. National Geographic Society. P. O. Box 98012, Washington, D. C. 20077-9762.
• Biblical Archaeologist. American School for Oriental Research, Membership/Subscriber Services, P. O. Box 15399, Atlanta, GA 30333-0399.
• Archaeology. Published bimonthly by the Archaeological Institute of America. Subscription Service, P. O. Box 420423, Palm Coast, FL 32142-0423, (800) 829-5122
• KMT: A Modern Journal of Ancient Egypt. KMT Communications, 1531 Golden Gate Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94115.
• Society of Professional Archeologists. Has become the Register of Professional Archaeologists. Listing on the Register is offered through the SAA and SHA.
• Society for Archaeological Sciences. Office of the General Secretary, SAS, Department of Anthropology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521 (http://www.wisc.edu/larch/sas/sas.htm).
  Society for Historical Archaeology. P. O. Box 30446, Tucson, AZ 85751-0446; (http://www.sha.org/).

This is the unearthed tell of Jericho --

of Megiddo --
Megiddo_tell_aerial_..>

The Palace of King David
http://www.bibleplaces.com/newsletter/hr/Palace_of_David_excavations_above_Area_G,_tb082305604sr.JPG

Masada_Herod's_north..>

More photos available at http://www.bibleplaces.com/newsletter/hr/

Merneptah stele which dates to about 1210 BC. Merneptah, the king of Egypt, boasts that he has destroyed his enemies in Canaan. He states: Plundered is the Canaan with every evil; Carried off is Ashkelon; seized upon is Gezer; Yanoam is made as that which does not exist; Israel is laid waste, his seed is not; (ANET 1969, 378).

 

[pistachio]

I didn't intend to blast you with information like that. I just wanted people to see some pictures. (Which, legally, I'm not supposed to put up here, so I'll have to remove soon.)

Science and history are fluid fields of study. People are always finding new data and reformulating ideas. The same applies to the study of language, and scholars continue to find new interpretations of how the Bible was translated.

For instance, the concept of night in Genesis was "a twist away of the light," which we assume marked a 24-hour day.

But what if darkness fell at a different rate? Consider Pangaea, and the changes in planets and stars -- the earth was probably not always the same size, and maybe not the same distance from the sun. It could have spun and revolved at a different rate. We make a lot of assumptions. Then as you've observed, we stand too firmly on what we assume to be the message.

This is how the creation can appear when words are picked apart through translation (slashes indicate varied definitions for a single word):

[FONT=Times New Roman, times, arial, verdana, georgia] At first, formed Supreme being(s)-self
Sky over earth and star area (and) ground/land
Land existed desolate/wasteland/worthless (and) void,
Darkness/obscurity/misery/wickedness/destruction/sorrow
above the face/before the surging mass of water/main body of water.

Exhaled breath (of) supreme being
relaxed above face (of the) water/juice.
Say/said Supreme being, be lit.
Came to pass illumination

See/saw Supreme being-self, illumination and happiness caused good things

Distinguished/divided supreme being between light & happiness between
Darkness/misery/ignorance/sorrow/wickedness…
Called out by name Supreme being illumination & happiness
Hot hours/day
Darkness called out by name, a twist away of the light.
Came to pass dusk
Came to pass dawn
Day united/one/first.[/FONT]



There was a show on Discover channel that you might enjoy, showing how the events of Moses' plagues and parting of the Red Sea had very natural possibilities related to seismic-volcanic activity. Some Christians panic when they hear this, but I think it's just a reflection that God knows all, and is able to work all things for the good. Applied to this discussion, the miraculous events were not outlandish... just unfamiliar to the people invovled.

There's even a bush living now that is coated with volatile oils, that can ignite-- which could easily explain the burning bush story. (Dictamnus.) That doesn't mean that God was any less involved... believers would assume He knew exactly how that bush would react to that day's weather conditions.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=DIAL4&mode=Print

Dictamnus albus
(Also arrowhead alpines, dittany, firebush, burning-bush, gasplant...)

"This Fire plant is also known as the Burning Bush, because the flowers produce a gas that when lit on still summer evenings makes blue flames that don't damage the plant. This is one of the many herbs in absinthe. This is not the same thing as dittany of Crete, which is a member of the oregano family."
[SIZE=+1]
[/SIZE]

I really don't want to get into proving/disproving, but just want to show that there are certain very natural things that lend credibility to what we believe.

