Question Bombardment

[AureateDawn]

Hey there! I am a new Christian, and thus am experiencing massive amounts of questions and indecision on denomination. So I was given the idea that I should compose a list of questions and post them in each denominational subforum. Some of them have to do with the beliefs of the denomination, others are just questions of Christianity in general. I tried this in the General Theology, but I received bickering and varying sides.

So... thanks if you answer my questions. It is much appreciated. Please indicate whether your answer is your personal belief or your overall doctrinal belief. Please support answers with Scripture appropriately if possible. Again, MANY thanks!


- Dinosaurs. They did exist, and that's fact. Unless God put them on here to fool us into unbelief, since it doesn't mention them in the Bible, but I don't think He'd do that. So... how is that explained? Relating to this question is primitive humans, or cavemen. We know they exist from fossils. What do you think about that?

- Regarding the last question, what about the whole young Earth vs. old Earth thing? Any biblical proof for either side?

- The "super natural", particularly creatures. Nessie, for one. I mean, Nessie is speculated to be a dinosaur. I believe in Nessie. Big Foot and Yeti I'm not entirely sure, and the same goes for El Chubacabras. But I am also a firm believer in intelligent aliens, which is perhaps one of my biggest questions regarding Christianity and the Bible. I've heard theories as to aliens being some sort of fallen angel, and the reason for God flooding the Earth (speaking of, why isn't Earth ever capitalized in the Bible?) is because Noah and his family were the only "pure" humans left. Others had mix of alien/fallen angle blood in them, because they would abduct women and deposit their sperm into them. I used to could find where those odd verses that were quoted are, but I've lost them. I never examined the verses fully because the context they were used in were obscure. I've also been told that aliens perhaps exist, but that we do not know because God does not want us to. Aliens do not affect our salvation, so he may have created them but left it out of our Bible.

- Science. Lots of things can be explained through science, and there is tons of proof of a million-billion, maybe even trillion, year old Earth. Dragonflies have been around longer than us, etc. How is that explained when you believe in God and the Bible but these things have legit proof? Another thing is the moon effecting Earth. It moves away 1.5" a year, and eventually will throw the environment terribly off whack. There are so many questions regarding Science and Christianity. I mean, how would one argue the Big Bang Theory? I've been told that God can't (well, He can, but...) just poof stuff into existence, he has to use the laws of science and nature to make things work. And... regarding Pangaea... could the Earth have split so rapidly in the time frame of God's creation? It seems kind of illogical, because many of the continents fit together quite nicely.

- And there is proof, unless my memory is misleading me, that the first humans were in Africa. Is this true regarding the Bible?

- Is there any denomination that is 100% right regarding the Bible? Why so many Christian denominations? Do you think yours is THE ONE denomination? Do you think those of others will go to Hell? I mean, various interpretations I can understand... but around 30,000+ Protestant denominations alone?? Why?

- Animals have done nothing. They fell when humans fell - thus carnivores etc. (since Adam and Eve were vegetarians before the Fall, and while skin was used for clothing, meat wasn't permitted until after the Flood). So, because of humans, animals don't go to heaven? They were perfect before, too. And, if looking at actions alone and not Grace, most animals deserve to go to heaven moreso than most humans do. I just DO NOT see how God cannot allow His creation from Earth into heaven minus humans. What does your denomination feel regarding this?

- Leading into that is this: I don't want my memory of my Earthly existence to be erased. If 2 of my best friends and a family member don't go to heaven, I don't want to forget them for all eternity! The same goes for my sisters (remember: 3 dogs, not humans) - I want to remember them forever and ever! And wives. There will not be marriage in heaven. What's the point of having a wife on Earth then? So you're deep, deep love for her will become equal to everyone else when in Heaven? Well, all of this is depressing. It's basically like saying what you do on Earth is pointless other than helping guide people to the Lord, and praising Him. But even the praise is short, for our life is like the blink of an eye to God. Oh, and as a sidenote, my new body on the new Earth, that's a weird though, isn't it?

