SO YOU WANT ME TO BECOME A CHRISTIAN?
-
14. Explain why possession by demons and/or other evil spirits was common during the time of Jesus, but hardly mentioned in the Old Testament, and apparently has been explained completely away today by things such as epilepsy and schizophrenia.
U r not really answering the question
If so, then how did Jesus take the "schizophrenia" and send it into a herd of pigs, causing them to fall off a cliff?
So u believe tat in the past there r many demon possessed people or pigs but now we have only crazy or epilepsy people ? In short u believe demon possessing only start arond jesus time and abruptly ended in recent times ? -
15. Explain why, if the personality resides in the soul, things like drugs and brain damage can affect someone's personality.
So wat happen to your spirit when your flesh is mess up ? Physically from medical terms, everything can be explain by brain being the center of all thoughts. From spiritually, physical states shouldn't mess up spiritual states. If soul r messed up because of physical states, then I guess the people who had dementia when they r old will remain as dementia when they die and maybe when they go to heaven they r still in dementia
The flesh still traps us, and this is but an example of this trapping. The brain chemistry is still altered, and while we're still in the flesh, it will still mess us up. -
16. If heaven is a place where everyone is perfectly happy, then explain how I could be happy in heaven if I had loved ones in Hell.
And wat if u have sons or loved ones who lead purposeful life but become a hindu and get torture in hell ? U can see them being burned and tortured everyday while u r there enjoying milk and honey. Can u become "perfectly happy" ? Frankly, most people u know or like will end up in hell u may find an aunt with u in heaven but all your other relatives maybe in hell being tortured badly. Remember not all christians r saved
Rev. 21:3-4: "And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away." We will still be saddened by not being with our loved ones, but it was their choice. I will admit that the mere thought of billions of people condemned there would make Paradise no longer Paradise. On the other hand, imagine the reunion of yourself and your Christian mum and dad who had pass away 20 years ago, both whom you miss so much. What about the baby that you and your wife had but died during child-birth? How joyous will it be when both you and your wife see him in heaven, calling out to you "Mummy, Daddy!" -
17. What is Heaven like?
If u had not added in the evolution thingy I may consider not replying to tis question. There r many physical evidences tat evolution is true. Do u have any evidence tat heaven exists ? Evidences is really the things tat seperate the guilty from the innocent and the right from the wrong
Read Revelation 4-5, 15, 19:1-10, and 21-22. Those last two chapters technically describe the future eternal state, but it would be a good description of heaven as well, because this state is often described as "heaven on earth."
Many people would like to argue with the question "How would you know Heaven is true? Did anyone from heaven came down and told you about it?"
I will then ask them about Evolution, "How would you know Evolution is true? Did anyone came back from the Jurassic period and told you about it?" -
19. Explain why original sin exists. Why should I be eternally tortured for something that a pair of naked fruit-munching simpletons did in a garden over six thousand years ago? If you believe that children are born stained because they were conceived sexually, explain why I would be punished for something my parents did by your merciful and just god. If this does not apply to your sect, explain why.
When u r borned, u have already sinned. tat is the idea of original sins. U r already talking about sinning (lying) which is not really about original sin anymore. If he didn't lie then how ? Anyway your parents could really have teach u how to lie by lying themselves
Because they were of the flesh, and you are too (just like me and everyone else on this earth), it literally is in the genes. I don't feel that children are born stained because they were conceived sexually, because God said to "be fruitful and multiply in the earth."
But that aside, all of us inherited the genes of sinning from Adam and Eve. Sounds stupid? Think back of the time when you were a child. Think of the first time you lied. Did you parents thought you the technique of lying? Or did you already knew how to lie. Which parent in the world will teach their child to lie? Child could have pick up when they watch shows or books. It may be really a technique pick up from others. -
20. Explain why getting dunked in or sprinkled with water will prevent me from being eternally tortured for the actions of the naked fruit-munching simpletons mentioned in #19.
