Questions about god

[Philanthropy]

Hello there!

So I was born and raised in the Christian faith but I have always questioned Christianity, the Bible, and the belief in a god. I have a few questions that I've asked a number of Christians about but have yet to receive any satisfactory answers to so I decided to post them here and see if anyone can come up with something that makes sense.

1. I have heard it said many times that god gives people the choice of beleving and following him or not but in my eyes this isn't really much of a choice. It seems that either you accept god or you are sent to a fiery pit of toruture and damntation... That really isn't much of a second option ^^:

2. I never understood why god cared if people worshipped him and acknoweldge his existance or not. I mean, if you are an all powerful being why would it matter to you if someone isn't paying you homage? Wouldn't you have more important things to think about?

3. If god is all knowing why did he create people that sinned and went against his wishes? Why would you create something you knew would fail?

4. Why does god have such human emotions? He seems to suffer from the same human emotions which are labeled as faults like jealousy and anger

5. What is it about homosexuality that really bothers god? It does not hurt anyone out the relationship. It seem to me that the only real difference is that a homosexual couple can't produce offspring.

6. I recently told my parents that I do not believe in god anymore. They were not happy with this but they still accept me and love me the same as before I told them. Why would god not accept me for who I was? I have learned that there is no greater love in this world than that of a mother for her child, this love is often equated with that of god for his created children, if my mother would not damn me to hell for not being a Christian why would god?

If there are any mistakes in this post I'm sorry, I'm rather tired at the moment ^^:

 

[Jayangel81]

Hi there

Seems like you have some Good questions ill give you my view on them.

1. I have heard it said many times that god gives people the choice of beleving and following him or not but in my eyes this isn't really much of a choice. It seems that either you accept god or you are sent to a fiery pit of toruture and damntation... That really isn't much of a second option ^^:

Im going to ask you, why do you think you were even created to begin with? This is the way i see it, we were created to glorify God and to have a fellowship with Him, He loves you and wants to spend an eternity with you. Not to mention we were created in His image (a likness of God Himself) BUT man (and woman) decided to reject God since the very begining, He set a penalty for going against Him, and well that is death, Why was the penalty so steep? im not sure youll have to ask Him. God doesnt send anyone to Hell..We send ourselves by doing sinful desires (this is evil to God) See God cant stand Sin, He cant stand in the presence of it so therefore you can say we "burn up". God is holy and we were called out to be Holy (as i said before we are an image of Him) WHen a believer comes to God on judgement day Jesus stands before us and we are seen thru Christ and God sees us an Holy thru Him (He died on the cross so we may come to Him, thats right God who was perfect and innocent who did nothing but love us since the begining was persecuted, tortured and thrown on a cross for US) Gods Word simply says this we are for Him or against Him. When you come to God and trust in Him He shows us why His law is Law, and what the effects are.

2. I never understood why god cared if people worshipped him and acknoweldge his existance or not. I mean, if you are an all powerful being why would it matter to you if someone isn't paying you homage? Wouldn't you have more important things to think about?

If you were god and you created us in love wouldnt you want a relationship with youre creations and would you really want some false god taking credit for youre love and devotion to what youve done for youre creations..Well lets say id be P.Oed too

3. If god is all knowing why did he create people that sinned and went against his wishes? Why would you create something you knew would fail?


While i believe he knew it from the begining what would happen if He gave us free will, First he didnt want robots to worship Him..That is not love, God wants us to
love Him as He does us. He had a plan in the begining of time, that Jesus would rescue us.


4. Why does god have such human emotions? He seems to suffer from the same human emotions which are labeled as faults like jealousy and anger.

He may be God but He does have feelings you know, God is love. You dont think everytime you sin against Him, curse His name out He wouldnt feel something? People dont realize that everytime we Sin and reject Him that upsets Him it does hurt Him...Why people want to hurt God is beyond me, and ive hurt Him more times than i care to remember. In the bible Sin is talked about and referred to Spiritual murder against God. (i wish i had the verse its late sorry)

5. What is it about homosexuality that really bothers god? It does not hurt anyone out the relationship. It seem to me that the only real difference is that a homosexual couple can't produce offspring.