- Which Bible version is used and why? And if we have, in the Bible, the "exact Word of God", then why are things so often mistranslated in English? The same can be said for Spanish, Japanese, etc.

- What about the Apocrypha in your church? Why do you believe (insert belief here regarding Apocrypha)?

- The whole yolk thing means a believer and a non believer marrying, right? Not white, black, etc.? Or does your denomination feel differently?

- Regarding that, it says in the Bible that Jesus has hair like wool. Well... that's a black person’s hair description. He'd have to be at least fairly dark coming from the Middle East. Why is he always white in pictures?? (This is just kind of a random question. Hehe.)

- Veganism and Environmentalism. I'm a vegan (no animals or animal byproducts other than honey), and a pretty heavy environmentalist and animal rights activist (hence I don't want a leather Bible). What do you think of Christianity and veganism? Secondly, should I be an environmentalist? It kind of seems useless when there will be a new Earth anyways.

- Global warming. Is it God's plan? How do I argue those who say the hurricanes, etc. are not a sign of the times but from global warming (which it is from global warming, but... maybe a sign of the times also?)?

- Very important here. Does God even HAVE A PLAN? If so, He planned for lots of people to go to Hell eternally and for Adam and Eve to sin. OR, did He just know these things would happen? If so, why didn't He stop them?

- How does your denomination view salvation?

- How you feel of the people who have never even HEARD of Christ?

- Is it true that Satan is still in Heaven and that he won't be cast down until later? I read that in a book.

- Views on life after death? Do Christians go to Heaven immediately, but those who aren't are conscious and in torment in Hades (I think it is called) until there is an actual Hell since Satan isn't ruler of Hell until he is cast down?

- What about those before Christ? How are they in Heaven, or are they? And why wasn't Christianity widespread in BC, or was it even called Christianity?

- I've heard controversy on Jesus' real birthday. Like that it isn't in December, but June. Is this true, and how do we know other than the shepherd tending their flock evidence? If it is, why do we celebrate Dec. 25 as his birthday?

- Holidays. I've heard most of Christian holidays (also the major holidays) are based of paganism and have no real significant dates. This true? Which holidays do you celebrate?

- When is the Sabbath according to your doctrine? I've heard arguments that it isn't on Sunday.

- How could God, an all loving and caring God, command others to kill others through battles, etc.? It even says so in the Bible. I can understand the eternal hell thing, since it is OUR choice and we send ourselves there, but commanding the killing of others? AND THE STONING OF OTHERS in the Old Testament when certain laws were broken?! How friggin' cruel! It's hard to imagine the loving God I had grown up knowing commanding that.

- Is the snake thing in Genesis real or metaphorical?

 

[bradfordl]

WOW!

I can't even begin, and so I won't. A.S., those are some wild questions. You have alot of things to wade through ahead of you. Maybe God is drawing you to Himself, maybe you're just trying to find a way to feel better about yourself, I have no way of knowing. Either way, the only answer I can give you is to devour your Bible. KJV, NKJV ESV, NASB, NIV are the versions I'd suggest, but you need to decide that for yourself, and pray that God have mercy on you and grant you faith, and to open your understanding of His Word.

B

 

[Elderone]

If we gave the answers to all your questions you would go into melt-down. Start at the following links for the Genesis items. This is the firm foundation on which all else is built.

http://www.answersingenesis.org/

http://www.icr.org/

When you have those mastered come visit again and we will proceed with the next few items. All of us here are more than willing to help you through this process, but it will take some time.

May the Holy Spirit open your mind to understanding of God's word.

 

[frumanchu]

I'll give some of these a shot, if nothing else to direct you to a more appropriate area.

- Dinosaurs. They did exist, and that's fact. Unless God put them on here to fool us into unbelief, since it doesn't mention them in the Bible, but I don't think He'd do that. So... how is that explained? Relating to this question is primitive humans, or cavemen. We know they exist from fossils. What do you think about that?

Good question for the Creation/Evolution forum as they'd be more up to the task of an answer.

- Regarding the last question, what about the whole young Earth vs. old Earth thing? Any biblical proof for either side?

Same. Check in with Creation/Evolution.

