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Results from: Answered Bible Questions, Answers, Unanswered Bible Questions, Notes Ordered by Verse | ||||||
Results | Verse | Author | ID# | |||
1 | Doesn't it say that God would cause evil | 2 Sam 12:11 | userdoe220 | 15453 | ||
One of the greatest arguments against the Christian understanding of God (and I will say against God in general) is the concept of evil. If God is perfect, just, soveriegn (in complete control over his creation), and completly good how come there is evil in the world? Does he allow evil to exist? If he does and he is completly in control of his creation, does that nullify his goodness? These are questions Christians have to wrestle with and provide a cogent answers to in a post-Christian age. I minister to people who demand answers to these valid questions. I also agree with you that these questions have caused people to lose their faith (calvanistic: to show that they were never truly part of God's elect) and abandon the truths of Christianity. We need great thinkers to wrestle with these questions but realize that faith would not be faith if we had all the answers neatly wrapped up in a package and given to us. Got to get some work done. |
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2 | Doesn't it say that God would cause evil | 2 Sam 12:11 | Reformer Joe | 15643 | ||
I agree with your perspective here. We cannot simply say to believers (or unbelievers) who ask questions about Scripture to "not ask those questions." I fear that that leads to more rejecting the claims of Christianity than any amount of the philosophy Charis so apparently despises. The motive behind this thread was not to "disprove God" or reject the Bible, but rather a sincere desire to understand God as He has revealed Himself in Scripture. Everything He included in His Word he put there for us to know and think about and reason out. Where I disagree with you is in your statement that "that these questions have caused people to lose their faith." What causes people to reject Christ is their rebellious wills. For unbelievers, most often these questions are not made in search of answers at all, but rather they are made under the assumption that there are no thoughtful answers. Once given thoughtful answers, unless God works a change in them, will still be as rebellious as before. Now in the case of professing Christians, it has been my experience that they do not reject the faith based on the QUESTION of evil and an omnipotent, omniscient, perfect God; but many have abandoned it because no one gave them any shred of a reasonable reconciliation of this seeming paradox (especially when you factor in the Calvinist view that all things, including sin, are decreed by God, as we see in 2 Samuel 12 with Absolom's sin). It is not the questions that make people doubt. It is the lack of Scriptural answers given by believers. I think this is what you meant, however. Thanks for your post! --Joe! |
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3 | Doesn't it say that God would cause evil | 2 Sam 12:11 | userdoe220 | 15658 | ||
I think we are on the same page on this subject. I will respond to your one objection--although I fully understand where you are coming from and for the most part fully agree that sin is the root cause. However, I have met people who have left Christianity ( I will not be dragged into someone's theology over this statement) over this issue and this issue alone. I have listened to numerous debates on University campus's between Christian and athiestic philosophers and the one argument they will use and dwell on the most is the issue of sin. My brother, XA pastor of Jackson State University, would disagree with you on this particular issue as well. Honest people, not those just wanting an excuse to live it up, have come across this argument on a secular University campus and will look back on that moment as a watershed issue that made them turn away from the faith. You can call this a second cause if you would like, with first cause being sin and that would be fine with me On a positive note, you have brought up a very valid point. A number of those students I have encoutered took at face value the God painted by their atheistic philosophy teacher or friend who happened to bring up this topic. It did cause their faith to be shaken, but thank God there are college campus ministries out there ready to shed a Christian light to this issue. My answer: Pastor's start equipping your people and stop preaching those worn-out, 3 point, shallow messages that happen to sound cute. My brother is tired of facing Assembly of God and other Christian kids from various denominations (I mention my denomination by name because it is mine. I am sure this problem exists in others as well) kids who have NO spiritual foundation to deal with these issues because their pastor's are more concerned with flair in their sermons than substance. Youth Pastors. Put the shaving cream, pizza and coke away one service a month and deal with these issues. I am sure if you don't feel equipped, there are those out there who would be willing to address these topics with your youth. Probe Ministries is one group that immediately comes to mind. Great post Joe. As you can see, I am a little passionate about this issue :-) |
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