Serious Question for Christians and others

[NotReady]

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Thank you notready..... I was looking for serious answers...


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You're welcome. Let me add a couple things. I've been a Christian for 30+ years. I never considered the age of the earth or universe, or even evolution(except as it pertains to atheism), as all that important. Only in the last few months I have been looking at the questions seriously, and mostly because I think those questions are beginning to divide the church more than in the past. They still are not important from the standpoint of the Gospel.

I think most of the young earth creationists are solid Christians in many ways even though I'm beginning to disagree with them on these issues. If you want some in depth treatment go to reasons.org which is Hugh Ross' site. I don't buy everything he says but he has a lot of good stuff that will help define the issues.

For theology and the Bible I recommend Southern Baptist, Presbyterian Church in America, Orthodox Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist as major denominations that stick pretty close to the Gospel - I'm sure there are others and I would suggest you pay attention to how a church views the Bible - the quickest giveaway is a church that doesn't view the Bible as the inspired Word of God.

Good luck and feel free to ask anytime - if I don't know I usually know where to look.

[bunny]

It would have been so much easier to answer these if they each had their own separate thread...

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1. If God is Omnipotent- and all knowing of the past, present, and future.... Then how do have any control of our lives at all if God knows whats going to happen.... Are our choices an illusion because God knows whats going to happen, and thus will happen.... Or is God outside of time, and we indeed have choices over our lives......

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I dont see how someone knowing my choice means I have no free will when I make it. You may know what I chose yesterday, that knowledge makes no difference to me when I make the choice. The apparent contradiction arises from presuming God knows it before we choose it - imo this is an incorrect conception, I dont think God exists within time, experiencing it as we do. Rather I think time is experienced "all-at-once" by him - something hard to refer to as our language struggles to not ascribe existence in time (at the very least in the present) to anything we refer to.

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2. The Human Race- According to the bible, when was the human race created, alternatively according to scientists when did the "beginning" of the human race start.....

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I dont think the bible answers this question, nor should it. I dont think it's a science book, I think it is about spirituality. Expecting it to provide an answer to this is as erroneous, in my view, as people who use it to justify particular scientific claims (ie how old the earth is, whether the flood occurred, etc)

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4. Good Works- that good works mean nothing for you to go to heaven..... You have to accept Jesus Christ as your lord and savior to get into heaven, otherwise your hell bound.....

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I dont believe in hell, or at least I dont believe God is going to torture anyone for an eternity. Anyone who says that has some questions to answer, in my view, such as "What does benevolent mean?"

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5. According to historians and archaeologists- Did Jesus the man, ever exist, is he confirmed to have lived on earth????

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There is very little evidence from non-religious historians and archeologists. I think the consensus is that he did indeed exist - this could easily be a carry over, though from when the biblical account was accepted more readily.

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6. Are Dinosaursever mentioned in the old or new testament???

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No.

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7. I want to- believe.... There is no doubt that I am a theist and I believe in a supreme being.... But the whole Jesus idea is giving me trouble.... Is there somewhere I can start to learn more about him????? Or should I just read the bible cover to cover.....

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I dont think there is any better way than reading the bible. I'd recommend the gospels first, then the old testament, then the rest of the new testament. Cover to cover is a hard slog as you have to wade through a lot of begatting and descriptions of how temples should be constructed, that kind of thing.

A caveat to all of the above. I call myself a christian and am accepted as that in Australia which is more laid back than the US, it seems. In America, it seems that most of my views are heretical and Christian is probably not the right word.

[Brad1970]

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Thank you notready..... I was looking for serious answers...


[/ QUOTE ]

You're welcome. Let me add a couple things. I've been a Christian for 30+ years. I never considered the age of the earth or universe, or even evolution(except as it pertains to atheism), as all that important. Only in the last few months I have been looking at the questions seriously, and mostly because I think those questions are beginning to divide the church more than in the past. They still are not important from the standpoint of the Gospel.

I think most of the young earth creationists are solid Christians in many ways even though I'm beginning to disagree with them on these issues. If you want some in depth treatment go to reasons.org which is Hugh Ross' site. I don't buy everything he says but he has a lot of good stuff that will help define the issues.

