Divine foreknowledge is incompatible with the reality of human freedom, which is one of our most primordial and undeniable experiences. Divine omnipotence (or omnicausality) is incompatible with the existence of evil, also one of our primordial experiences. Scriptural infallibility is an absurdity to anyone who looks impartially at the factual and moral errors in the scriptures, and the often barbaric depiction of God in them. Your condemnation of homosexuals (and of heterosexuals who don't toe the line of your moral standards) flies in the face of our knowledge of nature. You refusel to give pride of place in your thought to reason and experience, and instead find your certainty in ancient texts in an act of intellectual suicide. How can you expect to be able to witness convincingly to the central truths of the Gospel? Or does your concept of the Gospel's central truths reduce to these absurdities themselves?
2006-07-26 05:13:15 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
In case it's not clear from the last two sentences, I'm a Christian -- just a heretic who's interested in the heart of the Gospel and aggrieved that its propagation is hindered by Christian devotion to peripheral and illogical notions.
2006-07-26 05:22:16 · update #1
Your point regarding free will of man kind is well taken. Very few thoughtful Christians would argue that point. Evils existence is in fact necessary if mankind is to be truly free. We must have an option not to relate to God if we want. Also, nobody looks impartially at any moral or ethical issues. It is not possible to view these issues without our own experiences and knowledge influencing us. The infallibility of scripture is a quagmire for evangelicals. A more logical and intellectually honest approach is to state that the Bible contains all the information needed to restore our relationship with God and to effectively live as His people. Your statement regarding "our knowledge of nature" presumes that nature is pristine and perfect. Christians would argue that the natural order of things are currently tainted by sin. Therefore, everything we see in nature is not necessarily as it should be. The intolerance that is shown to homosexuals is unfortunate, and appears to be a cultural problem. Certainly scripture states that it is a sin, but so is lying, stealing, ect...(all of which come quite "naturally" as well). Unfortunately for some Christians these issues do seem to be more important than the actual teachings of Jesus. That is generally an immaturity issue.
2006-07-26 05:38:49 · answer #1 · answered by Boilerfan 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no problem reconciling foreknowledge and freedom; just because I know something is going to happen doesn't mean I caused it.
Omnipotence is quite different from omnicausality; just because God can do anything doesn't mean that He causes everything. I let my infant son make some mistakes so that he can learn; God works the same way.
Despite the claims of some, homosexuality is not inborn, and even most homosexuals do not claim that there is a 'gay gene.' People choose to act on their urges, and that choice is what is prohibited.
I have answered your so-called unaswerable absurdities quite simply. Perhaps the problem isn't in the Bible, but in people who blindly attack it without reading it.
2006-07-26 05:19:58 · answer #2 · answered by flyersbiblepreacher 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think the real question is, what are you looking for? Why would an avowed atheist even be in the religious section if you're not looking for something? Are you gay and feeling victimized? Are you a pseudo-intellectual who's here just to try to make yourself feel intelligent, while feeling empty inside? If you're not searching for truth, why would you be here. Many claim to be oh-so-smart, yet can't keep themselves from looking for truth to fill that emptiness. I feel for you, I really do, but you're not gonna find God on yahoo answers. You need to admit you don't know everything, which you clearly don't, and admit you're searching.
2006-07-26 05:31:49 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Answer to your post on my question, since you don't have a verified email ;-)
My head is bleeding,
I'm 57 years old and have been to 38 foreign country's And have "Cracked my head" on more books than you can shake a stick at. I've seen the Brightest skies on mountains high and the darkest Oceans off our starboard bow. I've lit out on Azure Seas with my sails full of hope. I've seen a 3 thinged Billy goat and a donkey have a women till she choked, and I've seen people slaughtered and their homes burned to the ground and heard the cries of pain echo in my brain. I've held my finger on the button of doom at 60 fathoms, ready to release Shiva (MK 75)on an unsuspecting world. I've rowed with men of blackened faces to their path of human destruction, I did not feel the knife on my throat but I saw the blood as if rote. I did not feel the bullet's steel but I heard him as he squealed and moaned as his breath eased out into the starry night. You see my friend, I'm more, much more than what I write. For I was once a "Steely eyed Killer of the Deep, Protector of Freedoms most Outer Boundary's" What say you?
2006-07-26 21:45:52 · answer #4 · answered by TommyTrouble 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Bible says " the wisdom of God is foolishness to the world".... which is perishing.
Obviously you are part of that world system that can't recognize God.
But to be honest, I'm glad you are aggrevated by what Christians says...it means we are doing our job very effectively!
By the way, get a life Pal, and quit worrying about the Christians.
2006-07-26 05:18:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, switching denominations isn't inevitably sinful, reckoning on your motives or justifications for switching a denomination. a denomination isn't a distinctive faith, this is basically a distinctive attitude interior the comparable faith, that could have some issues incorrect approximately some issues. and whether it exchange right into a sin, committing a sin would not advise you will hell. as quickly as you're a real christian, you will nonetheless sin, yet you will continually be practising turning out to be a extra proper individual, and your sin will never deliver you to hell. a non-christian is despatched to hell basically as quickly as they die. up till that factor, your sins could properly be forgiven in case you prefer to settle for Jesus. He won't be a real christian, and ought to circulate to hell, and you ought to become a christian later and circulate into heaven. So, no. This sin would not advise he's going to be in hell. If he's a real christian, you're actually not likely to work out him in hell. If he's not a christian, he will maximum truthfully be in hell.
2016-11-03 01:06:44 · answer #6 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the second place for Drivel of the Evening ... re: see first place on Plants not having body odour ...
No more pondering for you if you're gonna get carried away...
2006-07-26 05:18:03 · answer #7 · answered by kharas3an 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You sound very intelligent, but you're missing a couple of brain cells, spiritual ones. Maybe in your next life you'll evolve with them.
2006-07-26 05:19:52 · answer #8 · answered by Namaste 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Christians persist in proclaiming absurdities becuase if they don't, they'll have wasted their lives (which is sort of happening anyway).
2006-07-26 05:19:03 · answer #9 · answered by cypher 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
sorry you are totally ignored.
2006-07-26 05:24:07 · answer #10 · answered by FRIEND 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