Part 32 of Post Your Tough Questions Regarding Christianity

Part 32 is a continuation of post your tough questions pertaining to God/Jesus/Holy Bible and I will do my best to clarify and make sense of it to those who are unaware...I still have questions and comments I haven't responded to in Part 9 thru 31.

I don't want my intentions to come across as converting you or whatever lol... but rather clear up things etc... so ask away.

Also I don't want people to feel like I'm ignoring your question/questions/comment/comments, like I said I'm still answering questions on Part 9 and so yes, I'm behind. And so when your question comes up and if it is coherent enough in my view I will then answer it. Sometimes I do answer questions out of order but for the most part I answer them as I'm going through the threads. Ok thanks for your understanding & patience!...so again ask away.

 

Good points Inc! I wholeheartedly agree!

 

As a Christian I would ask why God lets us suffer...I can spend my time praying and asking for help and He doesn't listen.........I would ask why He makes it harder when you accept Him......



Its not fair and how are you supposed to keep believing?

 

Incorp. quote.

Of course a conspiracy between, say 5 institutes, to produce similar results hardly enhances ones' individual chance of receiving funding.

 

Of course there are natural groups of division I just gave you a few examples. You had asked WR what is a "kind" and in the context that WR was using the word "kind" he meant a natural group or division, for example the rodent kind, the ape kind, or the human kind.

Are you going to deny the fact that these 3 groups of living beings mentioned are all distinctly different life forms? They certainly can't be of the "same kind".

We read in Scripture:

Then God said, “Let the waters swarm with fish and other life. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind.” So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that scurries and swarms in the water, and every sort of bird—each producing offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good. Then God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply. Let the fish fill the seas, and let the birds multiply on the earth.”

And evening passed and morning came, marking the fifth day.

Then God said, “Let the earth produce every sort of animal, each producing offspring of the same kind—livestock, small animals that scurry along the ground, and wild animals.” And that is what happened. God made all sorts of wild animals, livestock, and small animals, each able to produce offspring of the same kind. And God saw that it was good.

Then God said, “Let us make human beings in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth, and the small animals that scurry along the ground.”

So God created human beings in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.

Then God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all the animals that scurry along the ground.”---Genesis 1:20-28 NLT

 

I have gotten the impression that Christians are becoming less angry…… and less inclined to dislike people from other denominations…… and even people from completely different religions as they read near death experience accounts.

I am at the twenty three minute mark in this video / talk and I am convinced that this guy is doing a good job of elaborating on some scriptures that would be easy to misunderstand.

Do you think that these NDE's fit with the scriptures…. as you understand them?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=SUQF-HSRWUg
"A Place Called Heaven" by Richard Sigmund - Part 1 of 2

I am fairly certain that the result of this poll would have been very different back in the 1970's or 80's before near death experience accounts became a well known part of our culture.


http://www.christianforums.com/thre...-asks-about-holocaust-during-his-nde.7647330/

Do you believe that some NDE accounts fit with scripture?
* Yes, I believe that some NDE accounts are genuine meetings with the Messiah or angels.
8 vote(s) 32.0%
Maybe but perhaps some NDE accounts are of a meeting with Satan?!
6 vote(s) 24.0%
No, the near death experience accounts are mostly false and misleading.
9 vote(s) 36.0%
I don't know enough about this subject yet to express an opinion?!
3 vote(s) 12.0%

 

Back in 1990 I got deeply angry at Messiah Yeshua - Jesus mostly because of his assertions like……
Matthew 20:16
"So the last shall be first, and the first last: for many be called, but few chosen."
Matthew 7:13

"Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:"

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it."

But I can honestly state that all of the major questions that troubled me have been answered though my looking into near death experience accounts….. the whole thing makes sense now!

 

I agree with you that humans are not apes and apes are not humans they did not evolved from one another both evolved separately according to their own kind even though apes and humans have some physical similarities the same similarities that can be found on other animals does not mean humans are apes or apes are humans.
If only you can educate the rest of the atheist and agnostic about similarity in technical or scientific terms does not mean humans and apes are one and the same. Thanks

 

WanRen…. I am intrigued by the avatar that you chose.

Do you know more about the tradition that I read about some sort of possible connection between the Holy Grail with Nova Scotia?

What do you think about the value of such possible items to Christianity in general?