I used to hear tat child who r not baptised and die go to limbo.
Communion is a symbolic act reminding us what we have been saved from. Baptism is a public testimony repentance of sins. They are basically not worth anything. You can still be in heaven without being baptisted. Example? the thief at the cross beside Jesus. Anyway most baptism occurs when u r a baby, which means it is a repentecne and etc etc etc from your parents and not u. Anyway in some schools of thought like catholic, batism plays an essential role. -
Oh ok.... we are going back to question 1 all over again.Originally posted by ben1xy:SIS is back
hahaa... u gonna rebutt the 100 over answers?
oh man.. the fun has just started
Trust me. SIS has more patience, persistence and endurance than fandango. -
Why don't you elaborate on the Septuagint part?Originally posted by FrustMom:Wrong information.
Try doing a research on 'Septuagint' and you will know when the Apocrypha were in the OT and when Christians started to use the bible with Apocrypha.
Obviously, fandango's source isn't clear about the Bible's history. -
Did the Catholics add a few books to the bible during the 15th century or did the Protestants remove some books from the OT? Think again.Originally posted by Honeybunz:Why don't you elaborate on the Septuagint part?
Obviously, fandango's source isn't clear about the Bible's history.
http://www.sgforums.com/?action=thread_display&thread_id=156244
Good afternoon and God bless. -
First NT came back. Then now we have SIS staging "SIS strikes back".Originally posted by Honeybunz:Why don't you elaborate on the Septuagint part?
Obviously, fandango's source isn't clear about the Bible's history.
Hmm .. too bad I no time stage "Return of the Ice Moon".
Our rating will increase lor .. wahahah -
3. Explain how your god can be both just and merciful, when these terms apparently contradict each other.
while we humans, givens our limitations surely we think 'just' and 'merciful' as apparently contradictory. given God's power and omnipotence, as is believed, is concievably capable of that, we wouldn't know how. as some christians have said, God's greatest weaknesses are far greater than our greatest intelligence and strengths. So why can't God be just and merciful at the same time? christians should strive to achieve this to become more 'christ-like'14. Explain why possession by demons and/or other evil spirits was common during the time of Jesus, but hardly mentioned in the Old Testament, and apparently has been explained completely away today by things such as epilepsy and schizophrenia.
demon-possessed, schizophrenia, are simply names or labels to that we give to a certain condition. it was demon-possessed since people didn't have what our modern medical science; it is now schizophrenia, yet we still can't pinpoint or know its exact causes. Alas, it doesn't matter what it is called, if jesus was indeed here, whatever it is, he can still heal it all the same.
If so, then how did Jesus take the "schizophrenia&;quot; and send it into a herd of pigs, causing them to fall off a cliff?15. Explain why, if the personality resides in the soul, things like drugs and brain damage can affect someone's personality.
this one's hard to explain, I can't. haha... you're very right in saying that a number of drugs have psychosomatic properties, altering mental and physical states. death could remove your soul from all bodily entrapments such as sickness, bodily desires like sexual, physical hunger... as a soul, you could be return to 'where you were' when you're almost clean of all of such entrapments. difficult stuff...good question.
The flesh still traps us, and this is but an example of this trapping. The brain chemistry is still altered, and while we're still in the flesh, it will still mess us up.16. If heaven is a place where everyone is perfectly happy, then explain how I could be happy in heaven if I had loved ones in Hell.
i don't recall if christianity promises happiness, much less being perfectly happy in heaven....none of these was stated in the bible. even though some may see it otherwise.17. What is Heaven like?
another good point here. standing at a non-believer's point of view, there are no physical evidences pointing at the existence of heaven. rather, heaven stands at a place, exists in the minds of people who choose to believe in it.
Read Revelation 4-5, 15, 19:1-10, and 21-22. Those last two chapters technically describe the future eternal state, but it would be a good description of heaven as well, because this state is often described as "heaven on earth."
Many people would like to argue with the question "How would you know Heaven is true? Did anyone from heaven came down and told you about it?"