I really dont think being Gay is Sin..The act is Sin. Sexual immorality is SIN..people just dont wanna know the truth. If im not mistaken sex was made pleasurable but it was intended for Procreation.


6. I recently told my parents that I do not believe in god anymore. They were not happy with this but they still accept me and love me the same as before I told them. Why would god not accept me for who I was? I have learned that there is no greater love in this world than that of a mother for her child, this love is often equated with that of god for his created children, if my mother would not damn me to hell for not being a Christian why would god?

My friend dont let the enemy decieve you, God loves you no matter what! He loves you uncondional..He does not love Sin. He cant be in the presence of Sin, We are chosen to inherit Gods Kingdom to be with God, and spend time with Him.God is Love but he is also Holy and Just. God excepts all of our faults, He is trying to teach me this now..He wants you to stop hurting Him!!

Let me ask you something? If you loved someone more than anything and you wanted to just be with them, and that person would just curse you out and reject you in hatred..would you be sad and a bit upset?? Id be torn, I tell you the truth out of all the pain and suffering we endure in this wicked world God suffers the most..And all He did was love and want to be with us. People are too wraped up in their own problems but they dont really see how it effects Him..It saddens me greatly. Oh and before you respend to that last part remember he cant be in the presence of Sin

I hope these answered youre questions i pray that God opens youre eyes but, you must seek Him with all youre heart

brother in Christ

 

[Adstar]

Hello there!

So I was born and raised in the Christian faith but I have always questioned Christianity, the Bible, and the belief in a god. I have a few questions that I've asked a number of Christians about but have yet to receive any satisfactory answers to so I decided to post them here and see if anyone can come up with something that makes sense.

1. I have heard it said many times that god gives people the choice of beleving and following him or not but in my eyes this isn't really much of a choice. It seems that either you accept god or you are sent to a fiery pit of toruture and damntation... That really isn't much of a second option ^^:

Just because a choice has consequences does not mean that one is not free to make the choice they want to make.

And i think your putting the cart before the horse here because One has to believe God before one believes in the Lake of Fire, So belief in God must come before belief in the Lake of Fire. So the Lake of fire cannot force anyone to believe in God.

2. I never understood why god cared if people worshipped him and acknoweldge his existance or not. I mean, if you are an all powerful being why would it matter to you if someone isn't paying you homage? Wouldn't you have more important things to think about?

Worship is not just about physical acts and verbal aknowledgements but treu worship is believing in living the way God wants us to live. It is to our earthly benifit and to the benefit of others around us that we worship God in Spirit.

John 4
23 But the hour is coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. 24 God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”

3. If god is all knowing why did he create people that sinned and went against his wishes? Why would you create something you knew would fail?

So that people could have the free will to choose to accept the truth of Gods will even though they are still sinners. For with Jesus it is not sin that destroys but ones attitude towards sin.

1 Timothy 1
This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.

4. Why does god have such human emotions? He seems to suffer from the same human emotions which are labelled as faults like jealousy and anger

LOL, why do humans have emotions like God.

And An emotion that is a fault in a faulty human being is not necessary a faulty in a perfect God.

Think of a Car. Think of a 6 year jumping into the car and attempting to drive it. And then think of a responsible adult attempting to drive a Car. The adult drives down the road with no problems. The 6 year old soon pilots the car under the front of an oncoming truck.

Driving a Car is very dangerous for someone who cannot handle it, But for another who can it comes naturally.

5. What is it about homosexuality that really bothers god? It does not hurt anyone out the relationship. It seem to me that the only real difference is that a homosexual couple can't produce offspring.

What ever it is that bothers God is irrelevant. The fact that the sexual act of homosexuality is an abomination to God is clearly spelt out in scriptures. There could be many reasons.

