Why do some Christians act so hostile toward questions?

[bhsmte]

Don't worry about your predecessors. You have stated you want justice, not mercy. Then Jesus is not for you. He came for the sick, not the well. If you feel no need of a Saviour, then that is that. It is only people who recognize they need saving from something who will accept the Saviour.

If you want to be judged based on your good deeds in life, then you will be. Personally, I would rather take mercy than justice- but I know I am a sinner.

He appears to be looking for fairness, not justice.

 

[~Anastasia~]

You see, one sect of Christianity teaches one thing and other sect of Christianity teaches something different about the same subject, and yet both claim to teach the truth of the bible. How are we, as non-Christians, expected to believe either one when Christians seem unable to get the story and scripture straight without contradicting each other? It is most confusing, IMO.

It IS confusing, and I do not believe that God intended it this way. Our pride seems to be the greatest cause for the condition of Christianity at large.

If you (or anyone) really want to make sense of it (I certainly wanted to!) what has helped me was to begin to learn what the Apostles taught (as in how their disciples received it - the writings are preserved), and how their successors understood it, and so on. Eventually how change came, and why, and by who, and what changes. And how this change and that point of history caused this development, and so on and so on.

The problem is, it takes time. It has taken me a few years to get a handle I'm satisfied with. But it depends on how many topics you want to consider. Something like "original sin" (which the Orthodox didn't teach, btw) and how that came about and in turn affected other teachings through denominations could probably be explored pretty well in a few months.

But everyone says they have the right answer. That's pretty much built-in ... if they didn't think that, they wouldn't be in that church. So yes, it takes time to begin to understand and get an unbiased view (which I'm not saying I have perfectly - having made my decision, then seeing the fruit and benefits, I have given myself to it - but back to the OP's topic, our Church strongly encourages questions, and most Orthodox try to be charitable to others - that's a major part of our beliefs).

It can be unraveled, but it takes time and effort, especially since most people asking that question are going to have to do the work of searching it out themselves, as they probably won't be satisfied with anyone telling them what to believe.

 

[zippy2006]

He appears to be looking for fairness, not justice.

Justice -

2a. the quality of being just, impartial, or fair​

 

[Ygrene Imref]

People often use children as a reason for living,
or as a seeming "advantage", (often for money in the usa where they get paid more for the more children they have),
for the attention they get, the 'hope' (often maybe unknown) that they have,
rarely though
bring up children in the right way,
because so few know the right way. This is most sad.

It is, because that should all be put into Christ. But, I also understand that like God, some people wanted children because they loved them before they were born, and they love them in general. And, that they feel they can protect their children from anything (or atleast, try to.)

YHWH(GOD) still provides for their healing salvation and forgiveness IF they turn to HIM.
So their lives and the children's lives also, perhaps, may be saved and won't be in vain.

 

[Ygrene Imref]

Ephesians 6:4 "And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord."

Christians seek to bring their children up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, so they might one day accept Christ as Saviour.

But, we are talking about bringing kids into the world as if their final spiritual destination is Christ. I am saying some of us, perhaps many of us, are passing on that risk to our children, and so on.

Is this cycle another inheritance from Adam and Eve?

 

[ToddNotTodd]

Because, substitute any two people- Mother Theresa and Dr. Albert Schweitzer, ANY two people and they would have sinned too. "For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

If my wife and I found ourselves naked in a garden talking to a serpent, I guarantee you I would not be swayed by anything it said...

 

[AvgJoe]

WHO has children, all the while THINKING the children ARE DOOMED ?
(it is TRUTH, that most of the world's population is DOOMED, but still, they don't usually know this)

I answered the question. I did not make that statement.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

If my wife and I found ourselves naked in a garden talking to a serpent, I guarantee you I would not be swayed by anything it said...

Lets assume its not an actual serpent but an entity that is cunning,witty, and just flat our smarter than you. Then you would for sure fall for it. This is no different than outwitting a 3 year old child. Adam and Eve were that 3 year old child who got outsmarted.

 

[Big Drew]

I would say the Pharisees WERE nonbelievers. They did not believe Jesus was the Christ.

I think there's a difference between unbelievers and nonbelievers...but that would be a subject for another thread.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Lets assume its not an actual serpent but an entity that is cunning,witty, and just flat our smarter than you. Then you would for sure fall for it. This is no different than outwitting a 3 year old child. Adam and Eve were that 3 year old child who got outsmarted.