I will then ask them about Evolution, "How would you know Evolution is true? Did anyone came back from the Jurassic period and told you about it?"
the evolutionary theory, in which the lines explains for itself, is only a theory, is not a truth. We can't prove the evolution has taken place, for one thing that the study and the field of science hasn't been around for a million years. 1 to 2 centuries of science, much less the age of evolutionary theory, hasn't stand long enough to have a million years archive to document evolution.
however, as in the case of evolution, there are many hints and cues which could point to its existence.19. Explain why original sin exists
some slight misunderstanding here i presume. first of all, original sin is not about becoming sexual; for God made man and woman before they even ate the apple - God made human sexual before Adam even ate the apple. the original sin is more on this..
when satan tempted eve, which led to both eve and adam disobeying God by eating the apple from the tree which God had previously forbade them. by eating the apple, a sort of self-consciousness was borned - for both of them suddenly felt ashamed, covered themselves with leaves and hid from god. i presume by eating the apple, adam and eve, became pretty much of an 'individual' creature, than being 'communal/familial' which god could've wanted the humans to be.
as for lying...lying by itself isn't a sin. read the bible and that specific commandment carefully. god didn't say 'thou shall not lie', rather, it says 'thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor'. it is through lying, and bearing malice, and causing indirect harm to thy neighbor that is forbidden; not lying.
about baptism... after all, you're right in saying that one could nevertheless ascend to heaven without being baptized. after all, baptism, or the process of being dunked is really an act came up by early christians to symbolize repentence. it's really just a symbol.
stupidissmart, r u RC? people don't know about the concept of limbo anymore. i heard limbo that is something that was came up by the clergy of the middle RC long way back. juz curious. -
Will overtake ChitChat and the Bar.Originally posted by Icemoon:First NT came back. Then now we have SIS staging "SIS strikes back".
Hmm .. too bad I no time stage "Return of the Ice Moon".
Our rating will increase lor .. wahahah
Wanna bet? -
duplicate post.
deleted -
while we humans, givens our limitations surely we think 'just' and 'merciful' as apparently contradictory. given God's power and omnipotence, as is believed, is concievably capable of that, we wouldn't know how. as some christians have said, God's greatest weaknesses are far greater than our greatest intelligence and strengths. So why can't God be just and merciful at the same time? christians should strive to achieve this to become more 'christ-like'
The questions follow. Under no circumstances will "The Lord works in mysterious ways" or other arguments in that vein be acceptable.
Actually, u had make the assumption tat the original author warn us about. U yourself find tat being "merciful" and "just" appear contradictory, u cannot explain why is tis possible so u just say tat nobody really understand god and its capability. In tat case there really isn't anythign to discuss and u can just broadly label everything as god works in mysterious waysdemon-possessed, schizophrenia, are simply names or labels to that we give to a certain condition. it was demon-possessed since people didn't have what our modern medical science; it is now schizophrenia, yet we still can't pinpoint or know its exact causes. Alas, it doesn't matter what it is called, if jesus was indeed here, whatever it is, he can still heal it all the same.
So u r saying the peopel r crazy because the demon possess them and not because of medical affliction ? I have to say tis but medically it is already established as a physical defect rather than a spiritiual one and cure has been found to curb the symptoms. Is the doctor's medicine attacking the demon possessing him or curing his physical ailments ?i don't recall if christianity promises happiness, much less being perfectly happy in heaven....none of these was stated in the bible. even though some may see it otherwise.
I think earlier someone say tat in heaven all your pain sadness etc r removed away. If all pain and sadness is removed then my guess is u receive perfect happinessthe evolutionary theory, in which the lines explains for itself, is only a theory, is not a truth. We can't prove the evolution has taken place, for one thing that the study and the field of science hasn't been around for a million years. 1 to 2 centuries of science, much less the age of evolutionary theory, hasn't stand long enough to have a million years archive to document evolution.