6. I recently told my parents that I do not believe in god anymore. They were not happy with this but they still accept me and love me the same as before I told them. Why would god not accept me for who I was? I have learned that there is no greater love in this world than that of a mother for her child, this love is often equated with that of god for his created children, if my mother would not damn me to hell for not being a Christian why would god?

If you do not believe that God exists why are you even asking this question? If you do not believe God exists than any talk of the Lake of Fire would have no effect on you.

This leads me to an observation.

You do believe in God but you disagree with His will. You could have told your parents that you have decided to live your life in rebellion against the Will of God because you disagree with it?


All Praise The Ancient Of Days

 

[Digit]

Hi Philanthropy,

Hello there!

Hi!

So I was born and raised in the Christian faith but I have always questioned Christianity, the Bible, and the belief in a god.

I think that's great, and to be honest God wishes you do that exact thing.

1 Thessalonions 5:21
"Test everything. Hold on to the good."

So don't even think that by questioning these things, you are somehow disrespecting God, or that Christians would not wish you to query God's existence.

I have a few questions that I've asked a number of Christians about but have yet to receive any satisfactory answers to so I decided to post them here and see if anyone can come up with something that makes sense.

Fire away.

1. I have heard it said many times that god gives people the choice of beleving and following him or not but in my eyes this isn't really much of a choice. It seems that either you accept god or you are sent to a fiery pit of toruture and damntation... That really isn't much of a second option ^^

Hmm, well just because one option is good and another is bad, it doesn't mean there is no choice there. Given that those are the choices (sort of - see my link below) it's surprising how many people still don't accept God's offer.

I would be careful about accepting the view of Hell that is eternal torture. Please see here for a writeup on what the Biblical Hell is like.

2. I never understood why god cared if people worshipped him and acknoweldge his existance or not. I mean, if you are an all powerful being why would it matter to you if someone isn't paying you homage? Wouldn't you have more important things to think about?

The Bible says that God's thoughts and actions are higher than our own, so indeed He does have more important things to think about, I would wager. I can't say for sure, as I am not privy to this information. In regards to whether God cares if we worship Him or not, it's not for any vain glory that God desires this, it is for our own good. Recall that God is the one who forgives sins, it is to He that we need to ask for forgiveness and this offer is only made available to us if we accept that Christ died for our sins, and embrace His offer of salvation and freedom from them. If you hit me, and hurt me, you will apologise and I will forgive you. Yet God however, claims to forgive you for hitting me... doesn't that seem odd? Why does someone who is not involved, have to pardon our actions? It's because God is a righteous judge, He created us, and we chose to disobey Him, yet He has given us an offer, to help us retrieve what was lost to as with the first sin - eternal life in God's presence. Ultimately, that's the core belief.

3. If god is all knowing why did he create people that sinned and went against his wishes? Why would you create something you knew would fail?

One must remember that God's omniscience must go hand in hand with our free-will. Whether God knew or not that we would sin, is open for debate to a degree, there are beliefs either way. I tend to believe that God is omniscient, yet our free-will can alter the path we live and God is desperately working to change events for the best in our lives. I can equally believe however, that this was all intended by God, that through fire, our souls are forged and tempered. For instance, even though a child is unhappy when they have a fight with their friend, often a parent will not intervene, because through that fight, both learn something about each other and come into a new and better friendship. You may choose which is more believable for you, both are openly compatible with the Biblical account as far as I know (other Christians here can comment if I have this wrong).

4. Why does god have such human emotions? He seems to suffer from the same human emotions which are labeled as faults like jealousy and anger

Actually it's the other way around. We were created in God's image, not He in ours. This isn't referring to our physical appearance (obviously, as God is spiritual, not physical) but in regards to our emotional, spiritual and volatile makeups.

5. What is it about homosexuality that really bothers god? It does not hurt anyone out the relationship. It seem to me that the only real difference is that a homosexual couple can't produce offspring.