 

[ImLiving4Him]

These are just my opinions on your questions;

-I think God allowed sin not to "experiment" with us, but to show us His Light. Think about it; if all you got in life was good, how would you know what bad was? You'd be perfect with no bad things in your life- there'd be no reason to trust in God.
- I consider all sins reasonably equal; no sin is "bigger" than another; it is all still sin. Therefore, see the answer I gave you above.
-God gives us a free will to choose Him or not. If we decide to choose Him, He is all-forgiving and will instantly accept us, regardless of past mistakes. However, if we don't choose Him, He will give us a punishment for not doing so- eternity seperated from Him, in Hell. But this is after a lifetime of chances to accept Him, not a "Oh, you sinned! *zap*" thing.
-Evolution doesn't fit into Christianity. I don't think it exsists. But dinosaurs do fit it. Look in Job (forgot specific chapter). It refers to large beasts, in one translation of the Bible. Many scholars think those are dinosaurs.
-Sadly, yes no matter what kind of a life you lived, I think if you never accepted Christ, you won't go to Heaven. However, I think it is fair, because God obviously didn't want that person to be in heaven with him.

hope this helps

 

[FrAnthony]

I was baptised and brought up as a Catholic, but by the time I reached 13ish i started to have serious doubts about christianity and have been an athiest (or at least i think i have, not that sure of the terminology, maybe more agnostic?) ever since.

This is about the time I started taking a hard look at my religion too (I was raised Roman Catholic).

But recently (now i'm 15), unexpectedly I've been questioning my beliefs again. I can't say i had any particular experience of being "called" on by God or anything like that, I've just been thinking about it alot lately. I do believe there is someone up there, i don't know if its the christian God, or what, but i find myself thanking someone for watching over me if i have a near escape or something. And my gran who i was very close to died a few months ago, i'd like to think she's not just going to rot away in the ground like I always believed.

She won't.

I agree with most of the christian values of loving your neighbour etc but I have some problems with the catholic/christian church, and find it to be awfully judgemental and old fashioned on certain subjects like homosexuality etc. abortion was one of them until 4 months or so ago.

Remember that the church "must" do the Will of God. When it does not do this, it suffers and fails. Sometimes, when acting to support God's Will, it forgets God's mercy. It's early leaders are still human.

This isn't very relevant, but my close 15 yearold friend, very tragically, fell pregnant about 5 months ago. At first I was trying to convince her to get an abortion, she's a very bright girl with a good life and i didn't want to see her throw it all away. But as the weeks went by, being around her and knowing there was life growing there, i couldn't believe i'd asked her to kill it. which must mean life has some sort of value to me - why? i don't know, i never thought life was sacred or anything like that. i'm not so sure now, to me, that little fetus in there has some sort of importance.

It's an important experience you had. You were once a little fetus too, but no less human. I could easily say this was God working through your friend to teach you that human life in the womb is fully human life with the same rights to live as you have right now.

I am not having a very nice time of it lately, home is hard, school is harder, maybe i'm just looking for some source of hope or something.

15 is not an easy time. If you are unable to find comfort outside of church, you might consider taking another look inside the church. You will be influenced by those you choose to surround yourself with. Keep asking questions, but don't be so quick to reach a conclusion.

my mother has told me about this thing she experienced, she heard a heavenly voice from the sky when she was my age, and i won't tell the whole story, but it ended up possibley saving the life of her younger sister, my aunt. And i know she's not the sort to lie about that sort of thing.

It's very possible, and has happened to many others. Part of having faith is trusting that God will reach out to you in the way that is *best* for you...not necessarily the way you expect or want.

also, i think i should also mention that i think i lead a fairly good life, i'm kind and compassionate and i always respect other people's beliefs.

Keep it up!

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?

The ability to choose means having the ability to make the wrong choices. There are many things in place to repair ourselves and be forgiven (repentance, confession, etc.). I don't see it as an experiment. Without the ability to make all kinds of choices, we are slaves.

-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?