Actually I have explained tis many times before. Even though evolution is a "theory", in scientific terms it is a scientific fact. It means scientifically, it is regarded as true and they really did find some species att were evolved (nylon digesting bacteria where nylon is man made)
however, as in the case of evolution, there are many hints and cues which could point to its existence.some slight misunderstanding here i presume. first of all, original sin is not about becoming sexual; for God made man and woman before they even ate the apple - God made human sexual before Adam even ate the apple. the original sin is more on this..
And so ? U mean having conscious is a sin ?
when satan tempted eve, which led to both eve and adam disobeying God by eating the apple from the tree which God had previously forbade them. by eating the apple, a sort of self-consciousness was borned - for both of them suddenly felt ashamed, covered themselves with leaves and hid from god. i presume by eating the apple, adam and eve, became pretty much of an 'individual' creature, than being 'communal/familial' which god could've wanted the humans to be.as for lying...lying by itself isn't a sin. read the bible and that specific commandment carefully. god didn't say 'thou shall not lie', rather, it says 'thou shall not bear false witness against thy neighbor'. it is through lying, and bearing malice, and causing indirect harm to thy neighbor that is forbidden; not lying.
Someone use it as an example before...about baptism... after all, you're right in saying that one could nevertheless ascend to heaven without being baptized. after all, baptism, or the process of being dunked is really an act came up by early christians to symbolize repentence. it's really just a symbol.
Biblically speaking, no one can say for sure when babies, if they die, can reach heaven. There r verses tat support babies go to hell while verses tat stand babies can go to heaven. Tat is why they come out with the idea of baptising babies so even when they die they can go to heaven for sure (don't know why can ti be sure). Anyone I am not an RC person and the limbo do get mentioned religiously
stupidissmart, r u RC? people don't know about the concept of limbo anymore. i heard limbo that is something that was came up by the clergy of the middle RC long way back. juz curious. -
21. If your god did not want Adam and Eve to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, why did he put the tree in the garden of Eden (and at the center, no less)? Was it for shade? If so, why use something so dangerous as a shade tree? If the purpose of the tree was to tempt Adam and Eve, explain why it's OK for your god to engage in a practice that our modern-day courts of law refer to as "entrapment."
From the response it seems tat u have no answer why does god do such a thing which really befundled people. I thought god is omnipotent and can know wat is the outcome of the test yet still test us and punish us for it.
We may never know, as His ways are not our own. Some say that it was a test. If they resisted the serpent, or if they ate the tree of life first, the test would be over, and they would have passed, and gone on to eternal life. -
22. Explain why sex, potentially one of the most wonderful, beautiful things in human nature, is considered "bad" by your particular sect. If your sect does not consider sex to be "bad," then refute Matthew 19:12, 1 Corinthians 7 (particularly verses 1 and 9), Galatians 5:17, 1 Thessalonians 4:3, James 1:14-15, Matthew 24:38, Luke 17:27, and Revelation 14:4.
Actually u r really just repeating the question... why is it wrong ? U say it is perfect, beautiful and holy but why restrict yourself to fulfill certain criteria ?
Between two partners in marriage, it can be a good thing. If it is homosexual, or if it heterosexual outside of marriage, it is wrong, because God designed it in the perfect, beautiful and holy manner inside of marriage. The key phrase here is "IN MARRIAGE". Anything outside is just wrong. -
23. Explain why, if Jesus was perfect, he thought that the end of the world was coming soon, when it has clearly not come yet. See Matthew 16:27-28.
28I tell you the truth, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom."
II Peter 3:8: "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." The past two thousand years are to him merely a couple of days.
That aside, Jesus might be coming in 5 mintues time, 5 days, 5 hours or 50 years time. We do not know exactly when. But one thing is for sure is that if you look at the situation around the world right now, we could well now be living in the century of Jesus's 2nd coming.