Sin is a term that originated from archery, it means to 'miss the mark'. In the Bible, sin is always shown in areas where people miss the mark of God's intent. That's a very broad generalisation of sin, but when God created the world, He made man and saw that it was "not good" for man to be along. He then made woman. He didn't make another man. We are created to live in a life of love with each other, whilst this is possible to a degree with same-sex unions, God created male and female with totally opposite differences. When together, they compliment each other, and this is important in the area of family relations, as a child needs both a mother and a father. I cannot prove that homosexual unions are bad for X and Y reasons, but I have faith that God outlawed them for a very good reason, and I will not condone them or aid them in any way, as I am accountable for helping a brother to sin. It may be, in future years we learn something from them, or a disease arises or anything could happen, we live in such small windows compared to the history of the Earth, it's not up to me to say whether it harms someone or not. I know it's caused many a break up of families though, theres a lot of harm there.

6. I recently told my parents that I do not believe in god anymore. They were not happy with this but they still accept me and love me the same as before I told them.

Your parents sound very compassionate and wise.

Why would god not accept me for who I was? I have learned that there is no greater love in this world than that of a mother for her child, this love is often equated with that of god for his created children, if my mother would not damn me to hell for not being a Christian why would god?

Well there are two theories here, recall first what I said about Hell however, and it not being a literal place of fiery torment, rather a final destruction of unworthy souls.

First, God doesn't actively choose people to go to Hell/Destruction. Those with unforgiven sin on thier hands, cannot stand the presence of God. To them, Hell is the presence of God, and they are destroyed by His Holy righteousness. The second is much the same, in that God has prepared a new creation for us to live in, where we will be awarded new bodies. Would you reward someone who has set about destroying things, spreading discord and so forth in your previous home for them? I would not. Perhaps you don't feel you do that, or that you are a truly good person, but the Bible says that all have fallen short of the glory of God, and to Him our best works are like dirty rags. Clearly, He is so righteous, so holy that we cannot do anything to meet His standard. If that is so, then what we term 'good', can only be a faint shadow of what He calls good, and when we are said to be evil from the moment we are born, we have to wonder what the outcome of our actions are in this world. How much hurt and harm to do we do to each other, and to the animals placed in our care, ever considered factory farming? At what point are we 'good' and at what point are we blissfully ignorant? Even Augstine (a famous Christian scholar) wrote that if he had the strength he would have stangled his mother for more milk at birth. These are not the actions or admissions of 'good' people.

If there are any mistakes in this post I'm sorry, I'm rather tired at the moment ^^:

Ditto, and with that, I'm off to bed.

Night and God bless.
Digit

 

[ebia]

Hello there!

So I was born and raised in the Christian faith but I have always questioned Christianity, the Bible, and the belief in a god. I have a few questions that I've asked a number of Christians about but have yet to receive any satisfactory answers to so I decided to post them here and see if anyone can come up with something that makes sense.

1. I have heard it said many times that god gives people the choice of beleving and following him or not but in my eyes this isn't really much of a choice. It seems that either you accept god or you are sent to a fiery pit of toruture and damntation... That really isn't much of a second option ^^:

A more accurate way of looking at it is that there is something very wrong with us and consequently with the whole of creation. If we don't acknowledge God and allow him to put right what is wrong with us then we are going down the tubes (as the inevitable unavoidable consequence of that) and (unless we are removed from creation) taking everyone and everything else with us. Creation is worth restoring, and God wants us to be part of that, but if people refuse that's their choice ultimately and they will have to be excluded for the sake of the rest of creation that does want to be restored.

2. I never understood why god cared if people worshipped him and acknoweldge his existance or not. I mean, if you are an all powerful being why would it matter to you if someone isn't paying you homage? Wouldn't you have more important things to think about?

Because it's important for us. If our eyes aren't focused on the right thing we won't be walking in the right direction. When we fail to worship God (giving God what he is worth) we put inappropriate things like sex, money, power, personal success, false gods, or something else in his place, and that leads us in the wrong direction.