Would the discovery of say……. The ARk of the Covenant…… be important to Christians? Would it help to unite Christians, Jews and Muslims?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_I_Sinclair,_Earl_of_Orkney

 

When the Templar were exterminated goes with it their true secretes what's remain were tales and stories. I believe the true story is kept secured and vaulted in the Vatican and only the Pope and selected few have access.
IMO the relics of Jesus Christ be it the Holy Grail, the True Cross, Shroud, Cloak etc. are very important to Christianity and Christian history because it authenticates the reality of God through Jesus Christ.
The discovery of The Ark of the Covenant will be very important to Christianity because as I said it will authenticate the history of true God's relationship with men.
It will not help unite Judaism, Islam and Christianity. Judaism has first hand experienced they were there during Jesus Christ life time on earth and they rejected him. Muslims came 600 years after Christ they have totally different teaching and prospective about Christ and the Ark of Covenant they will and have been using force to claim legitimacy in fact they have tried to destroy everything that is related to Christ-Christianity the destruction of Christian Holy sites and relics the discovery of the true Ark of Covenant will probably result in them trying to take it by force and claim it is Mohammed's will.

 

Since the last thread was closed. We are waiting to see wanren and mitt discuss how many years ago dinosaurs existed. Their faith appears to have brought them to strikingly different answers. Hopefully they can discuss the matter in open forum. Lets see how the theists debate the age of the dinosaurs among themselves......if they do at all. Im guessing they wont.

 

So why are bats mentioned with a variety of species of BIRDS in Leviticus 11:19?

- - - Updated - - -

Given the new "Jurassic World" has "trained Velociraptors" in it...

I'm sure it will be cited as "evidence" that packs o f large bipedal carnivorous saurians that move at cheetah speed, could have been around with Man before the Flood and not absolutely wiped us out.

 

In Biblical Chronology

•4004 BC: According to the Ussher chronology, created by James Ussher based on the Old Testament of the Bible, this is when the universe is created at nightfall preceding October 23.



And dinosaurs swarmed on every continent..................

 

Anyone who doesn't believe dinosaurs exist should visit our House of Lords, UK Parliament. You see plenty there. Don't worry, most of them sleep during sessions. Just miss the drinks bar during any recess in debating.

 

All of us go through our lives at some point suffering something whatever it maybe. Nobody is exempt from this suffering. Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ Himself suffered unjustly at the hands of evil men but God turned the suffering of our Lord into something good.

We read in Scripture:

"For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."---John 3:16-17 NLT

It doesn't matter if you're a believer or non-believer we've all been through some form of suffering....I can attest I certainly had my share of suffering. Some of my prayers have been answered and some have not but yet the ones that haven't been answered doesn't cause me to lose any faith in my Lord. The way I see it perhaps there will be a time when it does get answered but even if it doesn't get answered...then so be it...I will not lose any faith in our Lord...I look at it this way...He knows what's best for me!

We must not forget will live in a fallen world, a world of sin and corruption. People ask because they can't understand "why do bad things happen to good people?"

The biblical answer is there are no "good" people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin. (Refer to Romans 3:23, 1 John 1:8, Romans 3:10-18 ) We all know this is the truth that we are all sinners! (except for babies and children not of culpable/accountable age)

Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve, eternal hell in the lake of fire.

The evil in the world did not come from God. If Adam and Eve had only obeyed God in the Garden then they may have lived on earth forever, walking with God. One could perhaps blame Adam and Eve for the evil in the world, as they blamed each other and the serpent; however, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). It is safe to say that, had we been in the Garden instead of Adam and Eve, we would have sinned in the same way.

We put our trust in the fact that God does not lie, He never changes, and His Word stands true forever. We do not lose heart over painful circumstances because we live by faith in every word that has proceeded from the mouth of God, not putting our hope in what is seen or perceived.

We trust God that our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs all the suffering that we will endure on this earth.

In other words our suffering on earth is temporary but our glory in heaven is eternal and so don't lose your faith, stay strong in your faith despite whatever hardships you might be enduring right now...they are all temporary...whereas the eternal is forever!

So the question becomes, where do you want to spend eternity at? My answer is of course with God in paradise in His Kingdom of Heaven with all the other people who are saved.

To be saved you must accept and ask our Lord Savior Jesus Christ to forgive your sins. God knows what's in your heart and so you can't deceive Him.

Below is a simple prayer for forgiveness:

I have sinned, Lord, and while I know that all have sinned and come short I am having a hard time letting go of my shame and accepting your forgiveness. I know that I am unworthy of your love, but Your Word promises forgiveness as long as we confess our sins to You and repent. I am so sorry for falling short of what You expect of me, and I pray for your mercy and the strength not to make the same mistakes again. Amen

 

The idea of original sin wasn't church doctrine until about 300 AD...........