If I am not wrong he meant the above line, meaning the people standing there will not taste death before judgement day. However clearly they all die now. -
24. Explain why some people (James, Peter, Paul, Thomas, etc.) should get convincing physical proof of miracles, while the rest of us are supposed to take these happenings on faith.
IMO I think tis is the best question asked. Even jesus disciples do not have faith and doubts jesus ability initially untill they sees the miracles themselves. Yet why r we expected to believe in it blindly without justifications. If he do miracles and few people believes, then doing no miracles will make lesser number of people believe in him. In fact he even warns repeatedly of false prophets and fake gods so we r expected to be skeptical.
They are based on faith all the time. The Pharisees saw them, and they still didn't believe! Anyway, God still works in our lives today, you just have to look for it. And no, modern day miracles are not "performed" on stage or pulpits as seen from many churches today
U say god works in our lives, but frankly I really don't see any. Another can easily say tat a hindu deity works in our lives or a cult deity work in our lives and all of them r really just guessing -
I dun think so ba. But I think will definitely raise to 2 or 3 position up ba.Originally posted by Honeybunz:Will overtake ChitChat and the Bar.
Wanna bet? -
Maybe not .. but shd be able to overtake cars.Originally posted by Honeybunz:Will overtake ChitChat and the Bar.
Wanna bet?
Religion, politics and sex are hot topics and they map to EH, CC and BAR.
-
25. Why are the stories of the resurrection inconsistent?
It seems inconsistent to me though.
They do not seem inconsistent to me. Please point out the inconsistencies. God put all the facets in all four gospels so that we could know everything that happened. Here's why I believe this: the philosopher says, "They aren't the same, throw it all out." But the historian doesn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. He says, "Yes, I see inconsistencies, but they all have the same basis. A group of women go to visit Jesus' tomb, and someone there meets them and says that Jesus isn't there, and that He has risen from the grave." The gospels don't say how many women were there, no more and no less, or how many angels/men in white were there, no more and no less.
In matthew it says tat got earthequake and lightning then an angel appear in front of the mary and jesus mother. Later they went and tell the disciples who went to a mountain and saw jesus there
In Mark, the 2 women and salome went to the tomb first and saw 1 angel there. They were afraid and never tell anyone about it though. And after tat Mary see jesus first, and after tat see the 11 during dinner and scolded them
In luke, the women saw 2 person and then inform the disciples. They do not believe them and paul went over to check, but see only linen inside. Then 2 disciples suddenly see jesus on a road to a village and only these 3 had dinner
In john, mary magladene alone went to the tomb at night and saw the stone already moved. Then she called out to 2 disciples and head to the tomb at night. The first people who went in r the disciples not mary. They didn't see any angels or jesus. Then when mary cry outside tomb 2 guys and jesus appear.
So the question is ? Who went to the tomb first and when ? Who saw the first sighting of jesus ? -
27. If your god is kind and gentle, why do some animals have to eat meat?
Where do the bible says tat ? Whoever says tat animals eat meat because men eat a fruit ?
It's a result of the Fall of Man. It affected all of nature. -
28. If your god is kind and gentle, why did he create parasites?
Whoever say tat parasites r not created by god, but by men ?!?!? Tis question is a different form of question 27 if u notice...
I will stick to my answer mentioned in question 27.
However, recent theorist has suggested that AIDS, SARS, Bird Flu, Nipah Virus, Mad Cow, Ebola Virus could possibly be human engineered. I am not saying that this is 100% true, but it does fufil bible prophecies
Matthew 24:6-7 "And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places." -
Are the questions answered in order?
Where is #26? -
I thought question # 27 is
27. If you are a Protestant or a member of an Eastern Orthodox Church, explain why you are still using the Catholic Bible, which was formalized by a vote among (supposedly divinely inspired) cardinals and bishops in the fourth century CE, when you disagree with the idea that the Pope, who is higher in the Catholic hierarchy, is divinely inspired. If you are a Catholic, explain why your church accepts the canonical Bible while rejecting the Apocrypha (without using the "divinely inspired" argument).