We are all tempted in various ways. Some people are attracted to the same sex, others are just attracted to sex in all forms. Some are attracted to alcohol, some to drugs. We must all overcome a wide variety of temptations...part of that process sometimes falling down and learning to ask for help to get back up. In my opinion, God didn't create homosexuality; humans did. Like all things, we are responsible for using what God gave us responsibly...the environment, our bodies, etc.

-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?

Believe it or not, some people choose to rebel against God. They choose to be separated from Him, and they hate Him. It's unfortunate that people choose to be in hell, but God does give us all many opportunities to choose Him instead of choosing hell.

-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity

The only thing I'll point out is that not everything in the Bible is meant to be taken literally. For example, creation happening in six days with God resting on the seventh day is not meant to be taken literally. You can think of it as phases.

-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived? is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

Judgement is for God alone, so I couldn't say one way or another. In Orthodoxy, we teach that God is merciful. That includes showing mercy to those who never hear about Christianity.

Your questions are good...keep asking them. At the same time, I'd encourage to not turn your back on God or expect to understand everything God does. Learn and grow in God...it's much easier than doing it away from God.

 

[Dondi]

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?

In the beginning, God made man and woman perfect and innocent. He also made them with a free will, because if God is Love, and we are the objects of His Love, then He must make us with the ability to love back. But genuine love has to be chosen.

Adam and Eve had a choice. Eat the Tree of Life (that is the Life within God) or disobey God's commandment not to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.

I believe that had they ate of the Tree of Life, we would not be in this predicament. Because that would have been the choice to Love God.

As it is, Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, and thus sin entered into the world, and like a virus in a computer, our whole system crashed. We became defective. Adam and Eve died spiritually that very moment, and eventually their bodies died also, because our DNA became defective.

-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?

Because our DNA became defective, many diseases and disorders entered into the human race, and all creation for that matter. God didn't make homosexuals, but because we inherited a sinful nature from Adam and Eve, we will tend to sin. And we will all have a tendency to sin in different areas. And sometimes the tendencies are determined by the genetic make-up. Maybe like alchohlism, homosexuals inherit a defective gene, I dunno, but both are still learned behaviors.

-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?

Here is my idea of Hell:

I don't think God sends us to hell, we send ourselves to hell.

Would it be hell enough to be forever apart from God, to wallow in our own distorted and sinful condition without love for eternity? To miss out of the opportunity that God gives in saving us from ourselves?

Would there not be an eternal burning in us to be apart from God? Would there not be darkness outside His Spirit of Light? Would not the worm of our sin never die, for our own spirit would get darker and darker as we futily try to find love in it? Would our thirst never be quenched for His Living Water?

It certainly give eternal life a whole new definition doesn't it?

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." - John 17:3

We still have a choice to chose God. God will change us body and soul, if we turn to Him.

Heaven is being in God, Hell is being without God.

-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity.

I'm still undecided between the YEC and TE. But whatever the case, I do not see how all of this creation, all the animals and plants and flowers and us, just came into being accidently. There is too much beauty, too much complexity, too much wonder of it all to think there is some mindess process that created it all.

-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived? is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

I think there is more to the statement made by Jesus when He said that, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, no man cometh to the Father, but by Me."

I think there are those in other religions or who have never even found Jesus in name, may have the saving faith available to them. I do not think God faults someone just because he or she happens to have been born in a different religion. God looks to the heart. I think God judges people according to the light that they do have. I suspect we will find more people in Heaven than we think. I just think somehow that the Way, the Truth, and the Life transcends understanding.

Having said that, however, I think the Light of Christ shines the brightest in this dying world. I have found the greatest sense of Love and Forgiveness in coming to God. And I learned that thge most important thing one can do is Love God and Love your neighbor. that is the heart of Jesus' message. That is the sum total of the Law. If one can do this, then they have fulfilled the Law. But the Spirit of God helps us do this. And we can find His Spirit through Christ.

Hope this helps.

Grace,

Dondi

 

[scoutswife]

All you need is Jesus. He takes away fear and gives a total peace to you like you have never felt before. All your answers are in the Bible. God can give you the wisdom to understand the Bible if you ask Him in sincerity.

 

[JEBofChristTheLord]

-why would a perfect god create beings with the ability to sin? i know they had free will, but why would he give them free will if it meant they could sin? some sort of an experiment?