- The "super natural", particularly creatures. Nessie, for one. I mean, Nessie is speculated to be a dinosaur. I believe in Nessie. Big Foot and Yeti I'm not entirely sure, and the same goes for El Chubacabras. But I am also a firm believer in intelligent aliens, which is perhaps one of my biggest questions regarding Christianity and the Bible. I've heard theories as to aliens being some sort of fallen angel, and the reason for God flooding the Earth (speaking of, why isn't Earth ever capitalized in the Bible?) is because Noah and his family were the only "pure" humans left. Others had mix of alien/fallen angle blood in them, because they would abduct women and deposit their sperm into them. I used to could find where those odd verses that were quoted are, but I've lost them. I never examined the verses fully because the context they were used in were obscure. I've also been told that aliens perhaps exist, but that we do not know because God does not want us to. Aliens do not affect our salvation, so he may have created them but left it out of our Bible.

The central focus of the creation narrative is the culmination of God's creative endeavors in man. Man's fall is directly responsible for the corruption to an extent of creation at present, and frequently "all of creation" is referred to in the context of God's relationship with man in redemptive history. The notion of extra-terrestrial life, while not explicitly ruled out by Scripture, is nevertheless I believe reasonably dismissed by sound inductive reasoning.

BTW, the adage that "it would be an awful waste of space" is not a very strong argument given that the creation of the universe is nothing in the context of God's omnipotence.

- Science. Lots of things can be explained through science, and there is tons of proof of a million-billion, maybe even trillion, year old Earth. Dragonflies have been around longer than us, etc. How is that explained when you believe in God and the Bible but these things have legit proof? Another thing is the moon effecting Earth. It moves away 1.5" a year, and eventually will throw the environment terribly off whack. There are so many questions regarding Science and Christianity. I mean, how would one argue the Big Bang Theory? I've been told that God can't (well, He can, but...) just poof stuff into existence, he has to use the laws of science and nature to make things work. And... regarding Pangaea... could the Earth have split so rapidly in the time frame of God's creation? It seems kind of illogical, because many of the continents fit together quite nicely.

A lot of what you refer to isn't exactly science. It's mere speculation and hypothesis. "Science" views the earth as being roughly 4.6 billion years old, and the universe something like 20-30 billion years old. The Big Bang Theory and other similar theories remain thus and not laws because they are impossible to prove. There is no possible way to directly observe or recreate it. It is mere speculation based on limited data and a huge amount of assumption.

As far as God being unable to create things ex nihilo (out of nothing) and being limited to the laws of nature, it makes no sense logically. The universe itself is not self-existent nor is it self-created (the former easily acknowledged in theories of origin and the latter a manifest absurdity), and therefore must have a causal force behind it. All effects must have an antecedent cause. God is Himself not an effect. He is the uncaused cause, the prime mover, the self-existent eternal being who alone has creative power.

[quote[- And there is proof, unless my memory is misleading me, that the first humans were in Africa. Is this true regarding the Bible?[/quote]

The proof is nothing more than a few skeletal remains which "science's" quite fallible tool of carbon dating suggests were millions of years old. Again, the Creation/Evolution area will have much more indepth answers.

- Is there any denomination that is 100% right regarding the Bible? Why so many Christian denominations? Do you think yours is THE ONE denomination? Do you think those of others will go to Hell? I mean, various interpretations I can understand... but around 30,000+ Protestant denominations alone?? Why?

The "30,000+ Protestant denominations" is fiction, not fact. Are there a number of Protestant denominations? Yes, but that number is nothing more than a fiction. There is not universal agreement on all doctrines among all churches to be sure, but the overwhelming majority of Christian churches hold to the same foundational doctrines.

- Animals have done nothing. They fell when humans fell - thus carnivores etc. (since Adam and Eve were vegetarians before the Fall, and while skin was used for clothing, meat wasn't permitted until after the Flood). So, because of humans, animals don't go to heaven? They were perfect before, too. And, if looking at actions alone and not Grace, most animals deserve to go to heaven moreso than most humans do. I just DO NOT see how God cannot allow His creation from Earth into heaven minus humans. What does your denomination feel regarding this?