3. If god is all knowing why did he create people that sinned and went against his wishes? Why would you create something you knew would fail?

Because he knew he could put it right and restore creation to all its intended glory.

4. Why does god have such human emotions? He seems to suffer from the same human emotions which are labeled as faults like jealousy and anger

How else could we try to describe God but in terms of the emotions of those created in his image (ie us)?

5. What is it about homosexuality that really bothers god? It does not hurt anyone out the relationship. It seem to me that the only real difference is that a homosexual couple can't produce offspring.

This is a very contraversial topic in Christianity at the moment and best avoided not because there is anything wrong with asking it but because it will derail the rest of the thread.

6. I recently told my parents that I do not believe in god anymore. They were not happy with this but they still accept me and love me the same as before I told them. Why would god not accept me for who I was? I have learned that there is no greater love in this world than that of a mother for her child, this love is often equated with that of god for his created children, if my mother would not damn me to hell for not being a Christian why would god?

He cannot restore you to your intended position in creation unless you participate in that restoration.

 

[Stinker]

6. I recently told my parents that I do not believe in god anymore. They were not happy with this but they still accept me and love me the same as before I told them. Why would god not accept me for who I was? I have learned that there is no greater love in this world than that of a mother for her child, this love is often equated with that of god for his created children, if my mother would not damn me to hell for not being a Christian why would god?
------------------------------------------------------

Not so.

"...this love is often equated with God for His created children,..."

Because parents may love all of their children, the good ones as well as the evil ones, one cannot compare these parents to God. God has no created children. All these created people are condemned rebels. God only has spiritual children. Those rebels who turned to Him and were born again spiritually (Jn.3:8)

 

[Emmy]

Dear Digit. Thank you for your reply to me. I cannot remember where in the Bible I have seen, when the Lord tells about the place in Outer Darkness, with loud wailing and gnashing of teeth, but I shall find out, and let you know. All you say, Digit, is very believable, yet I had many years to come to a much simpler conclusion. I am far from saying that I am right, but I cannot help seeing Jesus agreeing with this; He told the Pharisees off, for making it so hard for many men and women. Here goes Digit. When God was walking in the Garden of Eden, He told Adam and Eve that they could have whatever they wanted, the trees and the fruit on it, were theirs to eat. ONLY the Tree of Knowledge, if the ate from there, they would die. The Serpent knew this, and set out to lure Adam and Eve away from God and His Love for them, by crafty lies. Adam and Eve succumbed, and God banished them to Earth. Instead of feeling sorry for their misdeed/sin, they, and all who followed after, went selfishly on their way. Sin was in the world, and Death too. Satan became the Prince of this world, and the world became in time an imperfect world, a fallen world. Yet God had not given up on Mankind, He had made Man in His image, and He wanted to love and be loved for eternity, our Perfect God wanted Perfect Beings around Him, like the Perfect Father He is, He wanted us to become perfect too. Jesus also told us in the Bible: become ye perfect, as God is perfect." In time Jesus came, He paid the price, which God`s Holy Law demanded, and we were reconciled to God. Our debt to God is now: Repent, exchange our selfish and unloving/uncaring natures into 1) Loving God with all our hearts, all our souls, and all our minds, and 2) loving each other, as we love ourselves. Which also means to say and do to others, as we would like others do to us. That is not easy, but we have been given a some scores of years, to learn and become better and better, and try to reach perfection. Jesus has promised, and has done so, for ca 2 centuries, to help and guide all who ask Him. That is God`s Plan, made easy to understand and to follow, and once we have started, we will find that life becomes filled with the Love, the Joy and the Peace, which ONLY Christ can give. After you have read this, Digit, would you PLEASE let me know your approval, or disapproval of the short and easy to understand Will of God, for us His children. I say this humbly and with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ. P.S. The Bible tells us more in detail, this is only a shortened version.