For theology and the Bible I recommend Southern Baptist, Presbyterian Church in America, Orthodox Presbyterian and Reformed Baptist as major denominations that stick pretty close to the Gospel - I'm sure there are others and I would suggest you pay attention to how a church views the Bible - the quickest giveaway is a church that doesn't view the Bible as the inspired Word of God.

Good luck and feel free to ask anytime - if I don't know I usually know where to look.

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Southern Baptist FTW

[Alex_Rules]

Nobody mentions Zoroastrinaism. You want to be monotheistic, check this baby out. It was the original, the religion of the Persians before there was Judaism. And here is the best part: they worship fire!

[Brad1970]

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I dont think there is any better way than reading the bible. I'd recommend the gospels first, then the old testament, then the rest of the new testament. Cover to cover is a hard slog as you have to wade through a lot of begatting and descriptions of how temples should be constructed, that kind of thing.

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I completely disagree. Open the front cover. Read Genesis 1:1...In the beginning God created...if you don't believe this sentence, then reading the rest of the Bible is a moot point. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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A caveat to all of the above. I call myself a christian and am accepted as that in Australia which is more laid back than the US, it seems. In America, it seems that most of my views are heretical and Christian is probably not the right word.

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No comment

[bunny]

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I dont think there is any better way than reading the bible. I'd recommend the gospels first, then the old testament, then the rest of the new testament. Cover to cover is a hard slog as you have to wade through a lot of begatting and descriptions of how temples should be constructed, that kind of thing.

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I completely disagree. Open the front cover. Read Genesis 1:1...In the beginning God created...if you don't believe this sentence, then reading the rest of the Bible is a moot point. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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He asked how to learn about Jesus (he already believes in a creator). Genesis 1:1 doesnt provide a lot of insight into Jesus if you dont know anything about him...

[Brad1970]

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I dont think there is any better way than reading the bible. I'd recommend the gospels first, then the old testament, then the rest of the new testament. Cover to cover is a hard slog as you have to wade through a lot of begatting and descriptions of how temples should be constructed, that kind of thing.

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I completely disagree. Open the front cover. Read Genesis 1:1...In the beginning God created...if you don't believe this sentence, then reading the rest of the Bible is a moot point. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

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He asked how to learn about Jesus (he already believes in a creator). Genesis 1:1 doesnt provide a lot of insight into Jesus if you dont know anything about him...

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If that is really the case, since it's hard to tell from his 'rapid fire machine gun approach' to posting about Chrisitianity, why even bother with reading the OT at all since Jesus ain't even in it. To all of our readers at home, Bunny just nicely summed up the entire OT in a single sentence. No need for anyone to ever read it....

FWIW, I have read before that some scholars suggest the same as you when reading the Bible...but I still think he needs to read the OT first because it sets the stage for Jesus's coming.

[donkeylove]

1. I don't know.
2. The bible doesn't really give any precise date when the human race was created. Time, particularly OT time is hard to figure. A day is as a thousand years to God and other type statements dont help the cause.
3.I dont personally believe in the rapture. Nice idea though.
4.The whole principal of Christianity is that Christ wants to do a work in you. Good works will be the obvious result of letting him do that work in you, but good works alone is insuffecient for salvation. Its much easier to work 4 nights a week in a soup kitchen rather than yield your self will to God.
5.I think its pretty accepted that he lived. That he is the messiah however is widely challenged.
6.No
7. The gospels are the only place to see his true character and sacrifice. There are many biblical scholars who also write strong study material that breaks down original language and sometimes allows for clearer understanding.

[Brad1970]

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3. rapture

a 19th century doctrine based on below, generally thought to have no merit.

Matthew 24:40-42 (New International Version)
New International Version (NIV)

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society
[NIV at IBS] [International Bible Society] [NIV at Zondervan] [Zondervan]

40Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. 41Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.

42"Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

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It has plenty of merit although the word "rapture" doesn't appear in the Bible. It'll be painfully obvious when it happens. Read Revelation, chapter 4 & 14 specifically.

[PairTheBoard]

I suggest the book, "On Being a Christian" by Hans Kung.

PairTheBoard