Animals are not rational moral beings. Hell is for rational moral beings (iow, humans). The whole of creation was subject to corruption at the fall of Adam, but it will be restored in the final consumation of all things at the end of time.

- Leading into that is this: I don't want my memory of my Earthly existence to be erased. If 2 of my best friends and a family member don't go to heaven, I don't want to forget them for all eternity! The same goes for my sisters (remember: 3 dogs, not humans) - I want to remember them forever and ever! And wives. There will not be marriage in heaven. What's the point of having a wife on Earth then? So you're deep, deep love for her will become equal to everyone else when in Heaven? Well, all of this is depressing. It's basically like saying what you do on Earth is pointless other than helping guide people to the Lord, and praising Him. But even the praise is short, for our life is like the blink of an eye to God. Oh, and as a sidenote, my new body on the new Earth, that's a weird though, isn't it?

There will be no tears in Heaven. I don't believe He will wipe our memories away with our tears, but neither will we dwell upon them in such a way as to be saddened. We will sing with joy for all eternity in praise to the God we will then see face to face.

- Which Bible version is used and why? And if we have, in the Bible, the "exact Word of God", then why are things so often mistranslated in English? The same can be said for Spanish, Japanese, etc.

The original autographs are divinely and infallibly inspired. There are no infallible translations, but God will providentially ensure that His Word is never lost from among men.

- What about the Apocrypha in your church? Why do you believe (insert belief here regarding Apocrypha)?

Reformed churches do not hold the Apocrypha to be divinely inspired or infallible.

- The whole yolk thing means a believer and a non believer marrying, right? Not white, black, etc.? Or does your denomination feel differently?

Believers should not knowingly marry unbelievers. If two non-believers wed and then one subsequently becomes a believer, that's a different story. It has absolutely nothing to do with race.

- Regarding that, it says in the Bible that Jesus has hair like wool. Well... that's a black person’s hair description. He'd have to be at least fairly dark coming from the Middle East. Why is he always white in pictures?? (This is just kind of a random question. Hehe.)

Because some people are overly obsessed with having a visible image of Christ despite the fact that a) we don't know what he looked like, and b) Scripture is pretty clear that he was not a very attractive man in outward appearance.

- Veganism and Environmentalism. I'm a vegan (no animals or animal byproducts other than honey), and a pretty heavy environmentalist and animal rights activist (hence I don't want a leather Bible). What do you think of Christianity and veganism? Secondly, should I be an environmentalist? It kind of seems useless when there will be a new Earth anyways.

There is nothing wrong with being a good steward of our environment, nor is there anything necessarily wrong with the personal choice to eat only vegetables and veg-based products. However, Scripture does not permit you to attempt to bind the consciences of other believers with those choices. Scripture is quite explicitly clear that it is permissible for men to use animals as food, and we are given dominion over the earth. When the environment, or environmentalism, becomes an idol, that's when it clashes with Christianity.

- Global warming. Is it God's plan? How do I argue those who say the hurricanes, etc. are not a sign of the times but from global warming (which it is from global warming, but... maybe a sign of the times also?)?

The two are not mutually exclusive. God is sovereign over His creation. There is nothing that happens that is not according to His plan.

- Very important here. Does God even HAVE A PLAN? If so, He planned for lots of people to go to Hell eternally and for Adam and Eve to sin. OR, did He just know these things would happen? If so, why didn't He stop them?

Now THAT is a good question, friend, and one that many here argue over quite a bit.

Yes, God has a plan. He is in control, and nothing can happen apart from His will, whether He is the immediate cause of it or allows it to happen with perfect foreknowledge of it.

- How does your denomination view salvation?

Don't leave home without it!

- How you feel of the people who have never even HEARD of Christ?

They are every bit as much sinners in need of a Savior as you or I.

- Is it true that Satan is still in Heaven and that he won't be cast down until later? I read that in a book.

No.

- Views on life after death? Do Christians go to Heaven immediately, but those who aren't are conscious and in torment in Hades (I think it is called) until there is an actual Hell since Satan isn't ruler of Hell until he is cast down?