 

Well there are appox. a little over 2 billion practicing Christians world-wide and more becoming Christians on a daily basis, and of course you're going to have some leaving the faith but still despite the ones leaving, the membership is steadily increasing. So when you make a statement such as you have do you mean to say the vast majority are becoming less angry? How do you know this? Have to taken some kind of a polling or something with the 2 billion plus Christians? A small sample of polling doesn't represent the vast majority.

But anyway a true devout Christian should not feel angry towards people of other denominations or dislike people from other denominations or show the same feelings towards people of other religions.

Our Lord Savior Jesus Christ message was one of peace and love. That's why He is often referred to as the Prince of Peace!
I can't speak for every Christian but I'm not angry or dislike people who don't share the same beliefs I have, I can tell you though that I feel sorry for people who reject our Lord Savior Jesus Christ because they don't believe in Him, they don't believe He is the Mesiah that came into the world to save us from our sins. There are some who go as far to say they don't believe He even existed at all.

Furthermore I don't understand or see how you can make a statement saying as Christians read near death experience accounts that it gives you the impression that Christians are becoming less angry and less inclined to dislike people from other denominations and even people from completely different religions.

I just don't know how you came up with that. That is just your opinion but I don't know what you're basing it on.

There is no specific scriptural support for near-death experiences in the Holy Bible. So I don't know what to make of these NDE's.

 

Let's start with the simple answer. Obviously, Linnean classification was not available in the time of the writing of Leviticus and Deuteronomy, and the scientific definition of what a "bird" was did not exist either. Classification of animals and things was made by different means: function or form. In this case, the word we render birds means simply "owner of a wing", the word being 'owph, which comes from a root word which means to cover or to fly.

The category of 'owph includes birds, bats, and certain insects. It would also have included pterosaurs, if they had been around. Even modern ecologists classify water-dwelling life in a very similar way according to their mode of living: plankton (floaters/drifters), nekton (swimmers) and benthos (bottom-dwellers).

The word translated "bird" simply means any winged animal-not specifically a bird. The classification is by function and form, not biology-so there is no error (except perhaps in English)

To read more: http://tektonics.org/af/batbird.php

Again when Leviticus was written, there was no scientific classifications of animals, fish, insects and birds. The Bible was only making reference as to what could be eaten that flew or resembled a bird.

Conclusion: The Bible is not in error when it mentions bat with a variety of species of birds in Leviticus 11:19.

 

We Christians have no conflict with science especially since it was our Christian ancestors who first introduced modern science that lead to the discoveries of the New World, the Big Bang theory, age of the dinosaurs, the modern solar system, atoms, electrons, protons, elemental properties, etc. On the other hand atheist and agnostics have still to settle among themselves the most elementary question did humans evolved from apes or apes from humans?

[video=youtube;rusWFmTWygo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rusWFmTWygo[/video]

 

bwahaha I forgot about Jurassic Park,.......of course dinosaurs existed with man.....we have it on DVD!

 

I already know when dinosaurs existed. You and mitt have opposing views from the same perspective and I find that interesting. Is there a reason you two wont discuss your topic in open forum? Seems to me we all could learn a lot about Christianity if we see two Christians handle a healthy debate on whether or not dinosaurs existed millions of years ago or just 4-6000 years ago.

 

You have opposing view with science, history, Christian history, theology, Bible and with God. There is no reason why me, Mitt and others won't discuss any topic in fact we have been discussing every topics from the very beginning. Do you really think there are only two Christians here on earth me and Mitt?
There is no doubt Christian scientist have discovered the existence of dinosaurs that have been shared with other scientist and according to fossil evidences those dinosaurs existed some million years ago we learn all about this thanks to God's greatest gift to us human intelligence not only did we learn about the existence of this dinosaurs we also learn how to identify every creatures, every rocks, every elements, every particles and through God we learn that humans did not evolved from apes.

 

Mitt says dinosaurs did not exist millions of years ago as the earth is only 4-6000yrs old according to him. Ill ask again. Can you two please debate your opposing views on christianity? It would help to answer our tough questions on christianity. Thanks in advance for debating this with him. I will look forward to understanding how two christians came to strikingly different conclusions.

 

No one is denying that cannibalism existed/exists. What people are denying is your completely made up claim that people were eating babies and thus there were no babies prior to the Flood.

 

You are either being deceitful or you are forgetting what I said because you're not taking notes. Why just recently on the previous thread of 31 I had given you an answer and I certainly didn't say that dinosaurs didn't exist millions of years ago because the earth is only 4-6000 years old. I simply told you I don't know. Here below is the exchanges between you and me: