Christians, why is so hard to answer the hard questions?

Question

I refer to my erlier question, included below. I recieved six answers, most from non Christians.

Why are revealed religions based on fear of loss, or hope of gain?
It is rather interesting that revealed religions in general work on the premise that if one holds certain beliefs; one is rewarded with a promise of some theological place of eternal bliss. If one does not subscribe to this certain believe system, one is doomed to a theological place of eternal punishment.

Since nothing else in this reality simply works on a believe system, e.g. believing you can fly doesn’t work well if you jump from a 200 ft. cliff. Thinking that you are bullet proof will most likely get you killed. In reality there is cause and effect, no matter how obscure. “The kingdom was lost for want of a nail.”

Why is it, that the so called truth, directly from God, operates very much like a believe in Santa Claus? If Tommy is good, he will be rewarded with gifts.

. If he is bad, he will get coals in his stocking. Why are there no religions that operate on provable cause and effect?
Rewards to come after you are dead are hardly provable.

I can find no religion that is based on organized rational thinking. The ability to reason is the only thing that separates us from the animals. Why would our creator ask us to suspend this most wonderful of all abilities, only when it comes to a believe in him?

Answer 1

To paraphrase you, if I may, you are asking why God would, if what Christians believe to be true is real, ask for us to put our faith in Him only out of irrational belief in things we cannot prove scientifically or concretely?

To some extent, as you might guess, the answer is "I don't know," simply for the reason (however lame it may sound to you) that I am not God. To another extent, though, I can give some insight on the matter.

First of all, you say that "nothing else in this reality simply works on a believe system." Isn't what you're saying here simply that we don't have the power of God to do anything we want? Of course not. Just because we don't have such abilities does not seem like any sort of proof that God doesn't have them.

The part of your question that I find most intrigueing is the addendum where you basically ask why we must have faith when the only proof of God that we're given comes after death. We've heard this countless times, of course. Let me ask a question in return, then: What would be proof of God? Something abnormal--some unexplainable sign in the sky or whatever that shows there is a God that defies science? I'm guessing that's something like what is wanted.

The thing is, I believe God created science and the laws thereof and has no reason not to make his creation subject to those laws. Nature is an admittedly cool and fascinating place. God then gave humans the reasoning faculty to understand just how cool it all was. What has happened though it that now that we're understanding more and more about how it all happens, the mystery is taken out and God is forgotten. No one, thousands or, for the most part, even hundreds of years ago, really had any issue with the existence of a Creator of some sort. Why does our ability to understand it make it all less of a miracle? Why wouldn't God make it something we could understand if He gave us all that intellect? That seems just as puzzling to me as His putting in lack of concrete proof, as you imply.

Why do I think God doesn't provide any further supernatural proof of Himself? Perhaps 1) because He already did, in an incredible universe, and 2) because, although I'm sure it would wow some people for a little while, most scientists and atheists would, I feel, simply investigate the new phenomenon(a) with their God-given rational abilities, rewrite their understanding of science, and blow Him off again--if not in this generation, then in the next. Their faith is in themselves, after all.
******
I tried to do this question justice, but it's a great question and not easy to do in this format. As for the original question--three reasons Christians may not have given you a lot of responses are:
1) There are (ironically) fewer of them on this Yahoo! Answers category than there are atheists, even while the numbers are quite different outside the net;
2) The question was rather long and complicated, and multiple layer questions are always harder to answer well. Basic human laziness? I dunno.
3) Many, but not all, Christians are woefully unable to answer to these things in words because they are unpracticed in it. They focus on their faith, not on fighting their foes. I can see, though, how it could vex you, since it's a mindset outside of your realm. Trust me--Christians are not unintelligent--we see things from a different perspective. Neither side really understands the others' perspective very well.

I truly hope this answer was satisfactory for you.

BTW--the Santa analogy is faulty in that that is not how a Christian typically perceives their faith. It is not about what they get rewarded with more than it's about a love story. The rewards are part of the package, but not really the reason for the devotion. Again, something many outside the faith do not seem to grasp well, or simply flat out pooh-pooh.

Answer 2

What you see is not as real as God. What you see should prove to you there is a God. If you try and tell me we just became without a creator then you need to go rethink some things. Ask any athiest how the whole universe came about to exist and I mean every galaxy, planet and star, also the ones still being created. Ask how the earth has one set speed it is to turn and one set speed to rotate around the sun. Also the sun is just at the right distance for life to be sustained here on earth which includes billions of diverse lifeforms (That according to athiests just popped out of nowhere or crawled out of the Ocean). Is it all just coincedence? Also ask them to get an empty mason jar and set it in their house and go back to the jar 20 or 30 years later or more if needed and see whats in it..........you know what would be in it? Still nothing. You have to have a Creator and it scares athiests.
Also for the big bang theory supporters........where did the material that went bang come from and the energy to make it go BANG? I'll tell you, God created it and he may have made a "BIG BANG" out of it to put it where he wanted it I won't dispute that because the Universe is still expanding. All in all the athiests have too many questians to answer themselves that the Bible already explains. I'd rather believe there is a God and die and if there isn't I will then lose nothing but if there is a God and Creator and I've argued to people he isn't then I lose alot. Think it over friend. Are you really sure about denying God? The evidence is against you. The Bible, the only Holy written word of God explains all things past, present and future. There is no excuse for not having the knowledge, it's there.

Answer 3

(You'd better read this - it took me almost 15 mins to type)
Well, I'll answer.

First question: Why are revealed religions based on fear of loss or hope of gain?
Answer: Because, it operates on the basic truth that evil will be punished, and good rewarded. If you have a problem with that concept (which you hopefully don't), then you must have lost your conscience somewhere.

Your second question, posed as a statement, mentions that in "reality" (here I assume you mean in the physical world) there is cause and effect. Because you stated this while attacking Christianity, It is probably meant to be an argument, which can be stated this way, as well: In the christian system of beliefe, there is no cause/effect, merely... (here you fail to provide what there is).
So I am telling you that there is: If you live a bad life and never repent(cause), then you go to hell (effect), spending eternity in terrified anguish and complete separation from God.
If you live according to God's law(cause), you get to spend eternity with him in heaven(effect).
Also, your analogy of believing you can fly of are bulletproof is, frankly, a dumb one, mainly because to believe you can fly requires a certain lack of ability to reason, while believing that there is a God, a heaven, a hell, etc. requires faith. The two sides of the analogy are non-correspondent because they involve two entirely different abstract concepts (and DON'T you start on that whole "all-christians-are-dumb-so-faith-is-lack-of-reason" thing, because it's not even a reasonable statement itself).

Okay, last question: Why is it that the so called (you need a hyphen there, buddy) truth, directly from God, operates very much like a believe (you mean belief, but no biggie) in Santa Claus?

The answer is quite simple: Because the belief in santa claus is something that parents use to introduce the concept that there is a consequence to every action - one of the most un-debatable truths in existence. They merely present it in a way that delights the children, because the parents enjoy seeing their kids happy.
That's how it is with christianity: God is our Father, our parent, so to speak, and we are his children. God is not santa claus in your analogy; God is the parent, Santa is the concept, and we are the children. So in a nutshell, the answer to your last question is something along the lines of this: Santa can't be compared to God because every normal human past the age of 10 doesn't believe in santa anymore; their parents have told them he doesn't exist.
However, God is not like that; show me physical evidence against the existence of God that can destroy my faith, and I will agree that God is another Santa Claus.

I just read your comment on how christianity "suspends reason".
Here's my answer:
It doesn't. Faith is not the enemy of reason - it is the ally. Faith takes over where reason cannot go. I realized you might be confusing faith with lack of reason - a common blunder among atheists, and one that I asked you not to make earlier. Oh well.

Answer 4

I would imagine that it's difficult to answer your question because it has so many different statements in it and I for one am unclear about what you mean when you refer to a "revealed religion".

Does that mean a religion that came about from divine revelation from God to man?

Anyway, your statement that "nothing else in this reality simply works on a believe system" is a false statement. When I sit down on a chair I have faith that it will hold up my weight. When someone at a store accepts money from me they have faith that the government system will honor the exchange of seemingly worthless paper for valuable goods. When you turn the ignition on your car you have faith that your vehicle will start and get you to your destination safely.

These acts of faith are all based upon presuppositions that come from knowledge of past occurrences. It's the same with my Christian faith. I have tons of historical and personal evidence upon which to base my faith. It's not a "leap in the dark" it's a walk in the light of God's truth as testified to by the outworkings of that truth in the world around me. Click on the Answers button @ http://web.express56.com/~bromar/ if you want to view logical and scientific explanations of what I'm writing about.

Answer 5

Why is it so hard for people to believe in something that isn't logical? See being good is not what's going to get you a reward, it's part of it but not all of it. Without faith it is impossible to please God. That's believing that my bill is gonna get paid when I don't have a penny to my name because I know God is my provider.I have seen this happen with my very eyes. So you're wrong God doesn't operate like Santa, He operates on faith. Being good pleases santa, faith pleases God. Which is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen.

Answer 6

Paul S,
It's not that it's a hard question, the premise is wrong as far as I see it:
"Why are revealed religions based on fear of loss, or hope of gain?"
They aren't as far as I'm concerned, and I didn't care about it after that.
Here is a question, do you feel like answering it?


"Why is your question based on ignorance?"
Why do people that don't believe in God always make assumptions that are inaccurate about God and "Religion?"

Why can't Atheists figure out that they have no proof in what they are saying, just like religious people? And that Atheists have to have faith in order to believe what they believe?

Do you feel like answering that?

Answer 7

Because you think like a business man wanting only to make a profit,you cannot open your heart & accept the love your God gave you when He sent His son for your sins!
Why do you have to analyze it?Read the Bible,the REAL bible,not some junk made up by the Latter Day Morons or the Bejeebie's Witnesses!
Just like it says,These words will never pass away!

Answer 8

What you describe more resembles a fundamentalist Christianity rather than the basic tenets and is not what all who call themselves Christian believe.

It's not a hard question, just one based on a false premise. If you want a hard question, ask about theodicy.

Answer 9

The word religion is a word like faith required. What you are proposing is a religion without faith required only head knowledge and not heart knowledge.

We as humans rely on rewards, and it is a wise God that understands that. Don't you think?

Sorry I missed your question the 1st time.

Having faith is an adventure.

Believe the whole bible, wouldn't you like to try that.?
If you do start here http://www.carm.org/doctrine/100truths.htm

Answer 10

IF (<<<---- key word) God existed, the only people who would be in heaven would be atheists and other non-believers.

Maybe there is a God and he is testing us to see who is stupid enough to fall for the "Santa Claus" scam. And those who do, don't get into heaven.

Why would God surround himself for an eternity with charlatans and gullible morons?

God loves atheists, they seek nothing from him and live entirely on what he gave them. (us)