Believers, upon dying, immediately pass as spirit into the presence of God and are later united with their resurrected and glorified bodies at the end of the age.

- What about those before Christ? How are they in Heaven, or are they? And why wasn't Christianity widespread in BC, or was it even called Christianity?

Christianity before Christ was called Judaism.

- I've heard controversy on Jesus' real birthday. Like that it isn't in December, but June. Is this true, and how do we know other than the shepherd tending their flock evidence? If it is, why do we celebrate Dec. 25 as his birthday?

The date of celebration of His birth is an issue of Christian tradition as instituted by the early church.

- Holidays. I've heard most of Christian holidays (also the major holidays) are based of paganism and have no real significant dates. This true? Which holidays do you celebrate?

Many of the holidays do have pagan aspects or history behind them. There is a diversity of opinion as far as these holidays go. The Puritans, for example, did not celebrate any of the common Christian holidays.

- When is the Sabbath according to your doctrine? I've heard arguments that it isn't on Sunday.

The traditional designated sabbath day was Saturday. However, the church has historically observed Sunday as the sabbath because of Christ's resurrection on the first day of the week. The principle of the sabbath (one day of rest in every seven) still holds.

- How could God, an all loving and caring God, command others to kill others through battles, etc.? It even says so in the Bible. I can understand the eternal hell thing, since it is OUR choice and we send ourselves there, but commanding the killing of others? AND THE STONING OF OTHERS in the Old Testament when certain laws were broken?! How friggin' cruel! It's hard to imagine the loving God I had grown up knowing commanding that.

Perhaps those who gave you the impression of the "loving God you had grown up knowing" neglected to tell you the whole story

We are all sinners, worthy of condemnation in His sight. As such, it is His prerogative to do as He sees fit in judging man, including using His people as the instruments of His divine judgement. If you do not understand the whole picture of God's holiness as revealed in Scripture (see Isaiah 6), then I agree it seems cruel. But accepting Him does not mean we get to pick and choose what things about Him we accept. God is the same God from Genesis to Revelation.

- Is the snake thing in Genesis real or metaphorical?

Literal.

 

[heymikey80]

Is there any denomination that is 100% right regarding the Bible?

Not in terms of interpreting the Bible. Including us.

But also including you! I'm sorry for making the point, but because of my hard-headedness I forgot to include myself for a good number of years as a baby Christian, and tried to find fault with everybody. When I started confronting the fact that *I would be wrong* and yet, I would still be a Christian and saved and loved by God, that ... changed me bigtime. So please keep asking! You will get good answers, many you could even consider to be right! You will even contribute right answers! Just keep in mind the fact that having right answers doesn't even make you right.

This was so tough for me to learn, that's all. Please keep asking the questions, we'll contribute what we can.

 

[heymikey80]

- Very important here. Does God even HAVE A PLAN? If so, He planned for lots of people to go to Hell eternally and for Adam and Eve to sin. OR, did He just know these things would happen? If so, why didn't He stop them?

Yes. Here's how Peter put it in Acts 2:

Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man attested to you by God with miracles and wonders and signs which God performed through Him in your midst, just as you yourselves know--this Man, delivered over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death. But God raised Him up again, putting an end to the agony of death, since it was impossible for Him to be held in its power. Acts 2:22-24
​

- How does your denomination view salvation?

Salvation is by God's favor on an undeserving people through the gift of the sacrifice of Christ, and it is received by relying on Christ as Lord of all and Savior.

- How you feel of the people who have never even HEARD of Christ?

My heart goes out to them, my physical brothers. The Spirit of God moves to those people He wants to hear in every generation. We who are born of the Spirit follow Him, bringing into words and visible action what the Spirit of God wants to show His people, to draw them to others who are called to believe in Christ.

- Is it true that Satan is still in Heaven and that he won't be cast down until later? I read that in a book.

Mmm, that's a premillenial view of Revelation. We're kinda all over the map about the End Times, so ... some of us actually think Satan is bound, imprisoned in the Abyss at this time.