We have something very important on this question here:

When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. (Genesis 5:3)
​

Adam and Eve were created directly by God. But Seth -- from whom Noah and all of us sprang -- was born in the image of Adam, the image that was corrupt with sin.

-why would god create homosexuals if its such a sin?

Homosexual people are inheritors of the image of Adam after the corruption.

-if god is all forgiving, why is there a hell?

God is not all-forgiving. God has stated that He shall not forgive many things. For instance:

Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the LORD our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit, one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. The LORD will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the LORD and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the LORD will blot out his name from under heaven.
(Deuteronomy 29:18-20)
​

-please tell me more about how evoloution/dinosaurs fit into christianity

There are many thoughts. I will tell you mine; please understand that this is one of many which appear consistent with all of the things God has said.

In Genesis 6, we have an event in which according to most translation, "the sons of God" took human women as wives, and produced offspring called "Nephilim". The word usually translated to "God" in that verse is also translated "gods" and "angels" elsewhere in Scripture (Psalm 8:5, Psalm 82:1). It is suggested, therefore, that this event was a great corruption of the earth, in which bloodlines of all kinds, including animals, were corrupted, producing monsters of great carnage and voracious appetite to decimate life on the earth. And it is suggested that this is contrasted with Noah, who was "perfect in his generations" (Genesis 6:9), i.e., not corrupted with ancestors who were Nephilim.

-do you believe that non christians, who havent been saved, will not go to heaven, no matter how good a life they lived? is it fair that a very good person who just happened to be born into a family/place where christianity isn't taught, shouldn't go to heaven? based on circumstances alone

I suggest that it is God who knows true fairness and not man.

But this having been said, I do have one passage of Scripture in which long before the Christ shed His blood, a man was cleansed from all his guilt. I will end with that passage; I believe that it is God who decides, forever.

Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. And the LORD said to Satan, "The LORD rebuke you, O Satan! The LORD who has chosen Jerusalem rebuke you! Is not this a brand plucked from the fire?" Now Joshua was standing before the angel, clothed with filthy garments. And the angel said to those who were standing before him, "Remove the filthy garments from him." And to him he said, "Behold, I have taken your iniquity away from you, and I will clothe you with pure vestments."
(Zechariah 3:1-4)

​

 

[sol87]

Heres a few reasons why i believe Christianity is WRONG

In the bible it says we should kill all who work on the sabbath day lets look at Exodus 31:15

Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death.

ok now go down to Wallmart this Sunday and take a look at all the people working there, now most of them are Christian are we suposed to kill them? OF COURSE NOT!

Now lets look at 1 Corinthians 14

the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

thats wrong.

Want to see something thats even more wrong?

As for your male and female slaves whom you may have: you may buy male and female slaves from among the nations that are around you.

Thats Leviticus 25:44

But wait it gets better

“When a man strikes his slave, male or female, with a rod and the slave dies under his hand, he shall be avenged. But if the slave survives a day or two, he is not to be avenged, for the slave is his money.

Thats Exodus 21:20-21

sure theres good stuff in the bible but who would want a book that approves of this kind of stuff....

You can decide for yourself.

 

[heron]

You've been reading. (-:
Working at Walmart on the Sabbath (referring to Sunday, which wasn't really the Sabbath) changed drastically in the 60's or 70's, with the repealing of various Blue Laws. (Right, pre-Walmart.) People weren't killed for working, but most stores weren't open.

One of the things that goes along with not working, is not making someone else work, including your farm animals. That way, if people are humming along productively six days a week, they all get the same day off, they all can feel like human beings with a life for a day, they won't have their employers calling them in that seventh day to work overtime. The community enforced this respect for rest and autonomy and internal recuperation.

 

[heron]

What I've heard about slavery from scholars that studied the culture, is that the term slave is not what we consider it today. It usually meant indentured servant.

People worked off their debts by signing themselves over to someone who provided for them and offered training. It was a choice by the debtor to work for someone who would cover their debts. Once their debt was paid off, the job could be dissolved.

The business transaction was similar to how investors add middlemen to the loan process -- loans are bought and sold. An employer would purchase the loan, and provide work for the person to stretch out the payments, through labor.

Some servants seemed to take on very respectable roles of personal assistant, consultant, and were sometimes written into the family will.

I'm sure this wasn't always true, and there were abuses, as every system has its corruptions.