Or,
consider this,
(seen years ago on just ONE website; can't find it this year),
what
if
the devil
appeared as an angel of light, as if "pure" , "wise", "beautifyl" and "Godly" but of course completely deceptive,
just like today ....
and
as written in SCRIPTURE a place or two....

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

Or,
consider this,
(seen years ago on just ONE website; can't find it this year),
what
if
the devil
appeared as an angel of light, as if "pure" , "wise", "beautifyl" and "Godly" but of course completely deceptive,
just like today ....
and
as written in SCRIPTURE a place or two....

Definitely possible. Whichever way he appeared it was in a way that made what he had to say at the very least compelling to adam and eve.

 

[CrystalDragon]

Definitely possible. Whichever way he appeared it was in a way that made what he had to say at the very least compelling to adam and eve.

The serpent was said to be just a serpent and nothing more. The only explicit appearance of Satan in the Old Testament was in Job.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

The serpent was said to be just a serpent and nothing more. The only explicit appearance of Satan in the Old Testament was in Job.

I don't think any theologians today would say the serpent was an actual talking serpent. As far as I know serpent was just a way to express slyness or craftiness. I would have to look at the hebrew though.

 

[CrystalDragon]

I don't think any theologians today would say the serpent was an actual talking serpent. As far as I know serpent was just a way to express slyness or craftiness. I would have to look at the hebrew though.

God gave the serpent the punishment to slither on the ground, so it does sound like a literal serpent. If the Garden of Eden had trees with special effects of granting eternal life and knowledge of good and evil, I think talking animals could be possible there too.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

God gave the serpent the punishment to slither on the ground, so it does sound like a literal serpent. If the Garden of Eden had trees with special effects of granting eternal life and knowledge of good and evil, I think talking animals could be possible there too.

You obviously don't believe in a 6 day creation period though do you? so why believe in talking serpents? Not that such a thing wasn't possible then but why would we even need to go there?

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

I don't think any theologians today would say the serpent was an actual talking serpent. As far as I know serpent was just a way to express slyness or craftiness. I would have to look at the hebrew though.

Good.
Yes, in HEBREW, everything is clear and explainable without contortion/ without nay any twisting of words nor meanings in any language (HEBREW, english, or other).
And not contradictory to people's senses, not contradictory to ANY of YHWH'S WORD.

Even the punishment was a known HEBREW meaning, of shame ,
and
the word used for serpent or snake, was apparently "shining one" in HEBREW.

I did not pursue more about this though - it just makes sense, especially when it became understood where the tale of the talking snake MIGHT have come from and/or been promoted by.
No worries in any case.

 

[CrystalDragon]

You obviously don't believe in a 6 day creation period though do you? so why believe in talking serpents? Not that such a thing wasn't possible then but why would we even need to go there?

I was mainly bringing it up because a lot of people say "Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan" when there not any indication of it in the text of Genesis itself.

 

[ImAllLikeOkWaitWat]

I was mainly bringing it up because a lot of people say "Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan" when there not any indication of it in the text of Genesis itself.

Well who else could be the great deceiver?

 

[Ygrene Imref]

WHO has children, all the while THINKING the children ARE DOOMED ?
(it is TRUTH, that most of the world's population is DOOMED, but still, they don't usually know this)

This should be something considered when having kids, in my opinion. Why not consider the future of your child - even if it is doom?

Even the animals have biological stunts to limit the number of their offspring, based on environment. We, as children of God, should be considering the same for the spirit of our children.

 

[JD16]

Lets assume its not an actual serpent but an entity that is cunning,witty, and just flat our smarter than you. Then you would for sure fall for it. This is no different than outwitting a 3 year old child. Adam and Eve were that 3 year old child who got outsmarted.

Or,
consider this,
(seen years ago on just ONE website; can't find it this year),
what
if
the devil
appeared as an angel of light, as if "pure" , "wise", "beautifyl" and "Godly" but of course completely deceptive,
just like today ....
and
as written in SCRIPTURE a place or two....

So 2 innocent kids, who didn't know what is right or wrong ( they had to eat the fruit to gain that knowledge ) were outsmarted by an entity that fooled them and were punished harshly for it. How is it their fault? When an omniscient God who already know all that would happen, yet choose to let it go down that way? Yes God told them not to eat the fruit,...but they didn't know it was wrong to disobey God until after eating the fruit.